The best electric cars – driven, rated and ranked
Electric cars have come a long way over the past few years and improvements across the board mean they’re a more viable ownership option than ever before.
Choosing the best is a hard task as some are better at certain things than others, so we’ve organised the cars in this list to highlight exactly what they’re best at.
For example, some electric cars are better at delivering a long range, while others are best for practicality, driver appeal, or value for money.
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But don’t panic: whether you’re looking for the most practical EV or one loaded with enough tech to fill a branch of Currys, we’ve got you covered.
Overall we rate the Cupra Born as the best electric car on sale today. Its mix of range, practicality, value for money and the fact it’s a good steer make it very hard to look past.
After an SUV specifically? Try our best electric SUVs article. Something a bit more exotic? Read our best electric sports car article.
1. Cupra Born
Pros Well set-up chassis with good ride-and-handling balanceRear-drive dynamicsClassy interior Cons Stability control can be too eager to intervenePoor infotainmentExpensive
Best for: overall completeness
For a couple of years now, Autocar has conducted an annual test of the best-handling, most fun electric cars on sale, and the Cupra Born is the reigning champion, beating rivals such as the MG 4 XPower and Abarth 500e.
It over-delivers on practicality and its rear-wheel-drive handling and ride are miles ahead of rivals’ efforts.Illya Verpraet, Road Tester
The Born sits at a compelling nexus of size and usability, weight and power, real-world range and price.
It has enough power to keep you interested but doesn't seem excessive for the road or to compromise its efficiency in quicker motoring. It has an engaging, balanced, rear-driven chassis and some precision and purpose to its body control, but it also includes four usable seats and a decent boot.
The Born will also cover 220 real-world miles on a charge, which should be enough to get you to and from your favourite road, and it has the personality and poise to make the trip worthwhile.
There’s a completeness to the Born as a package that makes it the ideal affordable EV for interested drivers to take their first steps into zero-emissions motoring. Perhaps not by chance, it feels more like a Volkswagen Golf GTI for the electric age than anything that Volkswagen itself is making right now.
Plus, Cupra has also just introduced the Cupra Born VZ: a hot hatch version, with 322bhp and 402lb ft. It will hit 0-62mph in 5.7sec, which is faster than the standard Born by more than a second.
Read our Cupra Born review
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2. Hyundai Ioniq 5 N
Pros Terrifically adjustable handlingExploitable drive modesStrong straight-line performance Cons Not the most efficient EVQuite largeWeighs 2.2 tonnes
Best for: sports car thrills
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N takes the Korean brand's electric crossover and sends it into electric sports car territory.
The electric driver’s car has landed, and it will slot into most of our lives with ease.Richard Lane, Deputy road test editor
Utilising a dual-motor powertrain, the Ioniq 5 N produces 641bhp and 549lb ft, hitting 0-62mph in a staggeringly fast 3.4sec.
Hyundai claims it will do 278 miles on a charge, too, thanks to an 89kWh battery.
While it might feel heavier and much bigger than a traditional sports car, you can make it sound and feel like one.
It has an inbuilt sound generator that lets you select several different 'engine' notes, working in tandem with synthetic gearshifts.
A bit silly? Maybe, but it's more convincing than any other high-performance EV we've tested in terms of bridging the gap between piston power and electric.
A landmark car? We think so, and a genuine driver's car at that.
Read our Hyundai Ioniq 5 N review
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3. Volkswagen ID 7
Pros The finest-riding electric car of any stripe at this price pointExtremely practicalTidy handling and such easy drivability are old-school VW Cons Infotainment controls are improved but still frustrate at timesNot the most inspiring product in terms of subjective appeal
Best for: family appeal
There's a lot to like about the Volkswagen ID 7, the German firm's first electric saloon (and indeed the ID 7 Tourer, its first electric estate).
It rides very nicely indeed, handles with an intuitive ease that befits this style of saloon and is competitive in terms of the prosaic elements of EV ownership.Illya Verpraet, Road Tester
A good choice for drivers looking to drive longer distances, the ID 7 comes as standard with a single motor set-up, producing 282bhp and 402lb ft.
Longer-range cars are equipped with an 86kWh battery that offers a range surpassing 400 miles, with maximum charging speeds of 200kW.
The ID 7 drives brilliantly for such a large, heavy car. It's not quite as sporty as a Tesla Model 3 or a BMW i4, but the ID 7 is very well rounded. It feels agile, offers more than enough poke and grips well in the corners.
