From adventure-seekers to blended families, new couples to retirees, dog owners to weekend footballers: we’re such a diverse bunch. And when buying a car, we look for one to suit our specific lifestyle. Family, friends, parents at the school gate and colleagues ask me all the time: “Is there an electric car out there to suit me?”
For a long time, electric vehicles (EVs) were synonymous with being expensive, having limited range, and not much choice in terms of shape and size. Some early efforts gave the whole sector a rather bad name (remember the little G-Wiz?). More usable pioneers such as the Nissan Leaf and Renault Zoe could eke out 130 miles on a good day – cute, but not for everyone. For a while, you’d have been forgiven for thinking that as far as EVs went, you could either have a Tesla, or not. And that was it.
The good news is that things now couldn’t be more different. With carmakers racing to meet the government’s ZEV (Zero Emission Vehicle) rule that 22% of their range must be pure electric in 2024, drivers will find a wide choice of electric hatchbacks, estates, small and large SUVS in the showrooms – more than a hundred different EV models to choose from, at last count.
Bigger families (such as mine, with four boys and a dog) are well catered for. Two excellent seven-seat electric SUVs are the Kia EV9 and Volvo EX90. Even with the third row of seats up, you still get usable boot space for shopping and luggage. Highly desirable and with beautiful seat materials – from Volvo’s wool blend to Kia’s vegan leather – both cars should give you a range in the region of 300 miles.
Like a bit of camping? If your wishlist is for easily accessible boot space, raised ride height and perhaps four-wheel drive for coping with damp fields, pretty much every brand offers reliable electric SUVs. Here are my three favourites ...
The Skoda Enyaq is incredible value for money. At about £40,000 new, it’s in the same ballpark as many petrol SUVs of the same size, offering room for five adults and a large boot for weekends away.
The Tesla Model Y, similar in terms of space, with a wide-opening tailgate for loading tents and paraphernalia, is about £7,000 cheaper than last year, and gets you access to Tesla’s supercharging network.
The futuristic-looking Kia EV6 is like a Tardis, with a surprising amount of boot space, alongside a seven-year warranty and great reliability. I also like the fact that there are six levels of regenerative braking to choose from, which gives you six driving modes for endless amusement.
Of course, for the city runabout crowd, you have a whole array of well-put-together hatchbacks – such as the Hyundai Ioniq, VW e-Golf or Vauxhall Corsa-e – mostly on the right side of £30,000.
For those (possibly few) who felt a twinge of nostalgia when I said “G-Wiz” – thinking purely of dimensions rather than build quality, no doubt – luckily there are newer, smarter options such as the Citroen Ami which, officially classed as a “quadricycle”, can even be driven without a driving licence.
And let’s not even get into the sports cars, with astonishing performance and dynamics from the likes of the Jaguar I-Pace, Ford Mustang Mach-e GT or the Porsche Taycan Turbo S, albeit at a hefty price. Of course, you can always opt not to buy new, and save a packet.
All in all, there has simply never been a better time to go electric. Have a look through Auto Trader and prepare to be amazed by how far we’ve come. Happy browsing!
Erin Baker is an experienced motoring journalist and campaigner, and the editorial director at Auto Trader, the UK’s largest automotive marketplace. Learn all about going electric with more real-world advice here
