The cheapest electric cars available in the UK

Price: £14,995

The Dacia Spring is officially the UK's cheapest electric (proper) car. It almost comes close to being the UK’s cheapest new car overall, with just the Dacia Sandero and Citroen C3 pipping it. 

The small 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. 

Price: £21,990

Stellantis, as you’ll soon discover, is really bossing this list. The e-C3 is the latest entrant from the company, with the promise of 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 easy-going.

An even cheaper version costing £17,250 will join Europe in 2025. But Citroen is yet to confirm whether this is coming to the UK yet.

Price: £24,995

If any manufacturer has the city car formula nailed, it’s Fiat. The latest version of the iconic 500 oozes desirability inside and out and its combination of a tight turning circle and diminutive sizing make it a cinch to drive around town.

Even better, this electric city car doesn’t feel terribly out of depth once you hit the open road, although the entry-level car’s 118-mile range does significantly limit the 500e’s usefulness.

It’s available with either a 24kWh battery or larger 42kWh unit, which costs around £3000 more and is good for a range of 199 miles. It works with a 118bhp electric motor. All cars come with a 10.25in infotainment touchscreen and smartphone mirroring.

Price: £26,195

You might not have heard of BYD, but it’s making a splash on its UK market entry. Its first model, the BYD Atto 3, might not have impressed at £37,695, but the follow-up – the smaller Dolphin – may be more palatable because it's the cheapest full-sized electric hatchback currently available.

You do have to accept some concessions when buying one in entry-level Active trim, though. Its suspension set-up uses unsophisticated trailing arms, and its 94bhp motor feels notably short of oomph. It has yet to be seen whether those are acceptable compromises for the majority of UK buyers: watch this space.

Price: £26,895

The Corsa's cheapest model is called the #Yes. Really. It gets a 50kWh battery with 221 miles of range, while a front-mounted electric motor supplies 134bhp and 191lb ft of torque.

The equipment you get is decent too. The Corsa #Yes is equipped with 16in alloy wheels, a 10in digital touch screen, wireless smartphone connectivity, automatic LED headlights and wipers, climate control, keyless entry and rear parking sensors.

Price: £26,995

The value champion for the better part of the past year has now been undercut by its compatriot, the BYD Dolphin, but the MG 4 is still well worth considering.

It’s genuinely good fun to drive thanks to its rear-wheel-drive set-up and compliant suspension. Moreover, the 218-mile official range of the entry-level SE car puts it on a par with more costly alternatives.

If you’re looking for an EV with a bit more punch, why not consider the MG 4 XPower? It’s significantly more expensive, at £36,495, but its dual motors output a whopping 429bhp, allowing it to out-accelerate many supercars at lower speeds.

Price: £27,995

Where Western manufacturers zig, Mazda zags. The Japanese firm famed for the rotary engine now makes a point of its first-ever electric car having a relatively short, 124-mile range – enough for the average commute, in its estimation.

The quirkiness continues inside the MX-30, where it feels surprisingly upmarket for a car priced at the lower end of the EV spectrum. 

Mazda also offers a range-extender version called the Mazda MX-30 R-EV. Its battery is good for 53 miles on a single charge but the range can be swelled to more than 400 miles by using the rotary engine as a generator, with the added benefit of being able to quickly fill up with petrol and make good progress on longer journeys.

Price: £28,495

The original Nissan Leaf was a trailblazer for mainstream electric cars. Although the second-generation car isn’t quite as revolutionary, it does have an important role to play as one of the UK’s cheapest full-sized EVs. 

The entry-level Shiro variant features a 39kWh battery that officially yields 168 miles of range – shorter than similarly priced rivals and a product of the Leaf’s age.

Another age-related oddity is the Leaf’s use of the now uncommon Chademo charging connector: you’ll probably want to buy a Type 2 adapter if you choose a Leaf.