6 best electric cars you can buy now

Electric power is going mainstream and these are the very best cars available on the market today
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Graham Scott|Whatcar30 December 2016

The future would appear not only to be very near, but also features cities that will have zero-emission rules for entry. The main barrier to people getting electric cars has been the problem of range. With 150 miles being about normal for a lot of cars, and with long recharge times, that’s a justifiable anxiety if you do a lot of miles a day.

But lots of people don’t, or they’ll use their big petrol or diesel car for the longer journeys and use an electric car for commutes into the city. And in the city 150 miles is going to take quite a while to work through. As ranges get longer – more than doubled in the higher-end cars – then this is going to become less of an issue and we’ll see more electric cars on the streets. So which one should get your e-vote?

1. Tesla Model S. From £58,435 (4 stars)

The most expensive car here by far is also in a different league to the others. It’s quiet, comfortable, and has a vast reserve of performance available. With seating for up to seven, the cabin is a contemporary delight, with the dash dominated by a 17in touchscreen that controls most of the car’s functions.

2: Volkswagen e-Golf. From £31,680 (4 stars)

Whereas there is no mistaking the made-for-electric BMW i3 (see below), the e-Golf is a Golf which has had its power unit replaced by an electric motor and battery array. That’s not actually a bad thing, because it means you get a Golf, with all the great attributes of that car, but you also get low running costs and almost silent running.

3: BMW i3. From £30,980 (4 stars)

There is no mistaking those contemporary lines, letting everyone know you’re in a full EV. The appearance is backed up by a superb lightweight chassis with the battery pack low down under the floor, for great weight distribution and nimble handling. There is a Range Extender model which adds a two-cylinder engine to the battery power for, well, extending the range.

4: Renault Zoe. From £18,495 (4 stars)

The cheapest car here by a margin, the Zoe is also surprisingly spacious for four passengers and their luggage. You can get away from the lights pretty nimbly and it’s as cheap to run as it is to buy.

5: Nissan Leaf. From £22,330 (4 stars)

The Leaf comes with two outputs, one giving a theoretical range of 124 miles, the other of 155 miles, although the latter can only be had with the top trim levels. Whichever version you choose, they’re quite pleasant and straightforward to drive, and there’s decent space inside. For the money, this is good value.

6: Kia Soul EV. From £29,995 (4 stars)

Kia’s first electric car is actually better to drive than its petrol model equivalent. The advantages are pretty much what you’d expect with an electric motor: there is tons of torque from the get-go and it’s delivered almost silently. However, the cabin doesn’t quite live up to the rest of the car, particularly when you consider the cost.

Follow Evening Standard Motors on Twitter: @ES_Motors.

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