The 10 best electric cars to buy in 2021, from the Jaguar i-Pace to Volkswagen ID.3
Ahead of a ban on fossil-fuelled cars by 2030, here’s the pick of the EVs you can buy now in terms of range, efficiency and desirability
The Government has announced that, by 2030, no purely petrol or diesel cars will be allowed to be sold brand new in the UK and that, by 2035, hybrids will be banned too.
In other words, in 14 years’ time, the UK’s new car sales market will be almost entirely electric. That means manufacturers have until then to get a range of electric models on sale and available to us to replace the vast array of petrol, diesel and hybrid cars currently on offer.
No small feat, frankly. And of course, an electric car won’t suit everyone; finding a solution that works for those whose annual mileage is too great, or who simply don’t have access to an electric car charger at home or nearby, will be imperative in the intervening years.
But if you can make the switch, electric cars offer plenty of benefits, even now. Not only are modern electric cars fast and quiet, but they’re also cheap to run and maintain and mechanically very simple.
And such is the pace of development that, with a couple of exceptions, this top 10 bears little relation to our pick of EVs only a couple of months ago.
Besides, switching to electric before we’re forced to could help you to get your head around the ins and outs of charging, as well as to work out whether range anxiety really will affect you. Fancy it? If so, we reckon these are the best EVs on sale today.
NB: All prices quoted are ‘On The Road’ and do not take into account any Government incentives. Where quoted, range and energy consumption figures were obtained using the official WLTP Combined test cycle.
10. Jaguar i-Pace
Price: from £65,245
Range: Up to 292 miles
Energy consumption: Up to 1.8miles per kilowatt hour (mpkWh)
A cavalcade of awards met the arrival of the Jaguar i-Pace and it took the 2019 Car of the Year award; that comes as no great surprise, for not only is it far more exciting than most electric cars to drive but it’s beautifully appointed, handsome, fast and has a very usable range. Only its poor energy efficiency knocks it back, but if you can live with that it remains one of the classiest electric cars around.
9. Kia e-Niro
Price: from £32,845
Range: Up to 282 miles
Energy consumption: Up to 6.5mpkWh
It was once our favourite electric car, but now newer rivals have come along and pushed the e-Niro from its top spot, leaving it looking a little pricey, a little dated and rather bland. But don’t be deterred, because if you aren’t looking for something funky or fashionable this is an excellent electric family car, with impressive efficiency and a long range, and a choice between a small battery for urban duties or a big one for longer-range work.
8. Audi e-tron GT
Price: from £82,865
Range: Up to 298 miles
Energy consumption: Up to 3.0mpkWh
This sharp and slinky four-door coupé shares its underpinnings (and much of what makes it brilliant) with the Porsche Taycan. It’s slightly more pliant and less involving to drive, mind you, but the flip-side to that is that, like-for-like, the e-tron GT costs a touch less. That said, the Taycan can still be had cheaper thanks to the addition of an entry-level rear-wheel-drive version, which has no equivalent in the e-tron GT range.
7. Porsche Taycan
Price: from £72,850
Range: Up to 287 miles
Energy consumption: Up to 2.9mpkWh
It’s arguably the best-driving electric car on sale today, but until recently, the Taycan’s high price made it hard to justify. Now, though, with the addition of the entry-level version, it suddenly seems a bit more reasonable. Indeed, motoring correspondent Andrew English contends that this most basic Taycan is the best in the range. Yes, it’s costly to buy and reasonably so to run, too, but if you can stretch to it, the Taycan is a pretty special bit of kit.
6. Ford Mustang Mach-E
Price: from £41,330
Range: Up to 379 miles
Energy consumption: Up to 3.8mpkWh
Should it be called a Mustang? Frankly, it doesn’t really matter, because with the Mach-E Ford has managed to concoct a rakish SUV that offers one of the longest ranges of any electric car – and at a very compelling price. It’s also admirably efficient for its size, so it shouldn’t cost you the earth to run; the best part is it’s as engaging to drive as you’d hope from a company that has also given us a long line of beguiling ST-badged hot hatches – not to mention the, ahem, “real” Mustang.
5. Skoda Enyaq iV
Price: from £34,510
Range: Up to 331 miles
Energy consumption: Up to 6.4mpkWh
Skoda’s first electric car is much as you’d expect a Skoda electric car to be: sensible, plain-speaking, and well finished, with smart if not eye-catching styling and reasonable pricing. That it’s also extremely efficient and therefore long of range, even with the smaller battery, makes it even more impressive. Throw in its very reasonable pricing, and if you’re after a no-nonsense electric car with space for a family, it’s a very strong contender.
4. Tesla Model 3
Price: from £40,990
Range: Up to 348 miles
Energy consumption: Up to 4.2mpkWh
It should come as no surprise that the Model 3 has won over thousands of buyers across the world. With a better level of finish than its Model S stablemate, it’s even banishing some of the reasons not to buy a Tesla. Throw in the smart, minimalist interior, access to Tesla’s Supercharger network and a price that actually seems rather reasonable, given the whopping range and super-saloon performance, and the Model 3 is very tempting.
3. Hyundai Ioniq 5
Price: from £36,995
Range: Up to 298 miles
Energy consumption: Up to 3.7mpkWh
Not since the Audi TT went on sale has a car looked more as though it’s just driven straight off a concept car pedestal on a motor show stand. The Ioniq 5’s clean surfaces, sharp creases and straight edges are a perfect riposte to some of its bloated and over-styled rivals. Inside, it’s even more of a revelation, with a bright, airy interior replete with high-tech touches, like the screens that appear to loom out of a translucent sheet of frosted glass. And while it rides rather firmly, otherwise it drives brilliantly, too.
2. Polestar 2
Price: from £39,990
Range: Up to 335 miles
Energy consumption: Up to 3.6mpkWh
You might not yet have heard of Volvo’s premium EV offshoot, Polestar, but if you haven’t, you surely will soon. With its maiden entry into the market, a mid-range, mid-size crossover SUV with chunky styling and a taut but fluid ride, it’s hit the bullseye, especially now that the more affordable (and better to drive) single-motor models have just become available. Offering decent value, a long range and one of the finest interiors on sale today, the Polestar 2 makes several other premium EVs look overblown and overpriced.
1. Volkswagen ID.3
Price: from £29,635
Range: Up to 336 miles
Energy consumption: Up to 4.0mpkWh
By the time you read this, the above info might not be accurate. That’s because Volkswagen is adding more and more variants to the ID.3 range seemingly by the day, with different combinations of battery and motor bringing a huge variety of range and performance permutations. That means there’s an ID.3 to suit almost everyone, and the underlying car drives classily and feels airy and spacious – much as you’d expect from the company that brought us the Golf, a car we wouldn’t be surprised to see the ID.3 one day usurp.
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