THE GOOD: It’s unique

THE BAD: It’s uniquely limited

THE UGLY: 28mph flat out!

NEED TO KNOW: The Ami isn’t, strictly speaking, a car, or not as defined by UK vehicle licensing regulations, where it’s regarded as a quadricycle. We’ve included it because it’s from a car maker, it’s sold by car dealers and it might well be considered as an alternative to an actual car by a prospective purchaser.

The fact that we’ve included this but excluded some other similarly fringe cases is perhaps unfair and illogical, but we had to draw the line somewhere, and here is where we drew it.

Like a lot of the vehicles in the lower reaches of this ranking, it’s not bad as such; it has a purpose, and performs its rather limited function just fine, but it’s sorely lacking in anything the car enthusiast would find appealing.

The Ami does have its attractions: its symmetrical design is both cute and clever and 16-year-olds can drive it so the parental taxi gets more downtime. And at 2.41 metres long, it has a tiny turning circle. But approached with a shred of rationality, it’s a nightmare. On a 40mph dual carriageway you’re as welcome as a tax demand, the ride is brutal, the steering slow and it’s noisy, especially when you put on the fan heater. Yes, prices start below £8k in the UK, but the novelty will wear off after five minutes. Owners say it makes people smile: guys, the pedestrians are laughing at you, not with you.

KEY DATA: Range 47 miles; efficiency 7.8 miles per kWh (est); charging 240 minutes 0-100% on a 230-volt domestic plug

THE ONE TO BUY: A bus pass

THE GOOD: It’s cheap; seats four; keeps the rain off your head

THE BAD: How long have you got?

THE UGLY: Being terrified by car with 64bhp

NEED TO KNOW: A new electric car for under £15,000 in the UK sounds too good to be true, and that’s because it is. Yes, it’s technically correct, but this doesn’t feel like a car designed and built in the 21st century. You could blame Dacia’s decision to base the Spring on the Renault Kwid, a car designed as cheap transport for emerging markets, but it feels like much more could have been done to at least make it drive better. A tall ride height and soft springs bring comical bodyroll, and narrow 165-section tyres provide low grip levels not experienced since the 1990s. The 140-mile range and sluggish performance are forgivable for the price. The woeful handling and one-star Euro NCAP are not.

KEY DATA: Range 140 miles; efficiency 5.6 miles per kWh; max DC charging 45 minutes 20-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: A lightly used Vauxhall Corsa Electric

THE GOOD: Sensible size; roomy inside

THE BAD: Lacks refinement; interior materials feel cheap

THE UGLY: Not a great price for what you get

NEED TO KNOW: You’re buying a roomy cabin and a big boot, with a large central information screen. You have a choice of battery sizes feeding a 201bhp electric motor that gives modest performance. The steering and handling are poor, victims of over-soft suspension.

KEY DATA: Range 304 miles; efficiency 3.5 miles per kWh; max DC charging 45 minutes 20-70%

THE ONE TO BUY: Go for the larger battery to get the range

THE GOOD: Lots of seats

THE BAD: It’s like an E-Spacetourer but more expensive

THE UGLY: Trying to overtake anything

NEED TO KNOW: A Citroën E-Spacetourer with the Peugeot family face, and like the Citroën it’s benefitted from recent improvements, chiefly a bigger battery. It’s not quite as dowdy as the Citroën but is more expensive as a result. Best for ferrying lots of people across a town, not across the country.

KEY DATA: Range 219 miles; efficiency 3.0 miles per kWh; max DC charging 45 minutes 5-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Active is the entry-level model but still gets the basics including alloy wheels – not a given on one of these van-based MPVs

THE GOOD: Usefully big

THE BAD: Better range than before, but still not great

THE UGLY: It should be so much more useful than it is

NEED TO KNOW: Now with a choice of configurations giving up to nine seats, and with a longer claimed range than before, but this still feels like a poor relation of some of Vauxhall’s vans and MPVs from the not so distant past.

KEY DATA: Range 214 miles; efficiency 2.9 miles per kWh; max DC charging 45 minutes 5-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Combi trim’s bare steel wheels are charming, but Design is the best value; go for the 75kWh battery, not the 49

THE GOOD: Spacetourer? Makes it sound much groovier than it is

THE BAD: Improved, but still underwhelming figures

THE UGLY: It’s a van, and a narrow one at that

NEED TO KNOW: Choice of lengths, choice of seating configurations, choice of battery sizes – it’s like the Vivaro and E-Traveller, but with a tiny hint of extra niceness because it’s a Citroën.

KEY DATA: Range 215 miles; efficiency 2.7 miles per kWh; max DC charging 45 minutes 5-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Entry-level spec is now called You! That’s enough to drive you to Max, which still has a choice of body lengths but sticks to the 75kWh battery, wisely

THE GOOD: Neat design; huge list of standard features; very roomy

THE BAD: Sloppy dynamics; poor grip; clunky infotainment

THE UGLY: Looks so much better than it drives

NEED TO KNOW: KGM is the new name for Ssangyong, the value-focused Korean brand that’s been in Europe for years but hit choppy financial waters in 2022 before reaching dry land with a new identity.

Ssangyongs used to be widely thought hilariously ugly, but they’ve been getting much more agreeable to look at, and the Torres (available as a combustion car as well as the electric EVX) continues that welcome direction of travel.

A 73.4kWh battery (supplied by BYD) powers a single e-motor driving the front wheels, good for 204bhp and a 0-62mph time of 8.1 seconds – a respectable time. KGM is also keen to point out the Torres can tow up to 1.5 tonnes with a braked trailer, or 500kg unbraked.

Two specs are available, both in the mid-£40k price band. The K30 is all you ever need, as it features heated front and rear seats, a heated steering wheel, cruise control, a 12.3-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a reversing camera, dual-zone climate control and a load of safety tech. K40 adds a heat pump, larger 20-inch aerodynamic wheels, proper leather upholstery, a 360º parking system and even more safety tech.

Inside it’s clean and neat, but very short on physical buttons, especially as the digital interface isn’t very responsive or intuitive.

Ditto the driving experience: the steering lacks feel and precision. That’s just not good enough when for similar money you could get a Skoda Enyaq.

KEY DATA: Range 287 miles; efficiency 3.3 miles per kWh; max DC charging 28 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: K40 trim brings real leather, powered tailgate etc, but cheaper K30 has plenty of kit as standard

THE GOOD: Great interior; nimble; cheap

THE BAD: Piffling range

THE UGLY: Trying to get into the back seats

NEED TO KNOW: A tiny battery means a real-world range of around 90 miles, but also a more affordable purchase price and keener handling than longer-range rivals. Suicide rear doors are very RX-8 but do hinder access to the not particularly spacious rear seats.

KEY DATA: Range 124 miles; efficiency 3.5 miles per kWh; max DC charging 25 minutes 20-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Prime-Line has all the kit you really need and is priced cheaply enough to forgive the limited range

THE GOOD: Plush interior; rarity; sprightly performance

THE BAD: It’s always a bad idea to get your ADAS systems from wish.com

THE UGLY: Used to be called Funky Cat, which remains the most interesting thing about the 03

NEED TO KNOW: Chinese pick-up specialist Great Wall Motors thinks the way to Europe’s heart is this quite cute retro-styled hatch. Now we’ve sampled its horrendously intrusive driver assistance systems, tiny boot, awkward touchscreen and slow charging, we’re inclined to disagree.

KEY DATA: Range 193 miles; efficiency 4.0 miles per kWh; max DC charging 43 minutes 15-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: There are now two battery sizes, 48 or 63kWh, but we’d go for Pure+ with the smaller battery to keep the price reined in

THE GOOD: A genuinely luxurious electric van

THE BAD: Also genuinely expensive

THE UGLY: Not a smart choice for private buyers

NEED TO KNOW: Recently revised, while sticking to the same general idea, the EQV is luxurious and good to drive, but it’s expensive and the range is limited. It now has a more modern look and upgraded infotainment.

You can have long or extra long, and up to seven seats, but posher versions go for luxurious captain’s chairs. You can see why luxury shuttle companies love them, but as a family car it’s one-dimensional.

KEY DATA: Range 213 miles; efficiency 2.2 miles per kWh; max DC charging 45 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Executive Long is executive enough and long enough

THE GOOD: Keenly priced for a family SUV; proper dealer network

THE BAD: Slow to charge; infotainment is poor; small boot

THE UGLY: Price and dealer network should help it sell, meaning a lot of people will find their first EV ownership experience less than optimal

NEED TO KNOW: The E5 has a 61kWh battery and a single electric motor putting 201bhp to the front wheels. Its steering and ride are better than the petrol version, actually benefitting from the EV’s additional weight, but there’s nothing rewarding or engaging about the driving experience, and it’s difficult to brake smoothly. There’s also a lot of road noise.

KEY DATA: Range 257 miles; efficiency 4.1 miles per kWh; max DC charging 28 minutes 30-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: There are two trim levels, Comfort and Noble, the latter gaining a Sony audio system, 360º camera and more electric seat adjustment; but newcomers such as the Vauxhall Frontera are better buys if price is your priority

THE GOOD: Honda sensibleness and dependability

THE BAD: None of the pleasing quirkiness you sometimes get with Hondas

THE UGLY: Accidentally exiting junctions in a flurry of wheelspin

NEED TO KNOW: While Honda is renowned for its combustion-car engineering, it’s not so hot when it comes to EVs. Unremarkable at best in most areas, it’s behind the curve when it comes to driving dynamics and charging performance. And this doesn’t even possess the now departed Honda E’s charm.

KEY DATA: Range 256 miles; efficiency 3.7 miles per kWh; max DC charging 45 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Stick to Elegance. You really don’t want to pay any more than you have to

THE GOOD: Incredibly roomy, great value, drives better than it needs to, and smartly facelifted

THE BAD: Range has improved recently, but still way short of the old diesel

THE UGLY: Just don’t kid yourself it’s anything other than a nicely car-ified van

NEED TO KNOW: Drives well, has immense bag space – even the standard-length version – and is refreshingly simple and characterful next to most SUVs or lingering MPVs. Lack of e-range from the 50kWh battery limits its relevance for some people, unfortunately. This or the Vauxhall or Citroën alternative? Dealer proximity and brand image can decide that one for you.

KEY DATA: Range 199 miles; efficiency 2.7-3.2 miles per kWh; max DC charging 38 minutes 0-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Basic Allure trim is fine, and five-seater still has sensational boot space

THE GOOD: Loads of space; seven seats available

THE BAD: Range and performance

THE UGLY: Lacks appeal

NEED TO KNOW: It’s a Vauxhall-flavoured small Stellantis van that’s also available in diesel form. It has been facelifted and gained more range, which it desperately needed.

KEY DATA: Range 211 miles; efficiency 2.7-3.2 miles per kWh; max DC charging 30 minutes 0-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: It’s so cheap for its size that you might as well push the boat out and get Ultimate trim; the seven-seater gets worse range and performance, so stick with the still spacious five-seater if you can

THE GOOD: The best of three virtually identical vans

THE BAD: It’s not a high bar to leap over

THE UGLY: The petrol and diesel versions are more practical for many

NEED TO KNOW: Even after some recent improvements, this doesn’t quite have the range or appeal you’d hope for in a van-based car. The boxy silhouette and sliding doors are very child-friendly, and there are even some quite cool paint jobs available.

KEY DATA: Range 212 miles; efficiency 3.5 miles per kWh; max DC charging 30 minutes 0-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: XL variants have seven seats but reduce range; basic trim is bleak so opt for Max

THE GOOD: Inoffensive to drive

THE BAD: Uninteresting to drive

THE UGLY: It’s just so meh

NEED TO KNOW: Essentially a less practical but more expensive ID. 4, this coupe-SUV does at least have a slightly better range on account of improved aerodynamics. As with its sister VW, you’re better off with the cheaper and roomier Skoda Enyaq equivalent. Substantial revisions for the start of 2024 brought in an improved rear e-motor, new touchscreen and some software upgrades.

KEY DATA: Range 226 miles; efficiency 4.1 miles per kWh; max DC charging 30 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: We’re struggling to recommend any; keep it simple with the £41k entry model, the Match Pure with the 52kWh battery. There are some PCP offers and free home chargers at the time of writing

THE GOOD: Those smart looks; sensible interior

THE BAD: It’s slow; the boot is pretty small; dynamics are only so-so

THE UGLY: Other cars on the same platform are still more desirable

NEED TO KNOW: A small electric crossover that trades on its looks and little else. Not that the Mokka is bad, but it’s not particularly competitive in any important area – performance, range, value, practicality – and other cars on the same e-CMP platform manage to be more charming.

KEY DATA: Range 209 miles; efficiency 3.8-3.9 miles per kWh; max DC charging 30 minutes 0-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Only one powertrain but three trims: Design, GS or Ultimate. Go for GS

THE GOOD: Hypercar-humbling performance…

THE BAD: …until you get to a corner

THE UGLY: Quality still behind the curve

NEED TO KNOW: Almost certainly the fastest-accelerating seven-seater in the world, and still fitted with those unique/crazy falcon-wing doors that help access to the rear. That sloping roofline is great for efficiency if less so for third-row space, but there’s ample room in rows one and two. It’s not the most engaging car to drive, despite the shock factor of a sizeable SUV doing 0-60mph in less than three seconds in the case of the Plaid version. Upgrades have improved interior quality, just not enough, while the Silicon Valley minimalism is something you’ll either love or hate.

KEY DATA: Range 358 miles; efficiency 3.7 miles per kWh; max DC charging 30 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: The regular Model X does 0-60mph in 3.8 seconds – surely that’s quick enough for a three-row SUV?

THE GOOD: Peerless Lexus quality and aftercare

THE BAD: Travel light – the boot is the size of a shoe

THE UGLY: Charging speeds are stuck in the Dark Ages

NEED TO KNOW: A midlife facelift gave this a bigger battery and a nicer interior, but couldn’t address a few of the UX’s shortcomings. The tiny boot we can just about live with – but not the 50kW charging speed or archaic CHAdeMO connector. EVs may be saving the ice caps but whole glaciers could melt in the time this thing takes to top up.

KEY DATA: Range 279 miles; efficiency 3.8 miles per kWh; max DC charging 81 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: You’ll want the mid-spec Premium Plus pack

THE GOOD: Big boot, sharp looks, long warranty

THE BAD: The price, the way it drives

THE UGLY: Others weigh less yet go further to a charge

NEED TO KNOW: The Peugeot E-3008 is a new platform, and something of a new era for the brand as it tries to push further upmarket. It seemed off to a good start with two batteries offering 326 and 422-miles of range, which is a refreshing change from the usual 250-ish miles of range that Stellantis has stuck with for a few years. The interior is genuinely rather lovely, too, and the new touchscreen does what you need it to do (which is more than some Peugeot touchscreens from the olden days).

