Best small electric car 2022
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Standards are being raised all the time when it comes to the best small electric cars. The competitive nature of the car industry means those looking for a city-friendly EV are now spoilt for choice.
This is great news, because electric cars perform particularly well in urban areas. They can cover hundreds of miles between charges, and their lack of tailpipe emissions helps clean up city air.
Small cars are also great for zipping into gaps larger cars would stumble over, and can park in spaces other cars drive past. In short, they are a tantalising combination of talents – and their popularity is growing fast as a result.
When it comes to choosing the best small electric car, you can pick from ingeniously compact machines, cars that are driver-pleasing delights on all roads, or slightly larger vehicles that give Tardis-like space efficiency for four or five.
Our guide to the best small electric cars covers all bases, and reveals just how exciting the world of compact EVs is right now.
Best small electric cars
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Fiat 500 Electric
The pretty 500 Electric is a pure EV version of Fiat’s famous city car, a classic model first seen in the 1950s. This thoroughly contemporary EV, which rivals the Mini Electric, is the best 500 yet. Its minimalist body is a beautiful reinterpretation of the original, while the comfortable cabin has plenty of modern features, including a versatile touchscreen. It’s very refined on the move, and electric performance isn’t bad: pick from 95hp or 118hp power outputs. The cheapest 500 Electric has a 115-mile range, but the 42kWh battery option stretches this to nearly 200 miles. Fiat says rapid charging will add enough power for a typical day’s driving – that’s 30 miles – in just five minutes. With prices from around £20,000, the 500 Electric is a really tempting small electric car.
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MINI Electric
The MINI Electric is a pure EV version of the fashionable three-door MINI hatchback. Visually, it’s almost identical to Cooper and Cooper S alternatives, as the British firm looks to normalise electric motoring. You won’t notice many changes inside either; it has the same sporty driving position, compact rear seats and small boot as the petrol MINI. A 124-mile range makes it best suited to use in cities, but an eye-opening 184hp power output means rapid acceleration, and guarantees you’ll be one of the first away from the lights. As usual for a MINI, configuration options are vast beyond the three core trim levels, so it’s easy to create a custom MINI Electric that’s genuinely a one-off just for you.
Vauxhall Corsa-e
The Vauxhall Corsa is Britain’s best-selling car, and the Corsa-e variant is a pure electric alternative to the regular petrol models. Like its Peugeot e-208 rival, it’s virtually indistinguishable from its fossil-fuelled family, with the 50kWh batteries hidden beneath the floor and a 136hp motor taking the place of a combustion engine. Vauxhall claims a driving range of more than 220 miles, which extends further if you keep it for city use. A smart looking car with a welcoming interior, the affordable Corsa-e is intended to open up electric motoring to the masses. Growing popularity proves that Vauxhall’s strategy is paying off.
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Peugeot e-208
Like the Vauxhall Corsa-e, the Peugeot e-208 is an all-electric version of the conventional 208 five-door supermini. Peugeot identifies its EV credentials with electric blue detailing for the grille and badges. There’s a single 50kWh battery option, which is available across several well-equipped grades. A recent battery boost has stretched the driving range to 225 miles, while performance is punchy thanks to a 136hp power output. A stylish car, one highlight of the e-208 is its distinctive interior, which is packed with sculptural surfaces and integrated digital screens. There’s even a 3D effect for the main instrument binnacle, furthering the French car’s futuristic feel.
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BMW i3
The BMW i3 was one of the first electric cars to hit the market. Ten years on, it remains a forward-thinking choice. On the outside, it’s very compact, but highly advanced construction using motorsport-style carbon fibre means it is surprisingly spacious on the inside, particularly in the front. The rear seats are accessed through novel rear-hinged doors. Being a premium car, the BMW i3 has an upmarket feel, with excellent refinement and high-tech display screens. The rear-wheel-drive chassis means it’s a particularly fun car to drive, too – notably in more powerful i3S guise. The clever BMW has a range of up to 190 miles and is guaranteed to be a future classic.
