The initial upfront cost of electric cars was pegged as one of the main reasons for slow adoption in the UK.
But offerings from Europe and China have steadily dropped in price, and some EVs are as cheap as conventional petrol models now.
The government’s recently announced Electric Car Grant (ECG) has also helped to bring prices down. This is applicable to certain EVs priced at £37,000 or below depending on sustainability criteria and the countries where they are built. Eligible cars are awarded £1500 or £3750, depending on the car’s ‘environmental impact.’
The cheapest EV on sale in the UK is the Citroën Ami, although this is technically a quadricycle. The cheapest conventional car is the Leapmotor T03. Keep reading for the full list.
Price: £7695
Best for: City drivers
The cheapest car on this list technically isn’t a car, but a quadricycle. Designed to be inexpensive, effective transport for packed cities, the Citroën Ami has an 8bhp motor, 28mph top speed and 45-mile range, which all make it hopelessly out of its depth on the open road.
That said, its tight turning circle and dinky dimensions make it a doddle to drive around town, and the presence of a roof – something you don’t get on a motorcycle – keeps you warm and dry when the heavens open.
Read our Citroën Ami review
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Is tiny Citroën the future of urban motoring or a G-Wiz reborn in funkier wrapping?
Price: £14,495
Best for: Overall value
You may not have heard of Leapmotor. It is a Chinese car brand, but one with a difference.
Leapmotors sold outside of China are sold by Leapmotor International, a joint venture with Stellantis, which owns many brands including Citroën, Fiat, Jeep and Peugeot. This means the marque is sold within Stellantis showrooms, giving drivers the ability to try a new car within the parameters of a parent company that they know.
There’s only one powertrain available, a front-mounted 94bhp motor, but you do at least get a selection of paint colours plus a 37.3kWh battery with up to 165 miles of range.
As standard, the T03 has an 8.0in digital instrument display, a multifunction steering wheel and a 10in infotainment touchscreen with sat-nav and a DAB radio, but no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.
Read our Leapmotor T03 review
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Price: £14,995
Best for: Quick trips
This dinky EV, which initially went on sale in mainland Europe, has had a big overhaul inside and out, gaining a new face and significant improvements to interior quality and connectivity.
With a 26.8kWh battery and tipping the scales at just 984kg, the Spring offers a range of around 137 miles on a single charge.
Read our Dacia Spring review
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Price: £17,995
Best for: Style
The Microlino’s stylistic influence from the era-defining 'bubble car' is very obvious and even extends to a side-hinged front door.
Swing open that front end and you’re met by a bench seat that can happily host two adults… and not much else.
It is not fast by any stretch of the imagination, but its circa-5.0sec 0-30mph time means it works fine in cities and on slow roads.
The standard Microlino comes with a 10.5kWh battery with a claimed 110 miles of range, but there’s also a Lite version with a 58-mile range, courtesy of a smaller battery that brings the overall weight below 425kg, putting it into the quadricycle class.
Neither version is capable of fast charging, but Micro reckons it needs only four hours on a three-pin to go from empty to full.
Read our Micro Microlino review
Price: £18,650
Best for: Sophistication
BYD’s smallest and cheapest car is also one of its best. China’s second-best-selling car comes with three variations in the UK. Option one gives a battery size of 30kWh (usable capacity) teamed with an 87bhp motor and is good for a 137-mile WLTP range. Option two keeps the 87bhp motor, but ups the battery size to 85kW, making 200 miles on the WLTP lab test. Option three gives the same as option two but raises power to 154bhp and trims the range to 193 miles.
Inside, you get BYD’s trademark infotainment screen, which can switch between portrait and landscape, and broadly there’s a lot of space in here. But there are only four seats, mind.
Read our BYD Dolphin Surf review
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Best for: Interior versatility
Price: £19,525
Hyundai has dipped its toe into the world of affordable EVs with the Inster, a small city car with a rugged and characterful appearance.
Measuring somewhere between the Hyundai i10 and i20, the Inster is genuinely small and appears similar in stature to the Suzuki Ignis.
Power comes from a single front-mounted electric motor. Power ranges from 96bhp to 113bhp and a 42kWh battery is included as standard.