But, unfortunately, the E-3008 is something of a pudding to drive; even the smaller-battery car is 200kg heavier than the Renault Scenic, despite the Renault having a bigger battery, longer range and much lower price. It looks cool, and the eight-year warranty now covers the car as well as the battery provided you service it with Peugeot, but it still misses the mark in this super-competitive class.

KEY DATA: Range 326 miles; efficiency 4.47 miles per kWh; max DC charging 35 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: The 73kWh Allure offers the best balance of value, range and equipment

THE GOOD: Swift twin-motor model; plush interior

THE BAD: Inefficient electrics

THE UGLY: More money for a less good EX40

NEED TO KNOW: The EX40’s slightly slinkier sibling is available with one or two motors, although even with over 400bhp you won’t have a great deal of fun. Interior is an oasis of calm, which is handy, as in our experience you’ll need to go easy to boost efficiency on a motorway run.

KEY DATA: Range 301 miles; efficiency 4.5 miles per kWh; max DC charging 27 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Single motor gives an acceptable range and is slightly nimbler

THE GOOD: The car that started mainstream EV sales, now all but disappeared

THE BAD: In human years, deserving its centenary telegram from King Charles

THE UGLY: So beaky and bulbous that one million sales was a triumph

NEED TO KNOW: Exiled Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn will have many regrets but launching the Leaf won’t be among them. The first mainstream EV entered its third generation in 2024, before some brands commercialised their first. That’s of no concern to car buyers: the Leaf’s venerability is now a vulnerability. Its plasticky, button-filled cabin is off the pace, as is its technology: a battery foregoing liquid cooling/heating struggles for range, and with the bigger 62kWh pack discontinued it’s just 39kWh and 168 miles. Other debits include a high seating position, dull steering, limited DC charging and average performance.

But e-Pedal mode – prodigious regenerative braking when you lift off the accelerator for one-pedal driving – was pioneering, and the Leaf is well equipped, with Nissan’s ProPilot automated driving on the base car. Thank you, Nissan Leaf, but your time is up.

KEY DATA: Range 168 miles; efficiency 2.3 miles per kWh; max DC charging 60 minutes 20-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Leaf Acenta brings e-pedal mode

THE GOOD: Reasonable range, drives okay, allure of the three-pointed star

THE BAD: Sub-par interior without much space

THE UGLY: It’s the EV SUV for a grey-rendered new-build filled with rose gold and ‘Live, Laugh, Love’ decor

NEED TO KNOW: Aside from its decent official range and efficiency there’s very little reason to shell out 50 grand or more on the EQA. There’s nothing wrong with it, but nothing exciting or interesting about it either. So many less-expensive options are better in every way.

KEY DATA: Range 324 miles; efficiency 4.0 miles per kWh; max DC charging 29 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: 250+ AMG Line is slow, but has all the kit you need

THE GOOD: Lovely interior, and a general look and feel that’s reassuringly conventional

THE BAD: Expensive, although more affordable versions arrived after the initial XC40 phase

THE UGLY: Some of the sustainable materials used in the interior aren’t that pleasing to touch

NEED TO KNOW: The all-electric EX40 makes everything easy: buying, owning, driving, charg- ing. Most significantly, it makes the switch to EV extremely simple. Good but not great to drive, with more bodyroll than some rivals, but beautifully calm and smooth, and the Google-based infotainment is ace.

KEY DATA: Range 294 miles; efficiency 3.7 miles per kWh; max DC charging 27 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Go for the entry-level single-motor, rear-drive version

THE GOOD: Drives very nicely…

THE BAD: …for a few miles at a time

THE UGLY: Don’t even try to use the heater if you want to arrive within a week

NEED TO KNOW: Don’t be fooled by the official range figure. Drive the Solterra in anything other than ideal conditions and you’ll see more like 160 miles. It’s the same car as the Toyota bZ4X but with no front-wheel-drive option and significantly worse warranty cover.

KEY DATA: Range 289 miles; efficiency 4.0 miles per kWh; max DC charging 28 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Limited spec – name, not description – only misses out on a wireless charger and a big glass roof

THE GOOD: Cheap, long range and does one hell of a front-wheel burn-out

THE BAD: Not actually that good at being an estate car, with a cramped boot and high load lip

THE UGLY: All the character of a care home

NEED TO KNOW: It looks a bit like one of the fake cars you saw in insurance ads back in 2005, but it’s far more competent than the dour styling suggests. Acceptable dynamics and a good range for the price, but it’s eclipsed by newer rivals in most regards including charge speed.

KEY DATA: Range 250 miles; efficiency 3.6 miles per kWh; max DC charging 35 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Just get the cheapest one

THE GOOD: Painless to own; good infotainment; refined

THE BAD: Fails to stand out in a packed class

THE UGLY: Toyota can do much better

NEED TO KNOW: The first of what Toyota promises will be many EVs, after holding back longer than most, it’s a mass-market mid-sized crossover. It’s a wacky thing to clap your eyes on, and the interior has more tiers than a wedding cake, with small and distant driver’s instruments, a massive steering wheel and a centre console so high you’ll think you’ve shrunk. While it’s a little tame to drive – having an electric platform that’s a cousin of the hybrid RAV4 will do that – it’s calm and quiet on the move, and rides well even on big wheels. Go for a twin-motor version and it has some off-roading ability.

But where the bZ4X falls down is its inefficient powertrain, which is evident in its rather low claimed efficiency figure. Every time we’ve driven one, we’ve never even come close to hitting its range claim, and its pessimistic range predictor carves even more range off if you want to use the heater or air-con.

Significant tweaks during 2024 focused on improving the charging performance and range.

KEY DATA: Range 318 miles; efficiency 2.6.7 miles per kWh, max DC charging 32 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Stick with the single-motor version, priced in the low-£40s

THE GOOD: Comfy, compact and classy

THE BAD: Rear seat space is tight

THE UGLY: More powerful than the pre-facelift car, yet somehow slower

NEED TO KNOW: The well-received, upgraded Jeep Avenger chassis actually arrived first on the facelifted DS 3, improving its range (while the Crossback suffix died). It’s comfy and can be spec’d luxuriously, but there’s not much room and performance is sluggish for the money.

KEY DATA: Range 250 miles; efficiency 4.8 miles per kWh; max DC charging 30 minutes 20-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: If you must have a DS 3, get an Opera for the full French luxury experience

THE GOOD: Off-beat Japanese luxury makes this a lovely place to sit

THE BAD: You’ll be sat there often, waiting for it to charge

THE UGLY: More bongs than a student house. And turning them all off takes ages

NEED TO KNOW: It doesn’t drive badly, and like all Lexuses it’s spectacularly well screwed-together. Excellent refinement is ruined by bong after ding after chime. We get that most of these are mandated now, but there are far less obtrusive ways to go about it.

KEY DATA: Range 252 miles; efficiency 3.7 miles per kWh; max DC charging 25 minutes 0-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: You may as well pay the extra for the cool-looking Premium Plus Pack Bi-Tone

THE GOOD: The good: Roomy and comfortable

THE BAD: Numb steering; lacks polish

THE UGLY: Only the range-topper gets full fast charging

NEED TO KNOW: BYD likes to emphasise its decades of heritage and the fact that it’s a huge player in the world of electric mobility. But to most of us, it’s yet another Chinese brand that is adding new cars to its range at a very rapid rate… perhaps too rapid.

So although it’s hugely impressive in some ways that BYD has delivered the Atto 3, Seal, Dolphin and now Sealion 7 in quick succession, you can’t help but feel that if it slowed down a bit and gave a little more love to the sort of things that make a car worth £50k-plus, the end result would be better.

It’s fine: transport for five and their bags, and pretty quick too. But there’s little to detain the keen driver or the bargain hunter.

KEY DATA: Range 311 miles (est), efficiency 3.4 miles per kWh (est), max DC charging 32 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Go for the Excellence AWD to get the performance and the most rapid charging… but also the big price

THE GOOD: Ride quality and refinement

THE BAD: Drive is indistinguishable from Jeep’s Avenger

THE UGLY: In orange, it looks like Garfield the Cat

NEED TO KNOW: We like Fiat’s 500e but the 600e is a.n.other identikit Stellantis small crossover. It has the same quiet, comfy suspension as the related Jeep Avenger and the same lightweight, sloppy steering. Ultimately it’s a case of which design you like best; the simple-to-use interior is the same.

KEY DATA: Range 252 miles; efficiency 4.09 miles per kWh; max DC charging 26 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Jeep Avenger

THE GOOD: Rear-wheel steering gives amazing low-speed agility

THE BAD: Unsettled ride and lolloping handling; pricey

THE UGLY: Interior downright flimsy in places

NEED TO KNOW: The GLE’s electric equivalent doesn’t get seven seats but does cost significantly more. There’s an impressive tech and spec list, yet the whole car feels a bit unfinished. That’s certainly true of the wallowing road manners, unnervingly long brake pedal and interior quality.

KEY DATA: Range 334 miles; efficiency 3.7 miles per kWh; max DC charging 32 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: The 350 4Matic costs the least, goes the farthest and has performance that’s respectable enough

THE GOOD: Surprisingly accomplished EV luxury and reasonably good value

THE BAD: Moderate range; minimal brand equity; dull drive

THE UGLY: One day you’ll be next to a BMW i7 in traffic and you’ll be sad

NEED TO KNOW: Luxury to rival the Germans and quality to eclipse them, for a surprisingly reasonable price – the G80 splits the i5 and i7 in size but is cheaper than either. It’s comfy but lacks the dynamic sharpness those cars have.

KEY DATA: Range 282 miles; efficiency 3.6 miles per kWh; max DC charging 21 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Only one choice, but the classy types get it in Hallasan Green

THE GOOD: Efficient and well-equipped Kia Niro Electric rival

THE BAD: Driver assists will make you mad

THE UGLY: Your children constantly twanging the elastic on the door bins

NEED TO KNOW: BYD’s first mainstream effort isn’t the cheapest in its class but does come stacked full of equipment. The interior is also plusher than other Chinese offerings, although it’s also very Marmite. Performance and efficiency are good, but someone needs to finish tuning the suspension.

KEY DATA: Range 260 miles; efficiency 3.9 miles per kWh; max DC charging 29 minutes 30-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Entry-level Active has everything you need and more. Pay a little more for Comfort if you’ve access to 11kW charging

THE GOOD: Long-range Ultium battery, well-built interior, loads of tech

THE BAD: The unrepentant girth, the horrid Andrew Tate image that comes with it, hilariously inefficient

THE UGLY: The fact it’s so heavy you’d need an HGV licence to drive one in the UK

NEED TO KNOW: When it launched, this was the most American EV ever: an unnecessarily large, overpowered and beastly-looking truck that’s so heavy it could single-handedly cause a sinkhole if it got close enough to the San Andreas fault. Doesn’t stop it being a right laugh on the rough stuff with its clever ‘crab walk’ tech, and it’s deceptively good on the road.

KEY DATA: Range 329 miles, efficiency 1.57 miles per kWh, max DC charging 30 minutes 10-80% (est)

THE ONE TO BUY: Not that you officially can in Europe, but get the SUV version if you feel that way inclined

THE GOOD: Interior quality, decent ride comfort

THE BAD: Not enough buttons, small boot

THE UGLY: Not being able to see what’s behind you

NEED TO KNOW: The Polestar 4 is an intriguing car; not a bad car, yet it’s almost impossible to figure out why you should buy one. Largely, you should buy one if you like to be deliberately contrary and divisive, and are willing to pay a handsome amount of money to achieve it. After all, with its camera-fed rear ‘mirror’ and lack of a rear screen, it certainly makes a statement. Actually, the interior quality and the way the Polestar 4 drives is rather compelling, and the range of up to 385 miles (360 miles for the Dual Motor with its 3.8sec 0-62mph time) is also tempting, so there is plenty to like about its plush techiness. We’d like more buttons to reduce your dependence on the annoying touchscreen interface, but a lower price would also help. The 4 is cool in a ‘Tesla’s far too ordinary for me’ kind of way, but that’s literally the only reason you’d buy one.

KEY DATA: Range 385 miles; efficiency 2.9 miles per kWh; max DC charging 30 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: The single-motor Long Range is the best value

THE GOOD: Very smart interior; good ride

THE BAD: So-so handling; average range

THE UGLY: There’s only one power variant

NEED TO KNOW: Another one of Peugeot’s stylish cars – though we’re not sure the facelift has really worked here. Interior still feels proper, though, and the E-2008 rides well. But, like most cars on this platform, their cost vs performance equation makes them middle of the road in our rankings.

KEY DATA: Range 250 miles; efficiency 3.8-4.4 miles per kWh; max DC charging 30 minutes 0-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Mid-spec Allure gives you plenty of kit

THE GOOD: Efficient; spacious; available as hatch or estate

THE BAD: Slow; too expensive; bit dull

THE UGLY: Recent price reductions have helped make it look better

NEED TO KNOW: This is the EV you should buy if you have high blood pressure. Its 0-62mph time of 9.2 seconds feels as urgent as an ocean liner – combine that with the strait-laced interior and you’re in danger of nodding off. That’s good news for efficiency, which allows this big car to get a decent range from a comparatively diddy battery pack. The Peugeot E-308 is much nicer inside, and better to drive, but is somehow even more expensive and even slower. Both are challenged by their Model 3-rivalling prices.

KEY DATA: Only one battery/motor; go mid-spec as base Design trim looks half-finished

THE ONE TO BUY: Range 258 miles; efficiency 4.2 miles per kWh; max DC charging 30 minutes 10-80%

THE GOOD: Supremely comfortable suspension

THE BAD: Comfy ride means stodgy drive; unsupportive seats; middling range

THE UGLY: Broken-Honda looks

NEED TO KNOW: One of the biggest cars on the Stellantis group’s E-CMP platform, and one of the squishiest. Citroën’s C4 hatch benefits from the brand’s Progressive Hydraulic Cushions to set it apart from the rest and, thanks to the entry-level You! spec, it has one of the lowest prices too.

KEY DATA: Range 220 miles; efficiency 3-7-4.3 miles per kWh; max DC charging 30 minutes 0-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Do without nav and take advantage of Citroën’s entry-level, value-focused You! spec

THE GOOD: Cheap and spacious

THE BAD: Not remotely enjoyable to drive

THE UGLY: How small are those wheels?

NEED TO KNOW: A modern MG of the traditional kind: affordable and with a decent range but very much an appliance to drive. If you don’t expect the MG 4’s sparkle then it’s a worthy family e-SUV, especially if you opt for the bigger battery.