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Honda e
The cute and oh-so-pretty Honda e is a loveable little car that’s unlike anything else on the road. Its designer toured European cities to find out what buyers of small electric cars needed, then returned to Japan and created the perfect answer. Measuring less than 3.9 metres long, the Honda e is a breeze to drive on congested streets, and its tiny turning circle rivals a London black cab for manoeuvrability. However, it also has five doors, plus reasonable short-hop space in the back for two adults. The dashboard is another highlight, with a full-length array of display screens and luxury-car levels of equipment. It’s not cheap, but the Honda e is a fascinating small electric car that’s almost perfect for city centre jaunts.
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Renault Zoe
The Renault Zoe is a popular electric car that has been winning fans for several years now. This version was heavily revised a few years ago, with clean and modern styling to give it a contemporary feel. We love the use of natural materials inside, which complement the digital displays monitoring the state of the battery. Impressively, the Zoe has an electric driving range of up to 245 miles, which will stretch even further in the city. The five-door layout can also accommodate adults in the rear, while the 338-litre boot is impressively roomy. Only a surprisingly poor Euro NCAP safety score drops it down the order here.
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Mazda MX-30
The Mazda MX-30 is another ingenious small electric car from Japan. Prices start from just over £27,000, for which you get a punchy 145hp output and a fast-charging 35.5kWh battery delivering a 124-mile range. Stay in the city, says Mazda, and this extends to 165 miles. Measuring 4.4 metres long, the MX-30 crossover has a distinctive appearance, reinforced by BMW i3-style rear-hinged rear doors for easy access. The interior is bold and we love the novel use of cork as a trim material. Comfortable and fun to drive, the MX-30 is an interesting small electric car. It’s perfect for those seeking something different without breaking the bank.
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Volkswagen e-Up
The Volkswagen e-Up is a long-running electric car from the German brand, but one that still makes tremendous sense, despite the arrival of newer and larger ID.3 and ID.4 alternatives. The little e-Up is very space-efficient; it may only measure 3.6 metres long, but the well-packaged five-door can still pack in four adults, with a boot big enough for a few days away. A generous 36.8kWh battery gives a driving range of around 160 miles, while a clever smartphone app helps you keep an eye on the battery as it charges up. Not that you’ll want to stop for long – the e-Up remains a genuinely fun-to-drive small electric car.
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Smart EQ Forfour
The Smart EQ Forfour is yet another clever small electric car. An affordable four-door, four-seat alternative to the tiny two-seat Smart Fortwo (and rival for the Volkswagen e-Up), it’s a well packaged machine with a city-friendly turning circle and an overall length of less than 3.5 metres. The well-trimmed interior is surprisingly roomy and has a grown-up, refined feel. Infotainment systems donated by parent company Mercedes-Benz make it easy to find public chargers on the move, although with a driving range of around 78 miles, this may happen more frequently than is ideal on long trips. Even using a low-power charger, topping up the 19kWh battery to 80 percent capacity only takes half an hour.
What is the cheapest small electric car on sale?
The stylish Fiat 500 Electric is currently the cheapest small electric car on sale, with the range starting from around £20,000. The Smart EQ Fortwo and EQ Forfour are also affordable, while the Vauxhall Corsa-e is a well-priced, supermini-sized car for those who need more space.
What is the battery range for a small electric car?
The most compact small electric cars, such as the Smart Forfour, offer driving ranges of less than 80 miles. That’s fine for those who only drive in the city and can charge overnight, but others need more. Luckily, lots of brands can deliver. The Fiat 500 Electric offers up to 199 miles, for example, and both the Peugeot e-208 and Vauxhall Corsa-e have ranges of more than 220 miles.
How spacious are small electric cars?
The best small cars are surprisingly spacious anyway. But take away the engine and even more room can be created for passengers. The commodious Honda e is a great example of this, while the BMW i3 is another good example of a small car that’s large on the inside.