A larger, 49kWh battery is also available, giving the Inster a maximum range of 229 miles.
Standard kit includes a heat pump, two 10.25in dashboard screens and lots of safety software.
It's fairly practical too, with a boot measuring 238 litres with the seats up and 351 litres with them still up but slid farther forwards.
Read our Hyundai Inster review
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Price: £20,595
Best for: Comfort
Citroën parent company Stellantis is really bossing this list. The ë-C3 is the latest entrant and promises something that is both utilitarian and chic.
All models come with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard, plus 'Comfort' seats and safety aids.
It has a 199-mile range and can rapidly charge at rates of up to 100kW, enabling a 20-80% charge in 26 minutes.
On the road, its hydraulic bump-stops do a good job of filtering out abrasions and you feel pretty well isolated from big bumps. In other words, it’s comfortable and easygoing.
An even cheaper version, costing £17,250, will arrive in mainland Europe in 2025. But Citroën has yet to confirm whether this version will be sold in the UK.
Read our Citroën ë-C3 review
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Price: £21,035
Best for: Space
Fiat’s utilitarian Panda is back, now named the Grande Panda (because it’s larger than the old model).
The electric version shares a great deal mechanically with the Citroën ë-C3, including its 44kWh battery serving up a WLTP range of 199 miles. It can charge at up to 100kW and it lays down a 0-62mph time of 11.0sec.
The cheapest models are called Red and come equipped with 16in white steel wheels, LED headlights, a 60/40-split folding rear bench, a 10.25in touchscreen with smartphone mirroring, cruise control and rear parking sensors.
Read our Fiat Grande Panda Electric review
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Price: £21,245
Best for: Funky design
The Ora 03 is the smallest car in the GWM range, behind the GWM Haval Jolion 07 SUV and the Poer 300 pick-up truck. They’re all perhaps names you won’t be too familiar with. GWM (Great Wall Motor) has been around since the 1980s but it hasn’t made much of a mark in the UK yet.
Officially the 03 offers up a range of 193 miles for the base car, and 260 for the Pro with the larger battery. Both models have 169bhp, making the 03 fast enough for most situations. It feels nippy around town, but out on the open road it can feel a bit top heavy, much like a much larger SUV.
Perceived interior quality is not a strong point. There are plenty of cheap feeling materials in here, especially around the centre console. Bright colour schemes can somewhat hide the worst of it though.
Read our GWM Ora 03 review
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Price: £22,995
Best for: Living with day to day
When Renault said it would aim for a price of less than £23,000 with the 5, many were sceptical – but the French firm came good on its promise.
The Renault 5 is one of the cheapest EVs in the UK today, on sale from just £22,995. That's just £1600 more than the hybrid Renault Clio.
For that price, you get the entry-level 118bhp electric motor with a 40kWh battery for 190 miles of range.
If you want more range, you will pay closer to £30,000, which is still cheaper than the entry-level Mini Cooper E.
Read our Renault 5 review
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Murray has been a journalist for more than a decade. During that time he’s written for magazines, newspapers and websites, but he now finds himself as Autocar’s digital editor.
He leads the output of the website and contributes to all other digital aspects, including the social media channels, podcasts and videos. During his time he has reviewed cars ranging from £50 – £500,000, including Austin Allegros and Ferrari 812 Superfasts. He has also interviewed F1 megastars, knows his PCPs from his HPs and has written, researched and experimented with behavioural surplus and driverless technology.
Murray graduated from the University of Derby with a BA in Journalism in 2014 and has previously written for Classic Car Weekly, Modern Classics Magazine, buyacar.co.uk, parkers.co.uk and CAR Magazine, as well as carmagazine.co.uk.
All cheap EVs are awful. There is no reason for buying one.
Have you looked at the Citroen Berlingo and space tourer? I think Vauxhall and VW also make something you’d like
“Cost-effective EVs are rare”? No, cheap EVs are rare, and that’s what this article is about. EVs by Kia, Hyundai, VW, Ford, even Jaguar and Tesla, are all cost-effective because of the low running costs.
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