KEY DATA: Range 273 miles; efficiency 3.7 miles per kWh; max DC charging 42 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: The regular ZS doesn’t have a particularly big battery, so a Long Range model is worth the extra

THE GOOD: Sharp handling; big info screen

THE BAD: Interior can feel cheap in places

THE UGLY: If you don’t squint just so, it still looks like a VW ID. 4

NEED TO KNOW: In exactly the same way that the Born is Cupra’s version of the VW ID. 3, the Tavascan is Barcelona’s take on the slightly larger ID. 4. So an electric-only crossover built on the MEB platform, with a lot of Cupra finishing touches and a few dynamic improvements.

The suspension set-up benefits from new spring and damper rates, and the steering has been tweaked for more feedback.

There’s one battery (77kWh) but a choice of rear-wheel drive and single motor or all-wheel drive and twin motors, with the latter formula also cranked up into the spicier VZ range-topper, which makes 335bhp and 402lb ft, and can provide very lively acceleration.

KEY DATA: Range 320 miles, efficiency 3.9-4.1 miles per kWh, max DC charging 28 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Might as well go VZ1, so you have the performance and range to back up the looks

THE GOOD: Refreshingly different from anything else on the market; quick enough; striking looks

THE BAD: Terrible interior ergonomics; poor damping; not the sports car we hoped for

THE UGLY: Getting frustrated by the electric scissor doors in public

NEED TO KNOW: You can have your Cyberster with rear-wheel drive and 335bhp for £55k, or spend another £5k to get another motor for the front wheels for a total of 503bhp. That’s Z4 money, although the combustion-engined BMW feels far more like a sports car than the surprisingly soft and underdamped MG. If that doesn’t put you off, the ridiculously high driving position and user-unfriendly interior probably will.

KEY DATA: Range 276-316 miles; efficiency 3.3-3.7 miles per kWh; max DC charging 38 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Keep it cheap with the base Trophy

THE GOOD: Pretty close to classic E-Class virtues, which is quite an achievement, and sharper to drive than the bigger EQS

THE BAD: Lacks that authentic Merc magic, with some oddly cheap materials in the back

THE UGLY: Almost as expensive as a BMW i5, not as good

NEED TO KNOW: How wowed you are by the EQE depends to a large extent where you’re coming from. If you’re a long-term fan of the combustion-engined E-Class, you’ll probably be very impressed by the performance and handling, which are in the same ballpark, especially in the case of the AMG version – although you’ll wonder why they didn’t quite finish the job properly, having piled the tech very high but not bothered with making the rear seating area particularly nice. If you’re comparing it to the EQS, you’ll be glad of the cost saving and favour the way it drives, unless you really, really want the bigger car’s ultra-plushness. But next to a Tesla Model 3, you’ll wonder if the Merc’s modest size advantage is worth so much extra cash.

KEY DATA: Range 280 miles; efficiency 2.7 miles per kWh; max DC charging 30 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Go to the top of the range: the AMG 53 drives very well, if you can find the money

THE GOOD: Pretty like a sunrise on Everest; fast in a way no other car is

THE BAD: So expensive you could buy an island for the same money

THE UGLY: Plenty of potential to get carried away – and the accident would be vast

NEED TO KNOW: Essentially a sister car to Rimac’s mind-altering Nevera, Pininfarina’s Battista clothes the same rulebook-pulping technology in an infinitely prettier body (you’d expect nothing less from a name synonymous with automotive beauty) and recalibrates the hardware and software to be more road focused. 

Remarkably given the absence of a physics-battering, filling-rattling combustion engine, almost every aspect of the established supercar driving experience is present and correct here – an astonishing achievement. There’s style to stop city streets. There’s that thrilling sense of anticipation as you climb abord, the butterflies in your belly going wild as you fire it up and experience the Battista’s sonic signature – a curious but not unpleasant ‘idle’ that pulses at a frequency you feel as much as hear and that grows more intense as you delve into the car’s otherworldly performance, waxing and waning with changes of throttle position and speed. It’s a weird idea on paper, inspired in practice. 

The numbers here are massive: 1874bhp – that’s way more than an F1 car – and £2.65m in the case of the Edizione Nino Farina. But the Battista holds your hand, with a number of drive modes that progressively up the power output and a dreamy driving position that builds confidence. Thanks to the T-shaped battery (there’s no slab of cells below you), you sink into position behind the wheel and instantly feel part of the very structure of the car, such that you’re not so much sitting in it as wearing it. 

How does it drive? You start out just rocketing between corners before emergency braking for them, too scared at first to carry any meaningful corner speed. But soon enough the Pininfarina taps you on the shoulder: ‘Everything you think you know?’ it mutters, ‘Forget it. I have re-written the rules. Let’s play.’ 

Start to trust this extraordinary machine and it redefines your understanding of how a car can accelerate, brake and turn, elevating your driving to a level you didn’t even know existed. The performance advantage it confers over every other car on the road is quite ridiculous. And like a quad-motor black hole, the Battista is a gateway to forces, speeds and sensations well beyond anything you’ve experienced before. As such it is wildly, maddeningly addictive.

KEY DATA: Range 296 miles; efficiency 2.55 miles per kWh; max DC charging 30 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: The gorgeous Edizione Nino Farina. The roof-less, screen-less B95 appears not to make a shred of sense

THE GOOD: Handles like the electric love child of a Lotus Exige and Nissan GT-R

THE BAD: How much?!!

THE UGLY: Your local Rimac servicing centre probably isn’t very local

NEED TO KNOW: The Rimac Nevera is chiefly the work of engineer and entrepreneur Mate Rimac, who – in a remarkably short timeframe – has gone from an unknown businessman to the owner of a globally renowned automotive manufacturer and engineering business, and the overall decision-maker at Bugatti following a recent merger. If the all-electric Nevera hypercar is anything to go by, the forthcoming Bugatti-Rimac models will be astonishing.

The Nevera is a carbonfibre-tubbed work of genius, not only because of the 1888bhp and sub-2.0 second 0-62mph time but also because it feels like a big, monstrously powerful Lotus to drive. Eerily comfortable, and utterly remarkable in its handling. Mind you, it does linger rather low on our list because it costs somewhere around £2 million to buy. It’s a phenomenon to drive, so if you’re the Sultan of Brunei then we’d recommend you buy at least two, so that we’ve got a better chance of seeing one in the wild.

KEY DATA: Range 303 miles; efficiency 2.1 miles per kWh; max DC charging 19 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: We’ve not driven the new Nevera R, but we can’t comprehend the idea of a faster version – it’s like when you’re not an astrophysicist but are nevertheless trying to work out how a black hole works. You’ll be fine with the ‘ordinary’ (nothing ordinary about it) Nevera

THE GOOD: Better than a petrol X2; all of the technology; spacious for a coupe-SUV

THE BAD: Iffy ride quality; quite expensive

THE UGLY: The light-up grille is still just as hideous now as when it was first revealed

NEED TO KNOW: The iX2 is the more stylish twin to the more sensible iX1, albeit stretched more than a usual coupe-SUV to create a surprisingly practical family car.

It’s quite expensive to buy, especially compared to the iX1, but it justifies the cost with its tech-laden interior and sporty driving manners. Particularly the top-spec xDrive30 model, which can hit 0-62mph in 5.6 seconds. An entry-level, front-wheel-drive eDrive20 model is also available but feels slow and knocks around 50 miles off the range with its smaller battery. For once, it pays to get the range-topper.

KEY DATA: Range 267 miles; efficiency 3.6 miles per kWh; max DC charging 29 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: You’ll be grateful for the extra power of the xDrive30 model. Less so its higher price

THE GOOD: Great colour palette

THE BAD: Even shorter range than the Fiat 500e

THE UGLY: A combustion-engined Abarth is more fun, and its petrol soundtrack is real

NEED TO KNOW: If you’re hoping this is an affordable EV hot hatch, think again. It’s not particularly cheap, and while quicker than a combustion Abarth around a track, isn’t as much fun on the road. Think of it as a regular Fiat 500e with a slightly plusher interior and more punch, and it makes more sense. Shame the already meagre range takes quite a hit, especially if you drive it on the door handles. Thankfully it can charge reasonably quickly, so just make sure your preferred B-road has a reasonably beefy charger at either end.

KEY DATA: Range 164 miles; efficiency 3.9 miles per kWh; max DC charging 35 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: The Turismo gets awfully close to £40k, so keep it simple and (relatively) cheap with the base Abarth 500e

THE GOOD: Quiet; comfortable; roomy; failsafe range predictor

THE BAD: Placid to drive; bland to be in and look at

THE UGLY: The nagging feeling that you’ve bought an appliance rather than a car

NEED TO KNOW: An ID. 3, but bigger. It’s a crossover-ish SUV with plenty of room inside and a very quiet ambience while you’re on the move. A relatively early update gave it some of the luxuries the ID. 3 also got, including a slicker and much less rage-inducing infotainment system. The GTX version is supposedly the GTI of the electric world – in VW’s dreams.

KEY DATA: Range 323 miles; efficiency 3.8 miles per kWh; max DC charging 28 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: ‘Cheapest’ is best: a 77kWh Life Pro

THE GOOD: Neat design, big boot and decent dynamics

THE BAD: You have to pay extra for a heat pump

THE UGLY: Why is it called a Capri? It’s not a Capri. A silly distraction

NEED TO KNOW: It’s essentially a Ford Explorer (the electric European one, not the US combustion one) but longer and lower, and with a bigger boot.
There will be a lower-priced, shorter-range version soon, but for now your choice is a 77kWh battery pack and a single electric motor on the rear axle. It produces 282bhp and 402lb ft of torque, which is enough to punch the Capri to 62mph in 6.4 seconds. It has a maximum range of 389 miles.

Extended Range AWD models come with a slightly larger 79kWh battery pack and an additional electric motor on the front axle to bump power up to 335bhp. Torque remains the same, but the added traction from the extra driven wheels trims the Capri’s 0-62mph time down to 5.3 seconds. Maximum range falls to 368 miles, however. The steering and brakes aren’t great, but the suspension set-up is better than any of VW’s own attempts with the donor MEB platform.

The cabin is like a tidied-up version of an electric VW – a little bit Polestar in its fresh, clean look, but still very screen-based.

KEY DATA: Range 389 miles; efficiency 4.67 miles per kWh; max DC charging 28 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Go for Select and rear-wheel drive, which gives maximum range and plenty of performance at a lower price

THE GOOD: Sharp looks; tidy ride and handling; roominess

THE BAD: Boot size is a bit mediocre, some of the annoying MEB switchgear has made it across from VW

THE UGLY: Fiddly infotainment

NEED TO KNOW: Unless you’ve managed to unplug from the Matrix over the last few years, you’ll probably know that the Explorer is a Volkswagen ID. 4 underneath. It’s the first Ford passenger vehicle to come from the merger that sees VW using Ford commercial platforms, and Ford using VW’s EV platforms, but the good thing is that the Explorer looks and feels very different to VW’s ID series. Sure, there’s some familiar switchgear including the annoying window switches and touch-sensitive light controls, but otherwise the Explorer has its own style inside and out, and even has its own infotainment software. At 4.4 metres long, it’s a touch smaller than the VW ID. 4 and Skoda Enyaq, but is spot-on for the Renault Scenic E-Tech. It’s one of the nicest cars in the class to drive, and it looks cool, but the Renault is cheaper and gets a heat pump as standard (unlike the Explorer) so it’s got a lot to prove.

KEY DATA: Range 374 miles; efficiency 4.47 miles per kWh; max DC charging 28 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: The all-wheel drive is for you if you’re happy to dig deep in return for impressive pace and handling, but the 77kWh RWD Extended Range in Select trim is the best balance of comfort, range, equipment and price

THE GOOD: A perfectly serviceable supermini EV; one of few choices if you want an actual small car

THE BAD: Dour interior design and finish; cramped back seats

THE UGLY: The Peugeot 208 is just that bit more appealing, from basically the same ingredients

NEED TO KNOW: A recent update has given the Corsa a smarter face, bigger battery and more powerful motor. Initial attempts to charge steep prices were aborted, and now you can get a Corsa Electric from just over £29k, which makes everything look better.

KEY DATA: Range 221 miles; efficiency 3.8-3.95 miles per kWh; max DC charging 30 minutes 0-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Design trim and the lower power output give you that keen price

THE GOOD: Fabulously fresh design inside and out

THE BAD: Lumpy ride; leaden steering

THE UGLY: Missed opportunity given Nissan’s head start

NEED TO KNOW: The Ariya has one of the best mainstream EV interiors, with its Japanese lantern-inspired lighting, sliding centre console and tasteful pale wood. It’s pretty efficient and offers Nissan’s trademark one-pedal driving, triggering serious brake regen, and ProPilot driver assistance. But the fidgety ride and inconsistent steering mean it’s best for aesthetes not racers.

KEY DATA: Range 329 miles; efficiency 3.41 miles per kWh; max DC charging 30 minutes 20-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Ariya 87kWh Advance

THE GOOD: Refined; looks fantastic; better efficiency than other cars on same platform

THE BAD: Not quick; plain to drive; poor rear seat space

THE UGLY: The lower dashboard plastics

NEED TO KNOW: One of many cars on Stellantis’s E-CMP platform, but the best small-SUV iteration. Unlike some of the others, the Avenger manages to be more than the sum of its parts with its chunky looks and likeable character. The interior is funky and smart, too, with clever use of physical controls and neat details like an (optional) cubbyhole cover that’s straight off an iPad. Jeep claims it’s tougher than most baby crossovers and has included some extra off-road modes, and our off-piste excursions show the strictly front-drive Avenger has a little Jeep DNA. Behind the façade, though, the Avenger isn’t that special – it boasts better efficiency figures than other E-CMP cars but drives as plainly as the Peugeots or DS 3 on this list that use the same tech.

KEY DATA: Range 249 miles; efficiency 4.0 miles per kWh; max DC charging 24 minutes 20-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Base Longitude is more than enough

THE GOOD: Polished driving manners; spacious and useful; classy looks

THE BAD: Poor efficiency; interior not up to usual Audi quality; software still needs work

THE UGLY: Its platform-sharing twin, the Porsche Macan EV, is the better car

NEED TO KNOW: The Q6 e-Tron is the first Audi based on its new Premium Platform Electric (PPE) underpinnings, shared with Porsche. It was a long time coming, with various software issues along the way – some of which still haven’t been ironed out.

Audi claims significant improvements over the now doomed Q8 e-Tron (formerly the e-Tron) but the result is a bit underwhelming. It’s not very efficient, and the new interior and tech don’t feel like a step forward compared to its previous-generation models. A polished driving experience, practical interior and especially speedy charging times are its saving graces.