As for space, the ID 7, possesses 532 litres of boot space and limo-like rear space. It really is best-in-class in this respect, and the whole family will be comfortable.
Many of Volkswagen's EVs have previously come under fire for poor material quality, but the ID 7 comes close to addressing most of these concerns, although the infotainment system is still frustrating to use and there's still a distinct lack of the material richness possessed by other premium options.
Read our Volkswagen ID 7 review
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4. Porsche Taycan
Pros Effortless agilityWide selection of bodystylesBig range Cons ExpensiveSecond-row seating is tightBigger than it looks
Best for: handling
The Taycan, despite being an EV, still feels every bit a Porsche product.
More than its outright performance, I’m impressed by how nice the Taycan is to drive gently.Illya Verpraet, Road Tester
It deftly delivers close body control along with the perfect balance of communication in cornering forces, building up and abating in such neat, linear fashion.
It’s also devastatingly fast in a straight line. In full-fat Turbo S form, it will officially do the standard 0-62mph sprint in 2.4sec.
Range depends largely on which model you choose, but the biggest battery option gives the Taycan an outstanding 422 miles on the WLTP combined lab test.
Our own testing of this model resulted in 3.7mpkWh, making for a real-world range of around 360 miles, which is very impressive for such a car with so much performance on offer.
Access remains quite tight for a luxury GT. Rear passenger space isn’t too generous considering the size, but the driving ergonomics are nothing short of superb.
Read our Porsche Taycan review
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5. Rolls-Royce Spectre
Pros Superlative refinementWafty rideBlends familiar interior with EV tech Cons Sub-250-mile range in the real worldLow-speed ride isn’t perfectExtremely expensive, obviously
Best for: luxury appeal
Charles Rolls noted the potential of electric motors for adoption in luxury cars right at the beginning of the 20th century, but it took the car company he co-founded 120 years to catch up with his embryonic vision.
Drive selection is simple and genteel: you do it with a column shifter. There are no regen paddles or Sport programmes.Richard Lane, Deputy road test editor
Now that it has, though, and the super-luxury EV class has its first-ranking member, there can be no debate about which electric car comes first for luxury appeal.
The Rolls-Royce Spectre has wowed us in the UK, South Africa and North America.
We've particularly praised its ride isolation and cushioned body control, even on its huge (23in) alloy wheels, the uncommon smoothness of its ‘one-pedal’ driving, its supreme, cocooning quietness and its unexpectedly rewarding steering and handling.
The BMW i7 and Mercedes-Benz EQS set a pretty high bar themselves for low noise levels and lavish on-board feel, but for the best of the best where luxury is concerned and the ultimate sense of occasion, Goodwood’s experts still set themselves apart.
Read our Rolls-Royce Spectre review
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6. Tesla Model 3
Pros Excellent performanceGreat rangeQuality of interior much improved Cons Unsettled ride qualityFrustrating interior functionsAutopilot needs works
Best for: range versus price
The Tesla Model 3 is still as hugely significant for the American EV brand as it has ever been, helping to spearhead its continued charge in Europe.
Even in its cheapest, lowliest form, this Tesla blends competitive saloon car practicality, striking performance and reasonable handling dynamism in a manner that makes it a fine all-rounder.Richard Lane, Deputy road test editor
A great all-rounder, the compact saloon received a mid-life facelift in 2024, bringing with it a sharp design refresh, plus interior and technology updates.
Sensitive, direct steering is a huge draw for the Model 3, and it's fun and engaging in most driving situations. A 0-60mph sprint of 4.4sec is rapid, and few EVs will match it for the same price.
Refinement and ride were weak points in the old Model 3, but this one improves things slightly. It's still not as comfortable as it should be, but it's far quieter than before.
Range has increased too. While the previous Model 3 offered 254 miles in its entry-level specification, the latest car manages 344 miles. And the Long Range model does 391 miles, which is far ahead of several rivals.
Prices start from around £40,000, which remains competitive in a market that is increasing in size year-on-year.
Read our Tesla Model 3 review
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7. Dacia Spring
Pros Truly excellent value for moneyLighter and more compact than most EVsGood boot space considering size Cons Fairly slow charging speedLack of adjustability in driving positionFair bit of wind noise
Best for: warranty
If you asked the average Brit on the street why they don’t already own an electric car, what response would you get? We reckon “because they cost too much” would figure highly.
