Best Small Electric Cars 2022 (and the ones to avoid) | What Car?

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So you want a small electric car. But which ones should you be considering? Watch to find out!




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[Dave-in-France]

The best EV is the one you can afford. The one I could afford is the MG ZS EV which I bought, brand new, from an MG dealer in Limoges sept 2021. It cost me (after govt grants and subsidies, dealer deals and the trade in Kangoo diesel van) 15, 500 €

It has a range of 340 kms, charges overnight at home on cheap-rate (0.13€ per kw/h) drives like a dream and does everything we want done. I've done approx 8500 kms up to now with no major faults, and one minor one - sunroof when open rattles a tiny bit.

I was very lucky and I'm super happy with my EV...

[TG-pdft]

They don't 'seem' expensive. They 'are' expensive. Why not just be honest and accurate?

[highvoltage]

I feel sorry for electric  car  drivers and future  owners. They will simply  have to learn the hard way .. as I did. These things are a huge hassle and a outrageous expense  in the long run. Batteries  are very ... very expensive to replace ( thousands of dollars) ...  and make no mistake, you will be replacing them.

[chrisgreen]

Just bought a Nissan Leaf tekna ….. 21/2 years old but only done 6000 miles …. £23000. Awesome performance and decent range. Love it…. recommend the leaf for sure

[BustinStephen]

Kia Soul EV is a great small EV with long range, great warranty, lots of kit. It looks odd but I have had mine for over a year and it does everything really well.

[darrenwallis]

Wanted the Born but budget wouldn’t stretch - ended up with the e208 and couldn’t be happier

[stevenbeatsgmail]

Absolutely agree that the Cupra born is the best EV in this lineup. I own a 22kwh Zoé which is an insanely good car for city and surroundings, not a long-range option though. I'd even choose the Cupra over a Tesla at any time, it's got better build quality and is simply a joy to ride. Long range should be fine for most journeys with a 125kwh charging speed.

[backwoodsbungalow]

The MG5 is not a small car but it offers good value for money whereas most of the cars in this list are expensive.

[backwoodsbungalow]

As a subcompact crossover, the Hyundai Kona is a serious option if small rear seat space is not a problem for you and the low driving position of the Ioniq does not appeal. The excellent energy efficiency of the Ioniq is an advantage.

[johnwhite]

The cupra born would be my first pick from this line up in video, if money no option I'd have a Kia ev6 or the Mustang Mach e they're beautiful looking cars, especially a Mach e in pearl white colour 👌👍

[infinityNmore]

The Kona EV could have been also mentioned. For sure it's not new, but it's still among the best in terms of range and efficiency, for a "small" EV (4.2m long).

[bbarnes]

Avoid the e208. Mine’s been back to the dealership 4 times to fix three faults that appeared soon after purchase and still haven’t been fixed. Peugeot UK and PSA finance have thrown everything at avoiding my consumer rights so I wouldn’t advise anyone to buy a Peugeot. I also believe the cars have a faulty driveshaft by design and will all need recalling.

[weegie]

What happened to the Mazda MX30? My wife has one and I drive it all the time instead of my Porsche Cayenne as its such fun to drive. Small range for sure but big heart and great comfort.

[mandhadrill]

I've got the fiat 500 ev and i love it, great to drive, slthough still getting used to sll the gadgets. Would highly recommend

[athollmcnicoll]

From a singleton point of view the Fiat 500e would suit me down to the ground. Higher up the scheme I'd settle for e208 but a new kid on the block is just being built by Renault - the 5E which has everyone, including me chaffing at the bit for its release.

[hurensohn]

im in love with the peugeot 208 e. I currently drive the 207 from 2009 and I could use an electric upgrade.

[wilkoone]

My wife & I have a Zoe & an ID. 3+ I don't understand why small electric vehicles have a whole lot of stuff like infotainment that IMHO just make the car more expensive. All we really need is an integrated holder for our smart phones. The one thing we really dislike is lane assist which we switch off on every journey no matter how short!

[petrkubena]

I think that from stellantis EVs you should've picked eC4 (I would). It's the most efficient one, it's the most comfortable one and it has some style (in red it looks great IMO).
As for your other picks - Nissan Leaf should've been left in the past with it's lack of battery conditioning, Honda and Mini are only for a very specific people (style over function with very limited range) and I believe that there are better choices like MG ZS, Kona, eC4 or maybe even some upcoming brands like Ora Cat

[carlomorischi]

VW ID.3 is by far the best, it has all the KEY features:
- Good range
- Fast charging 10-80% in 30 min (120kw peak)
- A lot of space
- Very safe car (5 Euroncap stars)
- Route planner with EV charging station auto suggestion //with 3.0 software
- OTA software updates with good support
- Best LV2 assisted driving system (Travel Assist) //optional

This mostly applies also to Cupra Born

[taomahNEGEV]

A great list with your valid recommendation. Let me just check out the 2023 version and see if the the Volvo EX30 made it up there.