KEY DATA: Range 394 miles; efficiency 3.5 miles per kWh; max DC charging 21 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: The Q6 Sport Performance. It’s the cheapest version to get the big 100kWh battery

THE GOOD: Imperiously refined and smooth; looks like a concept car; high-quality interior

THE BAD: Fiddly tech; roly-poly suspension; slow European rollout

THE UGLY: Is it too different and quirky to really warrant buying one over the European or Korean or US rivals?

NEED TO KNOW: Cadillac’s first EV of a new era feels like a relative slam dunk. It’s dramatically styled in an art deco sort of way, is right-sized for both the US and Europe’s premium car buyers and rides along the road as if potholes don’t exist. It does, however, feel as if Cadillac’s engineers believe corners don’t exist either, with the Lyriq rolling around like you’re sat on a half-filled water bed. The brand is slowly entering Europe, with the Lyriq

KEY DATA: Range 329 miles; efficiency 2.63 miles per kWh; max DC charging 25 minutes 10-80% (est)

THE ONE TO BUY: There’s only one power variant for now – the 600 E4 – with your choice being Sport or Luxury trim for the same price

THE GOOD: Not just a big boot, it’s classy inside too

THE BAD: Leisurely performance

THE UGLY: Pricier than a base Tesla Model 3

NEED TO KNOW: The pool of electric estates is a shallow one, at least for the moment. But its good luggage-carrying ability is not the Peugeot’s only positive. Like the E-308 hatch, the estate’s interior is impressively plush, with lots of high-quality materials, sharp digital displays and solid build.

On the face of it, the E-308 does look a bit malnourished. Its 156bhp (116kW) would be lively enough in a combustion version, but the bulky battery pack means leisurely acceleration by EV standards. A 52kWh battery is small, but excellent efficiency means 200 miles of range isn’t too hard to achieve.

Instead of trying to make the E-308 feel fashionably sporty, Peugeot has instead made sure it’s comfortable. It handles tidily, but you don’t feel like you have to hammer it everywhere to get the best out of it. However, if you don’t have to own an estate, there are much cheaper options out there.

KEY DATA: Range 267 miles; efficiency 4.8 miles per kWh; max DC charging 30 minutes 20-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: There’s only one battery and motor combo to go with a handful of trims; Allure gives you everything you really need

THE GOOD: Eye-catching entry price; lots of kit

THE BAD: Don’t run it too low: there’s no hidden range buffer

THE UGLY: Intrusive lane assist among many distracting ‘safety’ features

NEED TO KNOW: Golf-sized hatch comes in two flavours: 45kWh battery with 70 or 130kW motor, or 60kWh/150kW Comfort and Design models. Comfy ride, vague handling, good battery tech.

KEY DATA: Range 265 miles; efficiency 3.9 miles per kWh; max charging 40 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Dolphin Comfort with a 201bhp motor for a 7.0sec 0-62mph time

THE GOOD: Very stylish, and now more keenly priced

THE BAD: Little cramped in the cabin

THE UGLY: Doesn’t quite live up to the Peugeot hatchback tradition

NEED TO KNOW: Facelift keeps the E-208 looking fresh, but plenty of rivals now do the same things better.

KEY DATA: Range 224 miles; efficiency 3.5-4.5 miles per kWh; max DC charging 30 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: E-208 Allure £29,950 with the 50kWh battery

THE GOOD: Seven seats; bags of space; punchy performance

THE BAD: Friday-afternoon suspension tuning

THE UGLY: The interior is shockingly flimsy in places

NEED TO KNOW: Available in Benz and Maybach flavours, the EQS SUV sits joint-top of the company’s electric SUV range, although it barely recognises its G580 cousin. It’s very spacious inside and is available with seven seats, although it can’t match the quality feel of the cheaper BMW iX.

KEY DATA: Range 362 miles; efficiency 3.3 miles per kWh; max DC charging: 31 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: The 450 is quick enough really; you’re do well to spend the extra on Business Class trim to ramp up the luxury

THE GOOD: Roomy, easygoing and can be quite engaging to drive

THE BAD: Clunky ride quality

THE UGLY: Feels a bit secondhand from day one, although currently keen pricing can help you forgive that

NEED TO KNOW: Forget the Mach-E GT, which tries too hard to be sporty (with the emphasis on hard). And avoid the marginal dynamic gains of the all-wheel-drive versions. Forego even the heavier, near-100kWh battery and pointless posh spec. Instead just enjoy the roominess, user-friendliness and no-nonsense nature of the Mach-E, which may not be much of a Mustang but sits well in the long tradition of functional family Fords. You’re placed high and upright in a minimalist cabin dominated by a large and reasonably straightforward touchscreen, and you really don’t need to worry much about any EV cleverness – Ford has made the transition as painless as possible.

KEY DATA: Range 273 miles; efficiency 3.6 miles per kWh; max DC charging 38 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Go for the basic Standard Range with rear-wheel drive and the 72kWh battery

THE GOOD: A seriously spacious seven-seat EV for a good price

THE BAD: Third row is best for kids only

THE UGLY: Touchscreen can be annoying

NEED TO KNOW: You want a proper seven-seat electric SUV but you don’t want to spend an absolute fortune? Here’s your answer. The E-5008 is usefully roomier and more versatile than the Mercedes EQB, and you can get seven adults in if those in the third row aren’t too tall and don’t mind feeling a bit cramped – and probably hot, since there are no vents back there. But for a family car that gives the freedom of occasional seven-seat transport, plus an enormous boot in five-seat mode, loads of standard kit and decent prices? This is a great package. It’s comfortable and chilled to drive, too, and has a decent range so you don’t have to panic about the family holidays. Keep it serviced with Peugeot and you even get an eight-year warranty (on the car as well as the battery). No need to fund that Kia EV9, after all.

KEY DATA: Range 435 miles; efficiency 4.1 miles per kWh; max DC charging 30 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: The long-range 97kWh battery and base Allure trim is best for balance of cost, comfort and range

THE GOOD: The same perfectly serviceable underpinnings as a VW ID.4 or Skoda Enyaq

THE BAD: More money than an ID. 4 or Enyaq

THE UGLY: Not enough Audi pizazz to best the Skoda

NEED TO KNOW: You can have this as an SUV or a slinkier Sportback, but both are decidedly blobby, and the interior’s a lesson in overstyling. It’s comfy, quick enough and reasonably well-equipped, but it’s also 10 grand pricier than our preferred Skoda Enyaq.

KEY DATA: Range 318 miles; efficiency 3.5 miles per kWh; max DC charging 28 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Go for the 45 quattro S Line for the best powertrain – add the optional heat pump

THE GOOD: Fabulously chintzy and beautifully screwed together

THE BAD: Wouldn’t you rather have a BMW?

THE UGLY: Get used to people asking you what it is then not caring about the answer

NEED TO KNOW: ‘It’s a Genesis.’ ‘What’s that?’ ‘It’s a posh Hyundai.’ ‘Oh, okay. The badge looks like a Bentley’s.’ ‘I’m sure that was the intention.’ ‘Is it fast?’ ‘Yes, actually, it’ll do 0-62mph in…’ ‘Hang on, is the key quilted?’ ‘Yes.’

KEY DATA: Range 283 miles; efficiency 3.2 miles per kWh; max DC charging 18 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: There’s only one – the £65k ‘Sport’

THE GOOD: Full of Tesla goodness: battery tech, software, charging network

THE BAD: Clanking ride; hyperactive steering

THE UGLY: Characterless design resembles a sealion

NEED TO KNOW: The Model Y takes the Model 3’s platform, jacks it up and fits a taller, more practical body. While fast steering feels good in the hunkered-down 3, the Y’s edgy responses will unsettle some, and the suspension just cannot cope with poor roads: fit 20-inch wheels at your peril.

KEY DATA: Range 331 miles; 3.26 miles per kWh (our test); max DC charging 27 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Rear-drive is good value, but Long Range has AWD, more punch and longer range

THE GOOD: Zingy handling; funky interior

THE BAD: Firm ride; high price

THE UGLY: Not as spacious as you might be hoping

NEED TO KNOW: The Aceman is the car for you if you like the style and perkiness of the little electric Mini Cooper (which is three-door only), yet want five doors for a bit more usefulness without stepping up to the ‘mum and dad’s taxi’-spec Countryman. It has some SUV-ish styling cues in the standard roof rails and chunky arches, but that’s where the SUV traits end. The front-wheel-drive Aceman is based on the same platform as the Cooper (and gets the same two-battery line-up for a range of either 185 or 252 miles) and is very much a compact hatchback – both in its bubbly handling and in its limited practicality.

The big issue with the Aceman may well be the Renault 5, which is just as practical, has much the same range and is quite a bit cooler. Mind you, the Aceman’s interior is a whole other level of ambient-lit, OLED-screened premiumness.

KEY DATA: Range 252 miles; efficiency 4.4 miles per kWh; max DC charging 30 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Which battery suits you comes down to lifestyle, but we’d go for the SE as it gets the longer range, more power and standard head-up display

THE GOOD: Extremely long range; imperious motorway refinement

THE BAD: Drives like a barge; doesn’t feel as high-quality as it should

THE UGLY: All that hype about the expensive Hyperscreen infotainment

NEED TO KNOW: The wheeled bar of soap with a three-pointed star on its nose. Merc’s flagship EQS feels a bit like top-end Mercs of old: it’s brimming with cutting-edge technology, it wears an ultra-exclusive price tag and falls apart dynamically when you take it off an autobahn.

A recent facelift and fiddle gave it, among other things, a bigger battery (for the 450 and AMG 53, but not the entry 350), which helps with range, but doesn’t transform it into the electric S-Class it should always have been

KEY DATA: Range 440 miles; efficiency 3.25-3.55 miles per kWh; max DC charging 31 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: The 450+ in AMG Line Premium spec – yours from £112,560

THE GOOD: Wonderful looking car, best enjoyed with the rear-drive powertrain

THE BAD: Not as roomy as you’d hope for a car this chunky

THE UGLY: Image can feel a bit too cool for its own good, like it’s trying too hard to be a Scandi Tesla

NEED TO KNOW: Polestar recently added a rear-motor, rear-wheel-drive choice, and at the same time introduced a more efficient set of electrics, but didn’t mess with the gorgeous looks. No point in going for the more powerful option, as the chassis doesn’t like it. And the ride is brittle at the best of times.

KEY DATA: Range 344 miles; efficiency 3.9-4.2 miles per kWh; max DC charging 26 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Standard Range, Single Motor: the slowest Polestar 2, but still quick enough, currently just under £43k

THE GOOD: BMW’s excellent eTech gubbins for less cash; tidy to drive; cool looks

THE BAD: More buttons would be good

THE UGLY: Some rivals offer longer range

NEED TO KNOW: The Countryman is Mini’s equivalent of the BMW iX1. It gets the same platform, battery and motors, only at a usefully lower price. That means a WLTP range of up to 287 miles, which is alright even if rivals like the Volvo EX30 and Kia EV3 have longer-range options. The real reason you’d buy the Countryman is because it looks more interesting than most other compact electric SUVs, and has a classy, interesting interior with colourful, knitted (no, really) textiles around the cabin. It’s also a bit pointier and more direct handling than most equivalent family EVs, especially if you go for the SE All4.

KEY DATA: Range 266 miles; efficiency 3.9 miles per kWh; max DC charging 29 minutess 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: We’d go for the SE All4, as it gets usefully better performance, all-wheel drive and quite a bit more equipment

THE GOOD: Nippy; fun to drive; compact

THE BAD: Rear seats, boot and range are tiny

THE UGLY: An MG 4 is faster, has a bigger battery and costs much the same. But then character…

NEED TO KNOW: For a start, the 500e is as good as the old 500 Hybrid is bad, despite looking very familiar. Underneath is an all-new EV-specific platform that houses a dinky 24kWh battery or a still small 42kW alternative. The former has a real-world range of less than 100 miles, so we’d opt for the latter for a comfortable 140 miles-plus.

Even the base car feels lively around town, although the more powerful 42kWh model is much peppier on the motorway. Both ride and handle significantly better than the 500 Hybrid, with an agile feel and comfort levels that are impressive for such a small car. It’s sweet to drive.

Where the 500 Hybrid has a driving position that’s part bus, part torture device, the 500e’s is far more comfortable for drivers of all sizes. The interior is still a sea of hard plastic, yet it’s pleasantly textured and everything feels well put together. It’s certainly a classier environment than many of the cut-price Chinese offerings.

Lowly models do without an infotainment screen, replacing it with a smartphone cradle and app that work better than many other cars’ systems. Higher trim levels get a large touchscreen with crisp graphics, easy-to-navigate menus and smartphone integration, so you can stay connected on the go with ease. And the 500e also looks terrific. For many buyers that’ll be enough, but it’s good to know there’s substance to go with the style.

KEY DATA: Range 199 miles; efficiency 4.7 miles per kWh; max DC charging 35 minutes 0-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Spend the extra £3k to get the 42kWh pack for stronger acceleration and a significantly longer range

THE GOOD: Utterly charming; drives like a car; interior feels solid

THE BAD: The five-seater isn’t as practical as it looks, sullied by VW’s older and maligned infotainment

THE UGLY: Everyone wants to buy them secondhand and then go roadtripping, which only works if someone buys them new

NEED TO KNOW: After a few failed starts, we finally got that revived VW Microbus. And what an adorable thing the ID. Buzz is – we think VW’s nailed the charm of it without making it too twee or retro. It’s much the same as the VW ID. 3 and ID. 4 underneath, and drives like a car (complete with a low centre of gravity and plenty of grip) but that brick-like body shape and gargantuan weight hobble efficiency.

The range now consists of your basic Buzz, the even more basic Cargo, the long-wheelbase seven-seater and the hotter GTX. Batteries and e-motors have also been upgraded since the Buzz first arrived.

KEY DATA: Range 258 miles; efficiency 3.3 miles per kWh; max DC charging 30 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Seven-seater makes the most of the family-and-friends feelgood factor

THE GOOD: Bugatti-beatingly fast

THE BAD: Not Taycan-beatingly fun

THE UGLY: That bloody yoke is a joke

NEED TO KNOW: Even by electric car standards the Model S Plaid is shockingly quick, although the 1.99sec 0-62mph time should be taken with a pinch of salt. (Instead of being measured from a standstill, that figure removes the first foot of movement, although it’s still comfortably faster than even a Bugatti Chiron to this speed and a bit beyond.)