Our tests, which included a 30-mile trip through city streets and some faster A-roads, returned an economy figure of 4.7mpkWh, equal to a range of around 125 miles.Matt Prior, Editor-at-large
Well, the Dacia Spring starts at less than £15,000, making it the cheapest electric car (assuming you discount quadricycles) on the UK market today.
And yet when you actually spend time with this little hatchback, you soon realise that the price isn’t actually the standout thing here; it’s the value.
Sure, it only gets a one-star Euro NCAP rating. But the Spring is smartly styled, well-equipped, reasonably practical and is (officially) good for 140 miles of range – easily enough for most city drivers.
Read our Dacia Spring review
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8. Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV
Pros Remarkable comfortImpressive refinement Big battery Cons Interior doesn’t match the car’s priceBrakes don’t provide much confidenceVery heavy
Best for: ride comfort
On-board comfort was a character facet of new cars overlooked for much of the late 20th century, but it's now making something of a resurgence with EVs.
Just 60dBA of ambient noise at a 50mph cruise is very impressive indeed. There’s an almost complete absence of road noise, with a bit of wind noise taking over at motorway speeds.Illya Verpraet, Road Tester
A gentle, absorptive, quiet ride is a dynamic quality that you can enjoy on every journey, and while we just somehow expect EVs to have one because of their wider refinement advantages, we don’t always get it.
So if you want to prioritise a comfortable ride, the Mercedes EQS SUV is the big EV to go for. This high-rise seven-seater rides with almost no perceptible road noise at all and makes lumps and bumps seem to just disappear under its wheels. As far as comfort is concerned, it simply doesn't get much better than this.
For a great-riding EV of a different shape or price point, meanwhile, look to the Hyundai Ioniq 5 or the excellent BMW i7 limousine.
Read our Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV review
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9. MG 4 EV
Pros Priced on a par with the Volkswagen GolfGreat to driveSurprisingly practical Cons Interior materials feel flimsyNot enough physical buttonsFrustrating driver assistance systems
Best for: warranty
Built in Ningde, China, by SAIC and presented to UK buyers wrapped in the comfort blanket of a brand they know well, the MG 4 offers a choice of 51kWh, 64kWh and 77kWh battery packs.
The unmarked directional pad on the steering wheel controls the media or the fan speed and temperature. Unconventional, but it works.Illya Verpraet, Road Tester
The smallest of those can be had for a whisker under £27,000 (which now only just about buys the cheapest combustion-engined Volkswagen Golf) and is rated for 218 miles between charges. The biggest, meanwhile, is rated for 323 miles yet still costs less than the cheapest plug-in hybrid Vauxhall Astra.
The 4 also has a pleasingly well-balanced, rear-driven chassis and driving dynamics that feel much more finely honed than you would expect, as well as a roomy four-seat cabin.
Its comprehensive seven-year warranty completes a package that only the foolish wouldn’t make time to at least sample.
Read our MG 4 EV review
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10. Volkswagen ID Buzz
Pros Hugely practicalRefinedCharming Cons High priceLack of cabin modularityFeels big on the road
Best for: practicality
Volkswagen finally got around to rebooting its iconic Type 2 ‘microbus’ with the ID Buzz.
The driver sits bent-legged and upright, with plenty of room around them.Matt Saunders, Road test editor
Sized to sit between a big car and a medium-sized van, it’s intended to fit into typical parking bays and to be easy enough to drive and use in everyday traffic. To feel like a regular family car on the outside but provide much more space and versatility inside, basically.
The Buzz offers passenger and cargo space well in advance of even bigger luxury EVs – and the long-wheelbase (LWB) version adds seven-seat versatility and extra carrying capacity on the top.
Volkswagen's retro design makes the MPV more desirable than any other utility-flavoured EV, and there are are also long-wheelbase and GTX variants to choose from.
The Buzz is a super-practical EV that you will want to own, that's designed for life and that escapes the drawbacks of the usual van conversions.
Read our Volkswagen ID Buzz review
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HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST ELECTRIC CAR
Choosing an electric car is much the same as picking a petrol, diesel or hybrid one. You need to consider price, practicality, performance and the way it looks. But there’s also something else to consider – range.
If your regular commute is below 100 miles and you can charge from home you can afford to select something with a smaller range – but if not you’ll have to fork out more money, because broadly cars with higher ranges cost more.
HOW WE TESTED AND SELECTED
Each car on this list has been selected by a judging panel of Autocar journalists for its prowess in a specific area. Collectively, our journalists have tested every new car on sale today. For each entry, we have explained what makes a good showing in each class and why each EV we’ve picked deserves its place.
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