The 3 best affordable Electric Vehicles right now
By Eshan Miller
There was once a time when your only EV options were the Mitsubishi i-MiEV or the hybrid Toyota Prius. The i-MiEV, with a range of 50 miles, looked more egg than car, and the Prius would make you look like the most annoying person you’ve ever met. However, today buying an EV doesn’t mean you have to look like you’re driving an electric-powered egg. Luckily, there are also several options for the best relatively cheap electric cars.
Electric Vehicles in the last 10-15 years have come a very long way, and there are definitely some very good ones. The technology of the EV has come so far with improvements to range, speed, looks, and quality. So without further ado here are some very good, attainable EVs.
Mini Cooper S Level 1 EV- £13,000-£15,000 ( $15,888-$18,333) (Used) is one of the best cheap electric cars
As far as small stylish hatchbacks go, you can’t go wrong with a modern Mini. It’s stylish to look at and engineered by the Germans. Additionally, with the Cooper EV, you don’t need to worry about unreliability- or range anxiety. The Cooper S EV comes with a respectable range of 145 miles, which isn’t bad for a small car. To add to the range, Mini’s EV is fairly light, too, at 1365kg, which I’d imagine helps the driving dynamics too, which is on brand for Mini. There are some drawbacks, like with anything, and the main one is the lack of speed. I’m not saying the Cooper EV is objectively slow, but it is slow for a Mini with an ‘S’ badge on the back, as it gets to 60 in 7.3 and tops out at 99mph. However, it produces a respectable 181 horsepower, but it doesn’t do much with it.
As per usual Mini has got it just right with the interior. Sometimes having TV-sized screens makes an interior look a bit tacky, and I’m glad Mini didn’t go down that road. The speed dial is displayed on a classy and clean-looking screen, and the infotainment is integrated into the now iconic Mini round centerpiece, you get cloth seats as standard and I think it’s an example of a perfectly modern and clean interior.
BMW I3- £12,000-£15,000 ($14,666-$18,333) is one of the best cheap electric cars
The BMW i3, when it came out, I remember didn’t have a huge fan club, but I always liked it, and I still do. I know there were some issues with the i3’s monocoque, as it made working on the car difficult. However, if you can get a good example for £12,000, I think you’ve got yourself a bargain. For that £12,000, you get: Apple Car Play, a solid infotainment system (even if it isn’t touchscreen), and some very stylish
looking seats.
Depending on trim level, you can also get up to 190 miles worth of range, and for its size and shape, it isn’t the slowest thing in the world either, as it gets to 60 slightly faster than the Mini at 6.9 seconds. This is easily one of the best relatively cheap electric cars
Jaguar I-Pace 400 £21,000-£25,000 ($25,675- $30,566)
I bet you weren’t expecting to find a Jag on this list, never mind a 2019 Jag. Until I was researching for this, I didn’t know how attainable the I-Pace had become. On paper, it demolishes the two other cars. It has a range of 287 miles, nearly 100 more than the BMW and almost double the Mini. Yes, you’re paying extra, but you’re getting a lot for it.
The I-Pace also has the acceleration the other two lack. It gets to 60MPH in 4.8 seconds. For context, that’s faster than the p300 F-Type, the 981 Boxter S, and the 2018 BMW 530e Performance.
It gets even better inside. You get luxurious leather seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a touchscreen infotainment system, and a modern and really clean-looking center console. It’s the perfect attainable EV.
There’s just one drawback. It is probably the ugliest car I’ve seen in my life, it just doesn’t work on any level from the outside. Still, it’s among the best cheap electric cars
So… Which one of these of these relatively cheap electric cars is the best?
Out of the three, there’s one I would go for, and it’s the i3. No, it isn’t and I feel physically ill saying it, but it’s the I-Pace. It’s just so ugly to look at that it has a face not even a mother could love. But annoyingly, it’s just such a good all-round affordable electric car, so begrudgingly, I’d take it. It’s just so much better than the other two. However, these are all three among the best cheap electric cars.