However, the Plaid isn’t a laugh-a-minute in the corners, so keen drivers will have far more fun in a much slower Taycan variant. You might not get the raw speed, but it’ll be more involving and sharper, making it the better driver’s EV.

Not that Plaid is entirely a one-trick pony. It’s more practical, with loads more passenger and cargo space and a longer range, too – so long as you don’t mind that new cars are strictly left-hand drive. A boon is Tesla’s Supercharger network making long-distance drives far less of a concern. There’s loads of them and they’re more reliable than the public charging network.

KEY DATA: Range 373 miles; efficiency 3.7 miles per kWh; max DC charging 29 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: It has to be Plaid, doesn’t it? Only slightly less range than the regular car and hypercar-humbling acceleration

THE GOOD: Handles sharply; supremely accurate and dependable range

THE BAD: Dated interior; hard ride; stupid powertrain noises

THE UGLY: It’s quite a lot of dosh for what feels like an old car

NEED TO KNOW: We’ve come a long way since the original electric i3, but BMW’s current iX3 proves we’ve also come a long way since retrofitting a combustion car’s platform with batteries was the norm. Still, the iX3 drives well and manages a good range so we won’t complain too much.

KEY DATA: Range 288 miles; efficiency 3.5 miles per kWh; max DC charging 31 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: There’s only one power output, and the high-spec M Sport Pro adds generous extra kit

THE GOOD: Climate-friendly with styling to match; better at being a regular truck than Cybertruck

THE BAD: Almost too normal – it even has indicator stalks. How very 1993…

THE UGLY: Cybertruck owners will look a lot meaner than you

NEED TO KNOW: American start-up has hit the ground running, building both the R1T and R1S, as well as countless EV vans for Amazon, all of which seem to be selling well. Rivian is the friendly face of EV trucks Stateside – even the design makes you go all gooey. Body-on-frame but air suspension, it should appeal to the more traditional truck market in the US, at least on the coasts. Removable Bluetooth speaker in the dash makes every picnic a party.

KEY DATA: Range 258-420 miles; efficiency 2.5 miles per kWh; max DC charging 30 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: 1050bhp Quad-motor is impressive, but you’ll be able to make do with the 553bhp dual-motor

THE GOOD: Complete strangers want to talk to you; shocking pace

THE BAD: Complete strangers want to talk to you

THE UGLY: Huge amount of hype but you still don’t see many of them on the roads

NEED TO KNOW: Is this Musk’s greatest moment of madness (at least when it comes to Tesla)? The most ridiculous car we’ve driven recently, with a single-minded focus on delivering to the brief that no other company could match. Hard to get past the looks but when you do, the Cybertruck is really accomplished. Pace that few can match, four-wheel steer makes it incredibly manoeuvrable, comfortable air suspension – for something that looks totally alien, it drives remarkably normally.

KEY DATA: Range 320-340 miles (USA); efficiency 2.3 miles per kWh; max DC charging 22 minutes 10-80% (est)

THE ONE TO BUY: Has to be the 845bhp Cyberbeast – if you’re going to go all in, go all in

THE GOOD: Definitively sensible, and better in every way than the Mk1 Niro

THE BAD: Rear seats and boot aren’t massive

THE UGLY: Not part of Kia’s new era, and works just fine as a continuing highlight of the old era

NEED TO KNOW: The Niro is shaped to also be compatible with two flavours of hybrid powertrain, so in EV form it feels very conventional, with none of the space-age mould-busting of the EV6. It plays to traditional Kia strengths: easy to get on with, utterly trustworthy, okay to drive, efficient.

KEY DATA: Range 285 miles; efficiency 3.8 miles per kWh; max DC charging 43 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Trim levels 2, 3 and 4 all offer the same battery, but the significantly better-equipped 4 is available with a heat pump

THE GOOD: Zingy handling, funky interior

THE BAD: Restless ride, high price

THE UGLY: No speed read-out in the driver’s eyeline on base cars

NEED TO KNOW: There’s nothing else like a Mini, is there? It’s always had its own appeal, and that’s as true of the new electric Mini Cooper as it is of any modern Mini. Even with new rivals like the Renault 5 E-Tech shaking things up, the Mini definitely has the premium end of the small, fun-but-grown up electric car market cornered. Two batteries offer a range of either 190 or 250 miles, with the latter getting faster charging, more power and more kit, although neither is slow and both get the darty, urgent handling that Mini buyers relish. You’ll notice the fidgety ride comfort, too, although the SE with its heavier battery and slightly softer suspension is more settled.

KEY DATA: Range 250 miles; efficiency 4.5 miles per kWh; max DC charging 30 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: The Mini Cooper SE for its longer range, faster charging, standard head-up display and comfier ride

THE GOOD: Seven-seats in a genuinely compact package

THE BAD: Range and powertrain a bit off the pace now

THE UGLY: Glitzy dashboard has more creaky bits than HMS Victory

NEED TO KNOW: Currently Mercedes-Benz’s best electric car, and the first mainstream electric seven-seater. Compared with a Tesla Model X, the Merc’s £56k price seems relatively bargainous, and being based on the EQA it’s not a bad steer either. The 250-mile range is a bit modest these days, as is the 100kW max charge speed, but it’s comfy and big enough for family car duties. As ever with Mercs, interior quality is hit and miss, but we could say the same about the £105k EQS.

KEY DATA: Range 252 miles; efficiency 3.3 miles per kWh; max DC charging 32 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: They all look the same, so save some money with the 300 powertrain in AMG Line trim

THE GOOD: X-Men styling meets useful range and performance

THE BAD: A bit cramped; a bit contrived

THE UGLY: You’ll soon forget how cool it looks and subconsciously uncouple

NEED TO KNOW: The Kona’s full-width LED strips front and rear do give a real Cylon look that’s certainly eye-catching. The interior has its moments, too. But let’s be real – you’ll buy a compact Hyundai SUV because of its excellent range and five-year warranty, not because it plucks insistently at your heartstrings. It beat the Fiat 600e and Honda e:NY1 in one of our group tests.

KEY DATA: Range 319 miles; efficiency 4.3 miles per kWh; max DC charging 41 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Get the big battery; N Line is the cheapest trim with heated seats

THE GOOD: Not the newest any more, but still the best BYD so far

THE BAD: Not as cheap as some Chinese rivals, or a Tesla Model 3

THE UGLY: Dubiously patterned interior trim pieces

NEED TO KNOW: While the BYD Atto 3 and Dolphin both pack a great electric powertrain into a car that’s not quite finished, the Seal proves what the Chinese brand is capable of. It’s a very impressive Model 3 rival, so it’s a shame it costs more than the Tesla.

KEY DATA: Range 354 miles; efficiency 4.3 miles per kWh; max DC charging 26 minutes 30-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: You should probably buy the single-motor Design for the most range and still decent performance. The rapid twin-motor isn’t that much pricier, though.

THE GOOD: Strong acceleration, reasonable range and plenty of space

THE BAD: The boot is tiny if you have the rear bench slid all the way back

THE UGLY: Very irritating name; trying to hustle the Brabus version down a B-road

NEED TO KNOW: If you loved the original Smart, look away now. Instead of building another tiny (and niche) city car, Smart has produced a Mini Countryman-sized five-seat electric SUV on a platform shared with Volvo’s EX30. The #1 has loads of space inside, a sliding rear bench to give more legroom or a bigger boot, and decent quality. The rear-drive models will hit 62mph in 6.7 seconds, while the four-wheel-drive Brabus takes just 3.9 seconds. Sadly the suspension can’t keep up, so it’s a wild ride on twisting tarmac.

KEY DATA: Range 273 miles; efficiency 4.4 miles per kWh; max DC charging 30 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Premium brings a heat pump, head-up display, leather seats and audio upgrade

THE GOOD: Luxurious interior; spacious

THE BAD: Where’s the clever engineering?

THE UGLY: It weighs almost as much as two hippos

NEED TO KNOW: Click on the Eletre section of the Lotus website, and you’ll see it described as an ‘electric Hyper-SUV with racecar DNA’. This is stretching the truth a tad.

Yes, the regular Eletre and Eletre S can get from zero to 62mph in 4.5 seconds, but you need the R for truly noteworthy performance (0-62mph in 2.95sec) befitting the word ‘hyper’. We could live with this if the handling was even half as engaging as a trad Lotus, admittedly not easy in an electric SUV.

Helped by stiff springing and clever suspension tech it doesn’t lean a great deal, but the steering isn’t brimming with Lotus feedback and the chassis majors on lashings of safe understeer. A BMW iX isn’t exactly an adrenaline pump either, but at least there’s a bit more connection and a better balance. It’s a shame, as the interior feels well put together and undoubtedly luxurious, plus there’s plenty of space for people and luggage. But not because of clever packaging – it’s just massive.

KEY DATA: Range 354 miles; efficiency 3.2 miles per kWh; max DC charging 25 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: If you just want a posh SUV with a sporting badge, an S is fine. Those looking for thrills are better served by the R

THE GOOD: Joyous handling for the Veloce version

THE BAD: Cramped rear seats, not cheap, underwhelming range

THE UGLY: Divisive looks

NEED TO KNOW: The Alfa Junior Veloce is to the standard Junior what the GTI is to the VW Golf – it’s a far bigger departure than you might expect, with a diff, suspension changes, more power and generally a thoroughly overhauled driver experience. A great experience, too. By hatchback standards – never mind the electric compact SUV class that the Junior falls into – this is a responsive, fizzy car that relishes diving into corners and hanging on with terrier-like stubbornness.

The way it drives isn’t the Alfa’s problem, for sure. It’s more that this is not the roomy, useful car that you might hope of a small SUV-ish thing; it’s pretty cramped in those back seats, to the point where an Alpine A290 is just as useful despite being a smaller car (but then again the Alfa’s 400-litre boot is much more practical). You’ll also be lucky to get 200 miles out of the Veloce, even in gentle real-world driving.

KEY DATA: Range 207 miles; efficiency 3.8 miles per kWh; max DC charging 30 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: The Veloce gets most of the stuff that you want, but add a sunroof as it’s dark in there without it

THE GOOD: Rare, roomy and well equipped

THE BAD: Rare at least in part because it’s so expensive

THE UGLY: Combustion versions are way less expensive, and so’s the entry-level Porsche Macan Electric

NEED TO KNOW: Maserati has embraced battery-electric with an enthusiasm that surprised many, given how traditional the trident-badged cars have generally been. It now offers electric versions of half of its line-up, all badged Folgore.

And Maserati’s embrace of the SUV body style is also slightly out of left field, if you think of it as a maker of fast, sophisticated saloons and coupes. It’s useful shorthand to think of Levante and Grecale as being Maserati’s equivalent to the smash-hit Porsche Cayenne and Macan, but in reality the Italian cars are closer in size and much less neatly demarcated than the Germans. The elderly Levante is not available in electric form.

The Grecale Fologre has two electric motors, one at each end, between them producing 550bhp and 605lb ft from a 105kWh battery. You can get to 62mph in 4.1 seconds.
Folgore means ‘lightning bolt’ in Italian, but really the electric Grecale’s charm comes as a family runabout with a focus on comfort and mile-munching, and the ride quality is generally good on the standard air suspension.

KEY DATA: Range 311 miles; efficiency 2.6 miles per kWh; max DC charging 29 minutes 20-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: There’s just the one electric version of the Grecale; it’s highly spec’d, and it really has to be, at more than £100k (and if you want it in the colour scheme that’s only available on the EV, that’s more money)

THE GOOD: Like a VW ID. 3 but with sportier steering and chassis settings, and nicer interior too, especially on the range-topping VZ variants

THE BAD: Not great value, and not all that different from the VW

THE UGLY: Too much of the infotainment shares VW’s over-reliance on fiddly touchpad controls

NEED TO KNOW: If the problem with the VW ID. 3 is that it looks a bit anodyne, has a bland interior, is short of driver engagement and has terrible infotainment, the Born from sister brand Cupra fixes three out of the four. Unfortunately the infotainment remains very annoying, and those improvements come at a price, particularly to ride quality.

KEY DATA: Range 307-342 miles; efficiency 3.5-4.0 miles per kWh; max DC charging 30 minutes 5-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Best compromise is big-battery (77kWh) in V2 spec

THE GOOD: Roomy; good interior quality; fun to drive

THE BAD: Not as cheap as you might suppose

THE UGLY: The new family look debuts here, unspectacularly

NEED TO KNOW: Like an Enyaq, but smaller – which is very good news for those of us who have noted how impressed everyone is by the Enyaq, but who have no need for its cavernous space. It sits on the VW Group’s ubitquitous MEB platform, but is the smallest VW Group EV so far.

There’s a choice of three powertrains for now, all rear-wheel drive. If you want the most range and power, go for the Edition 85. Packing a big 77kWh battery and electric motor with 282bhp and 402lb ft of torque, it’s quicker than most of its rivals with a 6.6-second 62mph sprint time. The 360-mile range is also the longest of any electric Skoda, if just behind the 375-mile figure of a Kia EV3.

KEY DATA: Range 360 miles; efficiency 3.8-4.1 miles per kWh; max DC charging 28 minutes 0-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: The range starts at £31,500, but you can end up spending quite a bit more in search of the bigger battery and more kit. If money isn’t your main concern, go for the top model, the Edition 85

THE GOOD: Decent value; well-built interior; quiet; comfortable

THE BAD: Utterly infuriating software; less rear space than the #1; looks like melted ice cream

THE UGLY: The shrill noise of the hyperactive, paranoid fatigue-warning system

NEED TO KNOW: A coupe-SUV from the brand we all thought was dead. This trades some rear space for a sleeker profile compared to the awkwardly shaped #1 but, underneath, is exactly the same as it. Plenty of choice in terms of performance and battery sizes, and it’s calm and quiet on the move. Right up until you need to use the overly quirky and unnecessarily complicated infotainment software or get screamed at by hyperactive safety alerts.

KEY DATA: Range 283 miles; efficiency 3.8 miles per kWh; max DC charging 30 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: While the Brabus is hilariously fast, stick with Premium (around £40k) for the most kit and the longest range

THE GOOD: Brilliant GT abilities; clever powertrain; the glamour

THE BAD: Price asks too much of the quality

THE UGLY: Maseratis have had some fantastic engines over the years: this may have the statistics, but not the soul

NEED TO KNOW: The GranTurismo Folgore is based on the same underpinnings as the combustion version, a loose variation of the Alfa Romeo Giula’s Giorgio platform, yet somehow Maserati has managed to squeeze in three electric motors and a massive 92.5kWh battery. 

Using a clever three-motor powertrain (two at the rear and one at the front), it puts out 751bhp and 996lb ft of torque. It’s a significant uplift on the outputs you get from the V6 Modena and Trofeo models.  

