The best small electric cars - driven, rated and ranked

Best for: Style

While the old Mini Electric hatchback was fun, it was let down by poor packaging and a limited range. 

This new electric Mini is certainly a more grown-up electric car than the original, embarrassing its predecessor.

Illya Verpraet, Road Tester

The sleek new Cooper E is more powerful, has a broad choice of batteries and is packed full of usable digital technology from parent company BMW. 

The Cooper E is powered by a 181bhp electric motor and uses a 40.7kWh battery that offers up to 190 miles of range, while the Cooper SE gets a 215bhp motor and a 54.2kWh battery for up to 250 miles of range. 

It’s heavier than before, which means it has lost a bit of driver appeal. That said, it has a better range, a premium feeling interior and it's well priced.

The infotainment touchscreen is a bit fiddly but, despite the odd minor qualm, the Cooper E is up there with the best in the segment. 

Best for: Long range

Since the brand’s relaunch under Chinese giant SAIC, MG has been the value champion of the electric car sphere – and the 4 is no exception. 

The MG 4 EV may not move any technological boundaries, but other manufacturers should undoubtedly see this car as a serious threat.

Illya Verpraet, Road Tester

Prices for the Volkswagen Golf-sized hatchback start from around £27,000, but we would stretch our budget to just under £30,000 for the Long Range SE, which will do 288 miles on a charge. There’s even a bonkers-fast 429bhp XPower model, if you’re after all-out performance. 

The 4's rear-wheel-drive layout serves up some real handling thrills, while its soft but controlled ride means it's well suited to rough British roads.

Low-grade interior materials and slightly haphazard infotainment and ADAS suggest where the savings might have been made, but none of it is egregious enough to detract from how much value for money the 4 offers. 

Best for: Compact proportions

Comfortable, well-equipped and practical, the Citroën ë-C3 is another affordable option helping to bring price parity with petrol cars. 

Citroën is to be commended for making a car that offers something truly distinctive in the supermini class and at a price we can all get behind.

Mark Tisshaw, Editor

Priced from less than £22,000, the electric version of the C3 is one of the cheapest EVs on sale in the UK. 

Energy comes from a 44kWh battery, which offers a claimed range of 199 miles. It powers a front-mounted 111bhp electric motor that allows the ë-C3 to hit 0-62mph in around 11.0sec and a top speed of 84mph. 

The ë-C3 could hardly be easier to drive and is packed full of usable standard kit.

Downsides? Its range of 199 miles might not be quite enough for some drivers and, while it's fairly comfortable, it's not the most dynamic car to drive, having numb steering.

Best for: Driver engagement 

For the keener drivers among us who want their small EV to come with dextrous handling and an engaging, rear-wheel-drive chassis, the Cupra Born is an excellent choice.

Being rear-motored and rear-wheel-drive, there’s a sense of natural poise about the way the Born gets down a road and around a corner.

Matt Saunders, Road test editor

With prices starting from around £35,000 (or £34,000 with the UK government grant applied), the Born is a great-all round EV that offers enough driver appeal to keep you interested without sacrificing on range or efficiency. 

There are several trims and two batteries to choose from. With the larger 79kWh pack fitted, the Born should achieve between 270-330 miles on a charge, which is more than enough for short hops into town and longer stints along the motorway. 

Does its focus on range and driver engagement dent its usability as a family car? Not in the slightest: with four usable seats and a decent boot, the Born is a very complete package. 

Best for: Boot space

While it's not quite at the top of our list, the Ford Puma Gen-E might just be the most important, not least because it brings some genuine driver engagement to the class.

This is a nicely rounded small electric crossover and, unlike the Volkswagen-based Explorer, it's recognisably ‘Ford’ in its handling.

Richard Lane, Deputy road test editor

This is an electric version of the UK's best-selling car, and it's Ford's second crack at an EV that has been developed fully in-house, following the Mustang Mach-E (the Explorer and Capri were co-developed with Volkswagen). 

Energy comes from a 43.6kWh battery, which drives a 166bhp, front-mounted electric motor. According to Ford, you will get around 233 miles of range on a charge. 

Best for: Interior versatility

The funky-looking, segment-blending Inster has the dimensions of a smaller A-segment offering, but inside it’s far bigger and more versatile than rivals like the Fiat 500e. 

It’s all very predictable to drive, which will suit a large number of buyers, but it would still be nice if the Inster could make you raise a smile.

Mark Tisshaw, Editor

Indeed, the chunky little Inster is roomy, with its sliding and folding rear bench enhancing cabin flexibility. It’s a very easy car to operate, too, with plenty of physical secondary controls. 

Around town it’s pliant and easy to drive, while at higher speeds it has the maturity and road manners of a larger car. 

When it was first introduced, the Inster’s ambition pricing made it harder to recommend over European competitors, but Hyundai has since introduced its own 'EV grant' to cut its list price down by £3750. 

Prices now start from £20,005 for the entry-level 01 trim, but we would stretch to £23,255 for 02 trim, which gets a larger battery for an impressive 229-mile range. 

Best for: Refinement

While the ID 3 managed to secure plenty of sales from the off, it was plagued by issues that dented its progress in becoming a true Golf successor. 

Despite the price, Volkswagen has done a really thorough, objectively commendable job on its updated ID 3.

Jack Warrick, Staff Writer

Early cars were afflicted by a poor infotainment touchscreen and a complex model line-up, not to mention the cabin that lacked material richness. 

Volkswagen sought to assuage these faults by treating the ID 3 to a much-needed facelift, with the hatchback gaining a more eye-catching front end, a simpler model line-up and an uplift in material quality inside.

The touchscreen was also given a big overhaul, and it’s far easier to use than the one fitted to its predecessor – although the heating controls that sit below it are still touch-sensitive, as are those on the steering wheel. 

The ID 3 range now comprises the 52kWh Pure, 58kWh Pro and 77kWh Pro S, with the last of those promising up to 345 miles of range.

Prices start from around £30,000, with the most expensive model being the sporty 322bhp GTX. 

As for the drive, there’s little to dislike. It doesn’t engage you like the technically related Cupra Born, but the steering is agile enough and it's very easy to pilot in town and manoeuvre around car parks. And much like in the Golf, ride quality remains intact, even for a heavy compact car with big wheels.

Best for: Equipment levels

Price parity with petrol counterparts has long been an issue for small electric cars, but that’s no longer the case, as proven by the BYD Dolphin Surf. 

The Dolphin Surf is efficient, well-packaged and well-priced, with some forgivable minor transgressions.

Matt Saunders, Road test editor

At £18,675, it’s not only one of the cheapest electric superminis but one of the most affordable EVs full stop, undercutting many European rivals like the Citroën ë-C3 and Renault 5. 

And yet a low price isn’t the Dolphin Surf’s only calling card. Inside it’s spacious, well-equipped and has a sense of quality that surpasses its prices.

To drive it's pleasant and easy-going, but don’t expect much engagement or excitement. 

It can’t match the 5 for kerb appeal and character, but it has a good range of up to 200 miles in Boost form and will return close to 5.6mpkWh during everyday use.