MG5 (2020-)
- Price used from: £9,000
- Value-packed EV is the cheapest electric estate you can buy, by some margin
Pros: Very good value, Spacious interior, long warranty
Cons: Minicab vibes, feels a bit cheap inside
MG has earned itself quite a reputation for producing affordable and practical electric cars, and this is especially true on the used market, where steep depreciation and a generous seven-year factory warranty makes them a cracking deal. There’s the choice of the ZS EV crossover, but our vote goes to the MG5, owing it to be one of few electric estate cars available, and certainly the only one at this price.
It feels built to a price, but with three-year-old examples available for just £10,000, it’s a very low price that allows some justification. The MG5 is one of the more compact estate cars, but is still more useful than many crossovers. A welcome facelift in 2022 introduced a more stylish design, as earlier examples look especially plain.
To find out more read our full MG5 EV review.
Vauxhall Corsa Electric (2020-)
- Price used from: £9000
- Hilarious depreciation makes the Corsa Electric a stunning used buy
Pros: Big depreciation makes it a cracking used buy, easy to use and drive, plenty of kit
Cons: One of the least exciting EVs ever made, not very efficient
If you want an EV that doesn’t look and feel much different to a regular petrol car, we strongly recommend a look at the Vauxhall Corsa Electric. It’s quite expensive to buy new, but thanks to colossal depreciation, it’s a tremendous used buy. Prices start from £9,000 for a 2020 car – less than what you’d pay for a petrol automatic Corsa of the same age.
Why’s is it so cheap, though? Well, the Corsa isn’t the most desirable of electric cars, and its range/efficiency is quite unremarkable on versions fitted with the more commonplace 50kWh battery. Vauxhall claimed around 220 miles, but 150 is more likely in normal driving. Even still, you get a lot of car for the money with the Corsa Electric.
To find out more read our full Vauxhall Corsa Electric review.
Tesla Model 3 (2019-)
- Price used from: £13,000
- A great range, brilliant technology and increasingly affordable prices makes the Model 3 a great used EV
Pros: Great range, strong performance, advanced tech
Cons: Increasing competition, concerns about customer service experiences
The Tesla Model 3 proved a game-changer in the electric car world, and has dominated the market ever since its introduction in 2019, though has more recently been overtaken by the Model Y SUV in the sales standings.
But we’d still choose the Model 3 as it’s better to drive, can go further on a charge and doesn’t look like such a blob either. Tesla’s technology and connectivity continues to be unmatched, as does its seamless charging experience, even if Tesla’s Supercharger network is now open to other cars. Even entry-level models should crack 250 miles on a charge, too, but Long Range models are the ones to go for if maximum range is a priority. Just watch for Tesla’s infamous build quality, as earlier cars were riddled with panel gaps and trim issues that will only have worsened over time.
To find out more read our full Tesla Model 3 review.
Renault Zoe (2013–2024)
- Price used from: £3000
- One of the cheapest ways into a used electric car
Pros: Long range from later cars, decent to drive, incredibly cheap
Cons: Early cars have a rubbish range, some subject to additional monthly battery lease scheme, poor safety rating
If you’re looking to get behind the wheel of an electric car as cheaply as possible, you’ll struggle to beat the Renault Zoe. It was one of the earliest mass-market EVs back in 2013, and used prices now start from as little as £2,500. These will have a short electric range of only around 80 miles, and many are subject to a battery lease scheme whereby you have to pay Renault around £60 per month (depending on mileage), which warrants the battery should the range drop below a certain level.
If your budget will stretch to the heavily facelifted 2020 car, that’s where our money would go, with Renault claiming a 238-mile range. Be mindful that rapid CCS charging was always optional, so have a look in the charge port to see that it is compatible with rapid charging if this is a necessity.
To find out more read our full Renault Zoe review