The result unsurprisingly is some staggering performance figures: sub-three to 62mph, 200-plus at the top. All of this in great comfort, too.

While the general GranTurismo silhouette hasn’t varied much from the previous car, which first arrived in 2007, the interior has. Twin touchscreens appear like a folded book with the gear selector buttons nestled between them. It all looks pretty smart, but the fact plenty of features are shared with far cheaper Stellantis products doesn’t do it many favours.

KEY DATA: Range 275 miles; efficiency 3.4 miles per kWh; max DC charging 20 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: There’s just the one electric version of the GT, but don’t forget the convertible GranCabrio

THE GOOD: Strong performance allied with likeable character

THE BAD: Range isn’t great; base model’s interior feels bare

THE UGLY: It’s actually better than the try-too-hard looks suggest

NEED TO KNOW: It’s easy to undersell the Abarth 600e. You wouldn’t be wrong to describe it as a harder, more extreme and more expensive version of the Fiat 600e. So a costlier version of a car you don’t care about much? But wait. The visual changes bring a coherence to the styling that the blobbier Fiat lacks. The Abarth’s blockier, more aggressive front end and its rather startling rear wing lift it out of the ordinary. It’s also wider. Pity it keeps the ‘nodding off’ headlights.

The two versions, standard and Scorpionissima, use the same 51kWh battery, produce the same 254lb ft of torque and have identical top speeds of 124mph. However, where the standard motor is able to produce 237bhp, the limited-edition Scorpionissima puts out 278bhp.

That translates to a 0-62mph sprint of 6.2 seconds for the standard car and 5.9 seconds for the Scorpionissima. Both models get firmer suspension, a new rear anti-roll bar to improve stiffness, upgraded brakess, steering tuned to be more direct, and when a sportier mode is engaged it doesn’t use regen braking, just friction, for a more intuitive feel. And there’s a mechanical limited-slip differential, identical to the one in the Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce. It really does enhance spirited cornering.

KEY DATA: Range 207 miles; efficiency 3.3 miles per kWh; max DC charging 27 minutes 20-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: You lose some kit and some power, but skip the range-topping Scorpionissima model and go for the less expensive regular Abarth 600e, which still gets the trick diff, and it’s a lot of fun

THE GOOD: Tidy handling; top battery tech

THE BAD: Dynamically beaten by Tesla’s Model 3 and BYD’s Seal in our group tests

THE UGLY: Mis-shapen rear would give Quasimodo the hump

NEED TO KNOW: One particular drive, 500 miles in a day, made the Ioniq 6’s strengths clear: good efficiency, quick DC recharging, engaging steering. But while its body control is better than the Ioniq 5’s, the big wheels transmit too much shock and awe to occupants. If you love the looks, go for it.

KEY DATA: Range 338 miles; efficiency 3.88 miles per kWh; max DC charging 24 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: 77.4kWh rear-wheel-drive Premium

THE GOOD: Great value; very roomy; comfortable

THE BAD: Range could be better; interior feels cheap; oddly noisy

THE UGLY: Will make you feel guilty for buying a more costly EV

NEED TO KNOW: The Frontera debuts Vauxhall’s policy of price parity: this EV cost the same (£23,495) as the hybrid version. It’s a strong statement, and very good value. Okay, in some ways it feels like the cheap car it is, and there’s limited driving pleasure to be had, but as trusty family transport that happens to be electric, it’s fantastic.

KEY DATA: Range 186 miles; eficiency 4.2 miles per kWh; max DC charging 28 minutes 20-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: They all have a 44kWh battery, so rein in your range expectations. GS spec is still a decent £25,895, and looks smarter

THE GOOD: All the safety you could ever need; beautiful Scandi styling; whisper quiet

THE BAD: Great for families, but little personality

THE UGLY: The literal ugly – you can’t delete the lidar sensor on the roof, so expect to be hailed like a cab everywhere you go

NEED TO KNOW: Volvo’s family-friendly SUV now also made climate-friendly. Great styling and practical seven-seat layout will appeal to the chattering classes, but prices are on the lofty side and there’s zero dynamic appeal in the chassis. Whisper quiet and rides very well, so if that’s what’s on your tick list, it’s perfect. A great Volvo for the 2020s.

KEY DATA: Range 375 miles; efficiency 2.96 miles per kWh; max DC charging 30 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: The cheapest, when it comes along. Until then, starting prices are near-£100k

THE GOOD: Low price; roomy interior; cuddly comfort

THE BAD: Vague steering; stepped boot

THE UGLY: A Renault 5 isn’t much more expensive…

NEED TO KNOW: The e-C3 is a breath of fresh air in the EV world. This little 4.0-metre hatchback is functional, comfortable and refreshingly affordable, yet doesn’t feel like it came out of a Poundshop cracker, like the cheaper Dacia Spring does. It’s smart enough, seriously cushy and comfy, and it even looks pretty cool with little flashes of coloured trim that you can change if you wish. Sure, the steering appears to have a mostly advisory role for where the car’s pointing, but the space, comfort, range and kit on offer here make up for that. A short-range (124-mile) model will bring prices to below £20,000.

KEY DATA: Range 199 miles; efficiency 4.5 miles kWh; max DC charging 35 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Top-spec 44kWh, 199-mile e-C3 Max; the heated seats, parking camera and better residuals are worth the extra up front.

THE GOOD: Handles like a hot hatch should without spoiling everyday driving manners

THE BAD: Powertrain doesn’t match the exciting handling; unremarkable range

THE UGLY: No cupholders

NEED TO KNOW: This is interesting, and almost very good.

It’s based on the Renault 5, but given Alpine’s cosmetic and dynamic attentions, including a 60mm wider track, signinficant revisions to the suspension and, unmissably, those X headlights inspired by the tape on a rally car.

It’s bigger than the Abarth 500e and smaller than the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, which puts it within the ballpark of the dimension of a combustion-engined hot hatch. And to a large extent it drives like one. With 217bhp (or there’s 178bhp version) it’s not all about the power – handling, feel and feedback are the priorities.

It’s quiet, refined and – bar the firm ride at low speeds – reasonably pliant. Up the pace and there’s enough mechanical grip – aided by brake-based torque vectoring – to keep the line tight. New anti-roll bars and hydraulic bump stops team with the multi-link rear end to deliver far more sophistication than is normal with a car this size.

The problem is it struggles to shine next to the donor Renault, which is less expensive. Fine, if you love the Alpine vibe and you’re not worried about the cash and you don’t mind the visual fussiness, this is a lot of fun. But so’s the Renault.

KEY DATA: Range 226 miles; efficiency 4.35 miles per kWh; max DC charging 30 minutes 15-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Alpine loves a special edition, but for now there are just three versions: GT, GTS and Premiere Edition; we’d go GT with the more powerful motor

THE GOOD: Engaging to drive, just like the X1 it’s paired with

THE BAD: Current BMW cabin thinking is a step back over the previous generation; just give us proper iDrive, please

THE UGLY: This replaced the i3 – pioneering, ingenious but pricey to build

NEED TO KNOW: The X1 is an oddly under-rated member of the BMW line-up, and the iX1 is its all-electric sibling. It has all the virtues – good package, very good chassis, lively-enough performance – and the extra benefit of being all electric. So it’s utterly inoffensive around town, where it just gets on with smoothly and calmly transporting a (small) family around. But unlike many other £50k-ish electric SUVs, it really enjoys being driven with a bit more brio when you’re out of town and don’t have young kids in the back.

The ride is a bit firm for some tastes, but to us that seems like the right choice to make if the alternative is more bodyroll and wallowing. This is a premium car for enthusiasts, albeit enthusiasts currently prioritising their families. It’s easy to talk yourself out of the iX1 by over-thinking it. Okay, it replaced the clever i3 in the range, but you can’t really blame BMW for wanting to make a profit on a mainstream, potentially big-selling car. And okay, the infotainment, drive modes etc are all a bit too clever for their own good, and can seem like a step backwards from the previous-generation X1. But the reality is you get used to it. The less-powerful, single-motor versions are fine, but the xDrive30 is just that bit livelier. The iX1 is greater than the sum of its parts, much like a VW Golf.

KEY DATA: Range 259-272 miles; efficiency 3.4-3.7 miles per kWh; max DC charging 29 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: xDrive30 M Sport is good to drive and decent value

THE GOOD: Stonking value; impressive performer

THE BAD: Not particularly spacious; Performance model doesn’t handle its power well

THE UGLY: Shuns Volvo’s safety ethos by putting everything on one honking great touchscreen

NEED TO KNOW: Premium/sensible Volvo, the thinking liberal’s alternative to the German crowd, has put its name to an electric SUV that costs less than a VW ID. 3, is loaded with clever touches and, in its Twin Motor configuration, will do 0-62mph in 3.6 seconds. What?

Cost savings come from the Geely platform, shared with Smart and Zeekr, but the EX30 is significantly more polished than either, with more than acceptable dynamics and a sheen of Volvo magic on the inside. Props to any brand that can make recycled materials look so chic, and double props for including such delightful chunky chrome door pulls. It’s the small things.

Single Motor models are quick, and the 422bhp Twin Motor Performance is unnecessarily powerful for a compact SUV. It is also under-braked and lacking in the chassis poise to make it an enjoyable steer, so we’d keep it simple and go for the Single Motor with the biggest battery. You’ll still be undercutting almost every competitor.

The price tag helps you overlook a lot. We can’t quite square the all-touchscreen cabin with Volvo’s insistence on its cars being the safest on the road, though. The central unit contains not only all of the switchgear, but also the gauge cluster. Overlook that and this is stunning value for a posh, small and slightly quirky EV SUV.

KEY DATA: Range 294 miles; efficiency 3.7 miles per kWh; max DC charging 26 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Single Motor Extended Range worth the price jump and is nicer to drive than Twin Motor

THE GOOD: Glorious interior and even more glorious to drive

THE BAD: The best version is the most expensive version

THE UGLY: Considerably better to look at on the inside than the outside

NEED TO KNOW: Most electric BMWs currently available share their fundamentals with combustion-engined cars. In some cases the EV gubbins has been squeezed into a pre-existing model; in others, the two have been designed together. But the iX is a standalone electric-only model that is not linked to anything else. That’s the same idea that gave us the revered i3 supermini, although that’s not a happy precedent as the i3 was binned for being too expensive to produce. Let’s hope the iX has a happier fate, because it really is very good.

It looks a bit like the XM, the big hybrid SUV that nobody likes very much and which costs a quite outrageous sum. But the iX is everything the XM is not: brilliant handling, with a responsive and quick powertrain, and the most wonderful, airy interior, including some very fancy touches but fundamentally simple and straightforward to operate. The iX takes full advantage of its EV-only status by being very spacious for its size, as it doesn’t need to leave room for engine and transmission hardware. The xDrive40’s range and performance are a little disappointing, but the xDrive50 is a very fine package. If, however, you can stretch to the full-on M60, you’ll be glad you did. It just works tremendously well, and is a joy to drive while simultaneously being both delightful and practical for passengers. The M60 might be excess all areas but we’re very glad it – and the iX as a whole – exists.

KEY DATA: Range 348 miles; efficiency 2.8 miles per kWh; max DC charging 35 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Our pick is the flagship M60, if you can afford £125k

THE GOOD: Tidy to drive, long range

THE BAD: Options can get pricey

THE UGLY: No air suspension in the UK

NEED TO KNOW: We’ve driven the A6 e-Tron out in Tenerife and the S6 in the snow in Germany, and in both cases it’s proved to be peachy to drive: comfortable yet controlled, tactile enough to satisfy on a good road and ultra-refined. There’s also a model to suit almost everyone, and the long range of up to 463 miles (437 for the Avant) gets you much further in between charges than the similarly priced BMW i5. It’s exactly what you want of the latest, big, plush executive Audi.

Our big caveat, though, is that we’ve only driven the A6 e-Tron on air suspension. Yup, you guessed it – we’re not getting that in the UK. How will the (not terribly lightweight) A6 e-Tron cope with the UK’s medieval road surfaces on passive coil spring suspension, and standard 20- or 21-inch wheels? We’ll have to wait and find out. Even so, there’s loads to like about the lavish new A6.

KEY DATA: Range 463 miles; efficiency 4.4 miles per kWh; max DC charging 21 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Go for the big-battery, rear-wheel-drive Performance model but in the basic Sport trim. Add the optional pano roof if you can stretch to it. 

THE GOOD: One of the best all-round EVs at any price

THE BAD: Small and fiddly touchscreen

THE UGLY: Chinese imports existentially threaten Europe’s car makers

NEED TO KNOW: The MG 4 was a revelation when we first drove it in summer 2022, and it’s still among the best compact electric hatchbacks. Keenly priced, too. But it’s the dynamic performance that elevates the 4, thanks to a sweetly set-up rear-wheel-drive chassis.

Go for a Long Range SE version, with a bigger battery and punchier motor. The SE’s wheels span just 17 inches and the suspension is soft, which makes for a comfortable ride and a quiet motorway cruiser too. The steering is nicely weighted and gives decent feedback, and the motor sends 201bhp to the rear wheels, sufficient boost for a bit of playful slip and 0-62mph in a spritely 7.7sec. The 4 is efficient too: when we took nine EVs on a brutal winter range test, only the MG and Tesla Model Y managed to top 3.0 miles per kWh. The cockpit is spacious enough but the touchscreen’s icons are too small and it’s a bit laggy too.

There’s also a go-faster XPower flagship, with 429bhp and all-wheel drive. But aside from its rapid acceleration, it’s as one-dimensional to drive as its cosmetic upgrades are understated.

KEY DATA: Range 281 miles; efficiency 3.8 miles per kWh; max DC charging 35 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: SE Long Range unlocks 61.7kWh battery but keeps price just under £30k

THE GOOD: Taut chassis; great interior; agreeable range and performance

THE BAD: Tower-block proportions; not as playful as previous 5-series

THE UGLY: It’s a non-M 5-series that can cost over £100k

NEED TO KNOW: Mercedes is yet to smash it with big electric saloons but BMW appears to have cracked the formula. The i5 sits alongside pure petrol and plug-in hybrid versions of the 5-series but doesn’t at all feel like an awkward exercise in shoehorning – it impresses in all the ways the Mercs disappoint.

Both entry-level eDrive40 and top-spec M60 are great to drive: tied down, responsive and purposeful, with a gourmand’s taste for B-road bends. It’s not exactly playful, size and weight besting physics in this instance, but immensely satisfying to drive, especially if you’ve stepped out of the wobbly EQE.

The interior borrows a huge amount from the i7/7-series – the good (great seats, a physical infotainment controller, fantastic build quality) and the bad (touchscreen everything else, inexplicable crystal) and cements the 5’s place as more of a replacement for the now departed short-wheelbase 7-series. The estate version is a brilliant additon to the line-up.

That positioning helps it justify the price; 25 per cent more than a base i4, and after adding a couple of choice options to the top-spec M60 you’ll be knocking on the door of £100k. It’s good, then, that the rear-driven eDrive40 is the sweeter and more pragmatic choice while still being more than quick enough. You can go faster and further for less, but after driving the i5 you probably won’t want to.

KEY DATA: Range 357 miles; efficiency 3.9 miles per kWh; max DC charging 30 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Rear-driven eDrive40 is a cracker

THE GOOD: Well engineered beneath the skin

THE BAD: Pricier than several key rivals

THE UGLY: Interface has been improved, but not enough

NEED TO KNOW: Despite a few annoying quirks, the ID. 3 is a highly recommendable EV hatch. Base 58kWh models are good for over 200 miles without breaking a sweat, while the 77kWh model achieved very nearly 300 miles of range in our testing. If we’d have avoided the motorway a bit more, it’d have done 300-plus with ease.

Stick to the 58kWh unless you really need the extra range. Its lighter weight helps the ride and handling, while all versions have a polish that’s missing from theoretically similar cars like the BYD Dolphin. That’s both in terms of the driving experience and overall feel of the car inside and out.

Recent revisions gave a welcome lift in interior quality, so the ID. 3 feels more like it’s worth its asking price, while it’s just as practical as ever. A good all-round electric car.

KEY DATA: Range 269 miles; efficiency 4.36 miles per kWh; max DC charging 32 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Stick to the 58kWh model for better ride and handling plus five seats. Chunkier 77kWh models only seat four, but will do 300 miles on a charge in the real world

THE GOOD: Space efficiency; energy efficiency; rock-solid build quality; driving dynamics

THE BAD: Expensive, and for now only left-hand drive

THE UGLY: Why aren’t all EVs this efficient?

NEED TO KNOW: The arrival of Lucid in Europe coincides with the new ‘decontented’ two-wheel-drive Pure version; it shrinks the battery capacity down to 88kWh, drops the second motor and culls the price to a more attractive €85,000. 

The Air is the same length as the Tesla Model S but narrower, and it’s as roomy as a Mercedes S-Class. There’s a choice of four battery sizes, and rear- or all-wheel drive.

The ride is smooth, the cornering superb and the pace quite remarkable – yet you’re always in a bubble of refined, sophisticated calm. It’s a quite remarkable car.

KEY DATA: Range 400 miles (est); efficiency 5.0 miles per kWh (claimed); max DC charging 25 minutes 10-80% (est)

THE ONE TO BUY: Pure is plenty

THE GOOD: Glorious to look at and very rare – the golf-club car park will be jealous.

THE BAD: Paint choices are outrageous and outrageously expensive

THE UGLY: Heavy. Lacks the dynamic ability of its petrol sibling

NEED TO KNOW: Beautiful match-up of Italian styling and whisper-quiet driving – EVs are made for this. You can definitely feel the weight of it while driving (it’s 2340kg) but the way it carries itself along a road is mesmerising. So calm and collected. It’s a tri-motor set-up (one front, two rear) with plenty of pace and handy 800-volt charging so you won’t need to stop in dingy and very un-Maserati service areas for long.

KEY DATA: Range 280 miles; efficiency 2.8 miles per kWh; max DC charging 20 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: There is only one, a tri-motor with 751bhp. Rose Gold looks amazing

THE GOOD: Huge boot, long range, wafty ride

THE BAD: Heat pump costs extra

THE UGLY: Still some irritations with the touchscreen

NEED TO KNOW: We’ve all made a lot of fuss and fanfare about the Buzz, with its retro styling and joyful vibes but, d’you know what? The ID. 7 is the better car. For a start, it’s efficient. Even in real-world use, the slippery shape means that it makes economic use of the energy lurking in its 77 or 86kWh batteries, so that even the chunkier ID. 7 Tourer manages a very decent 373 miles of official range. Sure, the bigger battery ekes that out to a 424-mile WLTP figure, but rapid charging of 200kW means that the longer range isn’t so necessary anyway. More than that, it’s a wafty delight to live with – whisper quiet, seriously comfy and absolutely massive inside. And it’s not an SUV. Good news all round.

KEY DATA: Range 373 miles; efficiency 4.4 miles per kWh; max DC charging 26 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Stick with the basic Pro Match model; it’s even got massage seats, so it’s not really that basic. Add the interior pack for Harman Kardon audio and upgraded upholstery and seat adjustment

THE GOOD: Star Wars exterior, Pixar levels of family-friendliness in the cabin

THE BAD: 2.5-tonne weight limits the dynamic envelope

THE UGLY: Base £65k price a real test for Kia brand price elasticity

NEED TO KNOW: The Kia EV9 is the best seven-seat electric car on the market. Admittedly most of the rivals are glorified vans but that only enhances the EV9’s ultra-cool, ultra-desirable design. With its branching LED light bars, matte finishes and clean surfacing, it wouldn’t look out of place in the Star Wars universe ferrying Stormtroopers across Tatooine.

It’s a car that excites inside too, with top-notch quality and tech. The spacious interior provides ample legroom, adjustable seating with fold-out legrests and rear climate control, plus plenty of recycled materials. The top-spec S even offers a six-seat configuration, with the ability to swivel the middle chairs to face the rear. Under the floor lies a 99.8 kWh battery with 800-volt architecture, allowing for rapid charging that can give up to 154 miles in 15 minutes – but you’ll need to find a rare 350kW DC charger.

The EV9 shines on easy roads with its smooth, well-damped ride. It offers comfort and stability but at 2.5 tonnes it’s no sporty corner-carver. Given the weight we’d avoid the 150kW (200bhp) rear-wheel-drive Air, which takes 9.4sec to toddle up to 62mph from standstill. The more potent all-wheel-drive version (with 379bhp) is far brisker. To drive it’s safe and predictable, but better than a Tesla Model Y with a more compliant ride and less nervy steering. Got a big family and looking to reduce your carbon footprint? The super-practical and comfortable EV9 is an excellent choice.

KEY DATA: Range 313 miles; efficiency 2.73 miles per kWh; max DC charging 18-36 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: GT Line for £73,245, with 21-inch wheels and relaxation seats

THE GOOD: Removing engine noise makes a luxurious limo even more so

THE BAD: Cabin equipment seems to prioritise passengers over the driver; size and weight can make parking and manoeuvring difficult

THE UGLY: We can be quite literal here. Get a dark colour else that face will be burn your retinas

NEED TO KNOW: A face only a Predator mother could love hides a very good luxury EV – there’s enough space to keep the longest-legged of CEOs happy and enough pace to whisk them between meetings. Don’t bother with the hugely powerful M70 as it’s not worth the additional £40k.

KEY DATA: Range 384 miles; efficiency 3.3 miles per kWh; max DC charging 34 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: xDrive60 has more than enough power; M Sport looks slightly less tragic than base spec

THE GOOD: Spacious cabin with some clever use of materials; good ride quality

THE BAD: Not that quick; awkwardly shaped boot

THE UGLY: Only top two trims get a heat pump

NEED TO KNOW: The Megane E-Tech may not have very much to do with any previous Megane – a long and varied line of humdrum to wildly sporty hatchbacks – but this all-electric crossover does have a lot to do with Renault’s decades-long tradition of making keenly priced cars that are just that little bit quirkier, cooler and better to drive than they need to be.

KEY DATA: Range 280 miles; efficiency 3.9 miles per kWh; max DC charging 30 minutes 15-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Entry-level Equilibre; only one powertrain available

THE GOOD: So refined and responsive that you’ll wonder why other Rolls-Royces still have V12s

THE BAD: For such a big car, rear passengers really don’t get the room they might expect

THE UGLY: Such a shame that so few people will ever benefit from this brilliant craftsmanship and engineering

NEED TO KNOW: It’s not difficult to find fault with the general idea of the Rolls-Royce Spectre. A huge, heavy two-door car that costs getting on for half a million pounds is hardly a difficult target. But you’ll find it much harder to find fault with the execution. And that is why this absurd yet glorious coupe from Goodwood is our Best Luxury Car. It’s quiet and sophisticated, but doesn’t seal you off from the outside world; it feels attached to the road, rather than gliding over it like the magic carpet some less sporting luxury cars aim towards. It’s the sort of big, comfortable GT that you’d want to drive across the Alps, just so long as you’ve plotted a route that involves lunch stops and hotels with chargers.

The cabin is exquisitely finished and a treat for the senses. It’s quite traditional inside, with a version of the BMW iDrive infotainment system lurking behind a well-thought-through array of physical switches and dials. Like combustion-engined Rolls-Royces, this is not a car that asks a lot of the driver – no need for drive modes or adjustable suspension when you have masses of torque and a well calibrated chassis. We’ve not driven the Spectre back to back with the i7, which shares some of its electronic componentry and know-how, but the Spectre is the one car that outclasses the excellent BMW in a whole bunch of ways that don’t matter.

KEY DATA: Range 329 miles; efficiency 2.6-2.8 miles per kWh; max DC charging 34 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: There’s only one, a 2+2 two-door priced from £330,000

THE GOOD: Loads of kit; plush cockpit; handles neatly; drift mode is standard

THE BAD: Silly ‘Face Connect’ security tech; Fisher-Price interior design details

THE UGLY: The nagging feeling that you should have just bought an EV6 for less instead

NEED TO KNOW: The plushest and glitziest sibling to the Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5. Shares almost all the same tech but throws in a few unnecessary extras, like unlocking the car with your face. Still drives well and manages a big range, but spec it carefully.

KEY DATA: Range 321 miles; efficiency 3.7 miles per kWh; max DC charging 18 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: The base RWD Premium is already loaded with toys for £54,105

THE GOOD: Posh interior embarrasses equivalent VW; long range; decent dynamics

THE BAD: Touchscreen-driven; a few bugs; a bit too sensible

THE UGLY: Optional illuminated grille is as much ‘Skoda’ as spinning rims

NEED TO KNOW: It’s a Volkswagen ID. 4, but bigger, cheaper and with additional clever bits. Pretty much the Skoda template we know and love, then, but in this case it also comes with a far nicer interior (fabric trim and light colour options beat black on black on black any day) and better looks. Though opting for the ‘Crystal Face’ does diminish the latter point.

KEY DATA: Range 348 miles; efficiency 4.1 miles per kWh; max DC charging 29 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Don’t bother with the slinkier but less practical Coupe or the not-a-hot-hatch vRS; 85 Edition has 300+ miles of real-world range for realistic price

THE GOOD: One of the best-handling SUVs; interior quality; breadth of powertrains

THE BAD: Real-world efficiency could be better

THE UGLY: The prices on that options list

NEED TO KNOW: The electric Porsche Macan shares its new PPE platform with the Audi Q6 e-Tron, so you get ultra-rapid 800-volt charging and a powertrain to suit everyone whether you’re happy with the rear-wheel drive and 355bhp of the base Macan, the 630bhp and all-wheel drive in the Turbo – or any of the in-between variants. We favour the base car; it’s still more than fast enough, and you get the direct, feelsome steering that Porsche manages so much better than Audi with the Q6. A bit less mass and no drive on the front wheels makes the entry-level, rear-wheel-drive Macan the sweeter-handling car, too.

Regardless of which model you favour, the Porsche’s interior with its frameless driver read-out and simple yet precise design is one of the best in the class. It’s worth adding the air suspension for the best ride comfort, and be careful with the options, as you can get carried away.

KEY DATA: Range 399 miles; efficiency 3.7 miles per kWh; max DC charging 21 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: The basic rear-wheel-drive Macan with a few select options and some decent winter tyres

THE GOOD: Sumptuous interior, comfortable and vivid to drive 

THE BAD: Easy to get carried away with options

THE UGLY: There is something of a Hallowe’en pumpkin about the Emeya’s frowning face… 

NEED TO KNOW: The Emeya is Lotus’s big, comfy saloon. It’s over 5.1 metres long, which makes it quite a bit chunkier even than a BMW i5, but of course it’s also a Lotus and that comes with serious expectations even of a luxury electric tourer, like this.

Thankfully, it lives up to them. The Emeya R gets an unholy 900bhp, but the entry-level Emeya and the Emeya S are the real gems. They only have a trifling 603bhp, but a circa 4.0sec 0-62mph is enough for us in 2.5 tonnes of nearly-a-limo, and it’s more the linear deployment of that power, the oily slickness of the steering response and the beautifully controlled air suspension that makes the Emeya feel worthy of the Lotus badge. It really is a joy to drive, and while the Porsche Taycan still has the upper hand for purist handling effervescence, the Lotus is a sumptuous delight whether you’re on your way to the board room, or your next PB lap time.

KEY DATA: Range 379 miles; efficiency 3.5 miles per kWh; max DC charging 20 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Anything but the R

THE GOOD: Remarkably capable and enjoyable on- and off-roader

THE BAD: It can’t perform miracles when the weight/aero challenge is so steep, leaving it with a poor efficiency figure

THE UGLY: £180,860 in the UK, and similarly giddy in other markets

NEED TO KNOW: Merc knew what it was doing when it decided to call its electric G-Class not the EQG but G580, aligning it not with other EQs (general view: they’re okay) but with other G-Wagens (general view: they’re great). Like the rest of the revised G line-up, it’s expensive and not all that roomy, but it is well equipped. And like them, it’s very good.

That includes off-road as well as on. It weighs 3085kg, so it must be leaving quite a dent in the countryside, but it feels like it’s floating. With four electric motors, a two-speed transmission and all-wheel drive, and suspension as close as the engineers could make it to the rest of the line-up, it’s very much at home in deep ruts, up steep slopes, on sand, mud, anything. There are many mode settings, but the fundamental rightness of the chassis, and the get-you-out-of-anything 859lb ft of torque, make it way overqualified for pretty much anything this side of a round-the-world expedition.

And it can spin within its own length, which is nice.

KEY DATA: Range 283 miles; efficiency 2.5 miles per kWh; max DC charging 32 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: There’s just the one electric version of the G-Class, strictly speaking the G580 with EQ Technology Edition One. It comes with… everything

THE GOOD: So cute; delightfully tiny; surprisingly clever; did we mention that it’s cute?

THE BAD: Only four seats; not as cheap as we’d hoped

THE UGLY: The Renault 5 is roomier and has even more appeal

NEED TO KNOW: Hyundai is on a roll with the style and innovation of its electric cars, and the Inster is another great example of that. The ‘pixel’ design language works brilliantly on the tiny Inster, which is based on a kind of Korean equivalent to the Japanese kei-car. The Inster is city focused, of course, with its narrow, short body letting you swing gamely through awkward streets. But it’s also got a long enough range – either 186 or 221 miles depending on your choice of battery – and is confident enough on the road to happily cover regular motorway miles. 

More than that, in the higher-spec 02 model, Hyundai has managed to squeeze in 50/50 split sliding seats for rear passengers, and both front seats also fold flat so that you can turn it into a tiny van. The problem is that the Renault 5 is the same price yet can seat five, is faster and roomier, and goes a bit further to a charge, so it makes the Hyundai seem a niche choice. Even so, the Hyundai’s quirkiness, parkour-like wieldiness and innovative interior versatility make it a strong favourite.

KEY DATA: Range 229 miles; efficiency 4.7 miles per kWh; max DC charging 30 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Go for the Inster 02 (which you can only have with the long-range battery) so that you get all the seat cleverness and essential kit

THE GOOD: A better steer than the Tesla Model 3

THE BAD: Pricier and much less efficient

THE UGLY: Optional 20-inch wheels knock 50 miles of range from the M50

NEED TO KNOW: Essentially a battery-powered 4-series Gran Coupe, the BMW i4 is a Tesla Model 3 rival that’s well worth considering. What it lacks in range and efficiency it makes up for in punchy performance, driving dynamics and usability, although for most the Model 3 is the more sensible option.

KEY DATA: Range 365 miles; efficiency 3.9 miles per kWh; max DC charging 31 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: The 35 could do with a bigger battery and the M50 is pricey and inefficient. We’d go for the eDrive40 for just under £60k

THE GOOD: Superb blend of comfort, speed and capability

THE BAD: It’s not a sports car, more of a GT with cramped rear seats

THE UGLY: It’s not cheap

NEED TO KNOW: The RS Performance version is the most powerful Audi production car ever. But then again, the new entry-level S model has more power than the last-generation RS. EVs, eh, what are they like?

The gains include more range, thanks to a bigger battery (now a net 97kWh), and sophisticated new air suspension. The upgrades are essentially the same as the Porsche Taycan has also recently enjoyed.

KEY DATA: Range 378 miles; 3.4 miles per kWh; max DC charging 18 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: The S in basic spec is all you need

THE GOOD: Great interior ambience, with loads of space and neat details

THE BAD: Not the biggest boot considering this is a chunky car

THE UGLY: All that bonging and beeping can get annoying

NEED TO KNOW: The Ioniq 5 is that rare thing: a striking-looking retro-futurist car that sells well. But it’s in fact the interior that’s the greatest achievement: airy, spacious, clad in some lovely fabrics and very occupant-friendly, if slightly given to tech overkill. Dodge the expensive camera mirrors, but opt for the heat pump if you can, and regard the N as a distinct model: actually this is modern, enjoyable family transport, lively but not particularly rapid, and very efficient once you acquire the necessary smoothness.

KEY DATA: Range 295-315 miles; efficiency 3.45 miles per kWh; max DC charging 18 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: N is sensational as a hot hatch, but for the regular Ioniq 5 the entry-level Premium spec but Long Range battery makes most sense

THE GOOD: Design inside and out; efficient performance; it’s practical and good value

THE BAD: Kia’s rather long waiting list

THE UGLY: The high-powered GT isn’t as good as we wanted it to be

NEED TO KNOW: It’s not only the best (quite large) mid-size electric hatch, but one of the best EVs you can buy full stop. Kia has nailed it with the EV6, crafting something that’s the right size and has the right range for the right amount of money – no wonder there continues to be a lengthy waiting list for it.

It’s a great place to spent time, with one of the most robust, modern and premium-feeling interiors Kia’s ever produced, comfortable seats and plenty of standard technology. Like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Genesis GV60, you can even power things or even charge another EV with the EV6’s vehicle-to-load technology.

Your range starts from about £45k for an entry-level Air model, which brings a good amount of kit and a good range to boot. But if you want a heat pump – a key bit of additional tech that’ll help your EV6’s battery survive winter a bit better – you need to step up to GT-Line. There’s also a flagship EV6 GT that’s bristling with performance and aggro looks, but all of that extra shove means a massive price and withering efficiency.

Go for a more sensible one, though, and you’ll have an electric car that can do around 300 miles on a charge, and is capable of extremely quick charging speeds when you have access to the most potent chargers on the UK network. Overall, Kia’s nailed the brief of providing a smooth, clever, neatly dressed and packaged electric car that doesn’t cost the earth.

KEY DATA: Range 328 miles; efficiency 3.77 miles per kWh; max DC charging 18 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Sweet spot is the RWD GT-Line with the handy, winter-ready heat pump

THE GOOD: Constantly refreshed; constantly among the best EVs

THE BAD: Even fewer conventional controls. Indicators on the steering wheel, anyone?

THE UGLY: Panel gaps that’ll swallow Elon’s ego

NEED TO KNOW: Although the Tesla Model 3 has long been one of the easiest electric cars to recommend, the recent-ish facelift gives us even more reasons to be cheerful. Tweaks to the styling and aero help eke out a bit more range, despite the motors and batteries being unchanged.

The interior gets reworked with a crisper touchscreen and a greater feeling of quality, although there are even fewer physical controls than before. Main beam and indicators are now controlled by touch-sensitive icons on the steering wheel, with virtually everything else done via the touchscreen or voice. The kids will love the new rear screen, with Netflix, Disney+ and You Tube plumbed in.

You won’t find Taycan levels of fun and involvement here, although it is good to drive. The suspension has a firm, well-controlled edge that allows the Model 3 to corner quickly and deploy its reserves of power easily, and the steering feels razor sharp.

For the moment there’s the single-motor version, the Long Range dual-motor and the Performance. They don’t just accelerate quickly – they’re among the fastest cars to charge, too. A sub-30 minute 10-80 per cent time is nothing to be sniffed at, and it’s likely you’ll actually see figures like that. Rather than the patchy public charging network, you’ll be able to use Tesla’s Superchargers which are more abundant and generally faster.

And the best bit? The range now starts at less than £40k, or £50k if you want the dual-motor. Brilliant value.

KEY DATA: Range 390 miles; efficiency 4.0 miles per kWh; max DC charging 27 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Entry-level single-motor less than £40k, but we’d take a dual-motor Long Range for £10k more

THE GOOD: Lovely cabin; loads of space; surprisingly fun to drive hard

THE BAD: Not cheap; touchscreen usability isn’t brilliant

THE UGLY: Hazard-warning-light icon right next to the drive-mode shortcut…

NEED TO KNOW: The Polestar 3 sits on the same platform as the new Volvo EX90; it’s a big, plush luxury SUV that’s intended to cater to those wanting a more sporting offering. It’s five-seat only (unlike the EX90) but a clever design has squeezed in masses of rear headroom despite a lower roofline than most SUV alternatives. Which also helps to lower the centre of gravity and make the Polestar 3 feel appealingly responsive by SUV standards, although the toque-vectoring diff at the rear plays its part, and 483bhp streaming from twin electric motors in the Long Range Dual Motor also helps.

It’s one of those unexpectedly fun cars: very refined and classy inside, of course, and standard air suspension helps it to tick the cushy and practical boxes, but also involving when you want it to be.

KEY DATA: Range 390 miles; efficiency 3.1 miles per kWh; max DC charging 30 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: There’s a single-motor model that goes further and costs less, but it’s quite a bit slower, so pick your priority – range and cost, or pace and all-wheel drive. The Performance pack isn’t worth the money

THE GOOD: Good value; long range; pleasant to drive; looks smart inside and out

THE BAD: Sometimes lumpy ride; poor rear visibility

THE UGLY: The boot is very deep; but not actually that big, and you have to pay extra for a variable floor

NEED TO KNOW: The Scenic E-Tech is another of Renault’s reborn icons. There are two batteries offering a range of either 260 or 379 miles, both of which are great value for a spacious 4.5-metre-long family SUV-hatchback-MPV-crossover thing like this. It’s also got a rather smart interior with lots of lovely textiles, a big touchscreen with Google maps and software built-in, and even a centre rear armrest with charging sockets and fold-out phone holders.

Our only niggle is that we’d like sliding rear seats and generally a bit more versatility to the Scenic’s interior, which is spacious yet doesn’t really have any practicality tricks. You even have to pay extra to get a variable boot floor. Nonetheless, we’ll forgive it because the Scenic’s rivals are no more imaginative on the practicality front, and the Renault is the comfiest, most generously equipped, best-value long-range family EV in a very crowded class.

KEY DATA: Range 379 miles; efficiency 3.7 miles per kWh; max DC charging 40 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Go for the big battery in techno trim. Avoid Iconic if you’ve got young kids; it gets pale, coarse-weave upholstery that your little darlings will immediately press chocolate into

THE GOOD: Roomy and clever interior; funky looks; great value for such long range

THE BAD: Air trim feels cheap inside

THE UGLY: That weird climate-control screen

NEED TO KNOW: The EV3 is basically a shrunken EV9, and there’s a lot that’s right about that. So much so that it’s our favourite compact family SUV. For a start, it’s virtually on price parity with comparable petrol cars if you go for the 270-mile model, but even the big-battery, 375-mile car is great value – and the cheapest way you can get into a car with that kind of touring range.

It’s not all about money, though; the EV3 is a clever family car. With loads of space in a fairly compact 4.3-metre body, this is Kia’s answer to the VW ID. 3, and it stacks up well with a bigger 460-litre boot and roomy back seats. It’s got some neat tricks, too; high-spec cars even get an airplane-style tray table that pulls out of the centre console. Which is a bit unnecessary, but nice to have. It has all of the space, tech, comfort and usefulness you want of a family car – and it’s slick and confident to drive, too. Nice.

KEY DATA: Range 375 miles; efficiency 4.2 miles per kWh; max DC charging 31 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: The 270-mile-range car is brilliant value but most will want the longer-range option. GT-Line is our pick for value-to-comfort goodness

THE GOOD: Fast, responsive, fluid; and recent revisions have made it better in every way

THE BAD: Range and efficiency have improved, but there’s room for more

THE UGLY: That Porsche options list can still drain your wallet

NEED TO KNOW: Hold on a second: last year’s winner knocked down to third spot… by a funny little hatchback? Has the world gone mad, or has the Taycan taken a turn for the worse, or what?

The Porsche’s seeming demotion shouldn’t be read as anything other than praise for the astonishing Renault, and indeed the astonishing Hyundai. There’s only room for one winner, and the 5 is it.

In what sense is the Renault better than the Porsche? It’s comparing apples and oranges. It’s not that the Porsche is so much more expensive than the Renault, or that it can easily feel too big on certain roads. It’s not that the Taycan has only evolved a bit, whereas the 5 has come flying out of the starting blocks.

So what is it? The Taycan remains brilliant, still swatting away anything that even thinks about coming close to its core competences of power, refinement, comfort and a very high level of driver involvement. The Renault is differently brilliant, and more of a surprise, and a phenomenal achievement from a car maker that has the odd miss among the hits, and it will make more of a positive difference to the daily lives of more people.

Would we rather have a 5 over a Taycan? That depends on an awful lot of variables. But here’s what we’d really like: both.

KEY DATA: Range: 326-373 miles; efficiency 2.87-3.27 miles per kWh; max DC charging 18 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Trio of bodies (saloon, estate, softroader) and huge choice of powertrains, all desirable, but you still can’t go wrong with the best-of-all-worlds GTS, in Sport Turismo guise

THE GOOD: Raucous yet surprisingly easy to live with; good value if you view it as a practical BMW M3 rival

THE BAD: Breadth of configurability takes some getting used to

THE UGLY: Interior quality could be better

NEED TO KNOW: The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N reminds us of the Nissan GT-R. It has that same, slightly demented but endlessly lovable aggression to the way it bullies nonchalantly through corners at improbable speeds.

For all that, the Ioniq 5 N is more notable for being playful and engaging, as well as stupidly capable. This is a 641bhp (601bhp when not in ‘N Grin’ full-bore overtake mode) electric hyper-hatch that you can make fully front-wheel drive, or fully rear-wheel drive. You can make it sound like a jet fighter, a computer game, or a good old-fashioned petrol engine that pops and bangs on the over-run (it doesn’t have an over-run, obviously). You can change gears (although there are no real gears, either) and bounce off the redline (nope, no real rev limit). This is a level of configurability that only an electric car can offer, and the Ioniq 5 N is unashamed about making the most of that.

But Hyundai hasn’t forgotten the critical stuff; the mechanical bits that make it drive beautifully. The tautly-sprung yet well damped suspension, talkative steering, a front end that feels nailed to the road… This is one of those cars that generally sounds horribly complicated and falsified when described, but trust us on this: the Ioniq 5 N is the best performance electric car out there. That’s what all our testers – even the cynical ones – thought after driving it.

KEY DATA: Range 278 miles; efficiency 3.4 miles per kWh; max DC charging 20 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: There is only one Ioniq 5 N

THE GOOD: The way it looks, the way it drives, surprisingly practical, the price… You need more?!

THE BAD: Fiddly gear selector stalk; no frunk

THE UGLY: What ugly? Just look at it

NEED TO KNOW: The Renault 5 E-Tech is an absolute gem, and has come out of 2024’s refreshing turn towards more affordable EVs as king of the whole bunch. It’s usefully compact at just under 4.0 metres long yet also gets five doors, a usable rear bench (a couple of kids will be absolutely fine) and a surprisingly roomy boot.

There’s the choice of a 40kWh LFP or 52kWh li-ion NMC battery; we’d go for the bigger battery as it brings a range of 255 miles as well as slightly faster charging. And you’ll want to make use of it, too, as the 5 is peachy to drive. It’s fairly lightweight, at under 1500kg, and that pays off with tidy handling and cushy ride comfort, while the fast steering rack and 10.3-metre turning circle make it feel satisfyingly zippy about town or on a fast road, while it’s confident and laid-back everywhere else.

The real joy of the Renault 5 is that it ticks those oh-so-sensible boxes, but it’s also a car that you want just for the sake of wanting one. It’s an everyday, affordable EV that even die-hard purists mutter about with a tinge of yearning. It’s a common-sense budget EV that’s also aspirational. For that reason it’s our best compact hatch, and our overall favourite electric car. Yes, good enough to depose the Taycan from the top spot, which is quite some achievement given how much we like the Porsche.

KEY DATA: Range 255 miles; efficiency 4.77 miles per kWh; max DC charging 35 minutes 10-80%

THE ONE TO BUY: Mid-spec techno, which gets the ‘5’ charging indicator on the bonnet and other useful bits of kit, plus the option of the bigger, ‘comfort range’ battery