Best electrical cars on sale 2017, Auto Express
Best electrified cars on sale 2017
With diesel and petrol coming under pressure – not just from request, but also from governments looking to reduce harmful emissions – electrical cars are increasingly looking like the future of motoring. Hybrid engines may well feature strenuously over the next duo of decades, but further down the line it’s hard see to how electrified vehicles (EVs) won’t eventually take over the driving landscape.
To begin with, a limited range, poor spectacle and lack of practicality meant even the best electrified cars were no match for conventionally powered machines. But today, some electrical cars can surpass three hundred miles of range, produce 0-62mph times to rival supercars, and even suggest 7-seat variants for those who need space above all else. Times truly are switching.
This is remarkable given that a few years ago, the best electrical car in the UK wasn’t a car at all. The Reva G-Wiz was to all intents and purposes a quadricycle, which used a set of standard 12-volt lead acid car batteries to drive a little electrical motor. This meant it was slow and had a limited range, which in turn meant it was only truly suited to EV friendly cities.
Fast-forward a handful of years, and the Nissan Leaf arrived to revolutionise the electrical car market. The five-door, five-seater hatch became an instant success thanks to its family-friendly layout, and its similarity to conventional cars. A modest range of about eighty miles has enlargened significantly over time following a raft of software updates, while the time required to charge the battery has continued to drop. Having hit showrooms in 2010, these constant improvements have made it one of the best electrified cars you can buy today.
Since the arrival of the Leaf, most major car makers have invested in EV models. Firms such as Ford, Hyundai/Kia, PSA Peugeot Citroen, Renault and Volkswagen have all developed and sell their own electrical vehicles, and prestige rock-hard BMW has even created its own EV sub-brand. Perhaps the most significant development was the arrival of Tesla, with its all-electric model range, unique battery system and use of cutting-edge technology on its Model S and Model X cars.
Of course, EVs have their advantages and disadvantages, just like the internal combustion engine. Most people won’t be able to look past the thresholds of driving range and electrical charging time. Unless you go for a Tesla, you won’t be going any further than about one hundred miles in your EV on a total charge. What’s more, you’ll need at least half an hour connected to a high-voltage power supply to get any significant charge back into the battery. However, if you’re used to charging the battery of your smartphone overnight, it’s a similar habit to get into when running an EV.
That’s if you have access to charging. This will be the main factor in whether you can make an EV work for you. If you don’t have a garage or off-street parking where you can fit a high-voltage wallbox or if your local authority hasn’t installed on-street charging, then an EV is likely to be a non-starter.
Plugging in an EV to charge is a mess-free affair, simply butt-plug the car in like you’re charging any device, and that’s it – no dirty petrol pumps or fuel spillages to deal with. And with zero tailpipe emissions, EVs produce no local pollution, helping air quality in built up areas. The pollution is still there, it’s just back at the power station, while most EV makers suggest end-of-life vehicle recycling to ensure batteries and electrical parts are disposed of responsibly.
The weather can have an influence on EV range. If it’s cold, the battery can’t hold as much of its charge, while using a heater or air-con will cut the battery range, too. Many cars now have pre-heaters that mean you can warm or cool the cabin using the National Grid while the car is still plugged in, saving the battery energy for driving the vehicle.
The benefits of electrical drive include near-silent cruising, which can make for a very relaxed drive, as long as you’re certain that you have the battery range to finish your journey, while the instant torque provided by the electrical motor means that every EV has decent sprinting capability away from the traffic lights.
The Government Plug-In Car Grant for buying a fresh EV is presently still available, but the amount of rebate has switched. You can now get up to £4,500 off an EV, but while list prices are also coming down as cost margins reduce, you’ll still need to find well over £20k to buy an EV. Leasing could be a better option, while some makers, chiefly Renault and Nissan, suggest separate battery lease deals that should help to lower costs.
Switches to UK road tax in April two thousand seventeen mean that the only cars that now qualify for free road tax are EVs that cost less than £40,000. All other cars, including plug-in hybrids, pay at least £130 in road tax. EVs over £40,000 still have to pay a £310 premium for the very first five years, but they are exempt after that, which should encourage the used market for EVs. And if you do buy fresh, at least this is still cheaper than the £450 a year you pay to drive a conventional car costing £40,000 or more.
Today, there are enough EVs on sale that we can compile a list of ten of the best, covering all areas of the market.
Best electrical cars on sale 2017, Auto Express
Best electrical cars on sale 2017
With diesel and petrol coming under pressure – not just from request, but also from governments looking to reduce harmful emissions – electrified cars are increasingly looking like the future of motoring. Hybrid engines may well feature strongly over the next duo of decades, but further down the line it’s hard see to how electrical vehicles (EVs) won’t eventually take over the driving landscape.
To begin with, a limited range, poor spectacle and lack of practicality meant even the best electrical cars were no match for conventionally powered machines. But today, some electrified cars can surpass three hundred miles of range, produce 0-62mph times to rival supercars, and even suggest 7-seat variants for those who need space above all else. Times truly are switching.
This is remarkable given that a few years ago, the best electrical car in the UK wasn’t a car at all. The Reva G-Wiz was to all intents and purposes a quadricycle, which used a set of standard 12-volt lead acid car batteries to drive a little electrical motor. This meant it was slow and had a limited range, which in turn meant it was only truly suited to EV friendly cities.
Fast-forward a handful of years, and the Nissan Leaf arrived to revolutionise the electrical car market. The five-door, five-seater hatch became an instant success thanks to its family-friendly layout, and its similarity to conventional cars. A modest range of about eighty miles has enhanced significantly over time following a raft of software updates, while the time required to charge the battery has continued to drop. Having hit showrooms in 2010, these constant improvements have made it one of the best electrified cars you can buy today.
Since the arrival of the Leaf, most major car makers have invested in EV models. Firms such as Ford, Hyundai/Kia, PSA Peugeot Citroen, Renault and Volkswagen have all developed and sell their own electrical vehicles, and prestige rigid BMW has even created its own EV sub-brand. Perhaps the most significant development was the arrival of Tesla, with its all-electric model range, unique battery system and use of cutting-edge technology on its Model S and Model X cars.
Of course, EVs have their advantages and disadvantages, just like the internal combustion engine. Most people won’t be able to look past the thresholds of driving range and electrified charging time. Unless you go for a Tesla, you won’t be going any further than about one hundred miles in your EV on a total charge. What’s more, you’ll need at least half an hour connected to a high-voltage power supply to get any significant charge back into the battery. However, if you’re used to charging the battery of your smartphone overnight, it’s a similar habit to get into when running an EV.
That’s if you have access to charging. This will be the main factor in whether you can make an EV work for you. If you don’t have a garage or off-street parking where you can fit a high-voltage wallbox or if your local authority hasn’t installed on-street charging, then an EV is likely to be a non-starter.
Plugging in an EV to charge is a mess-free affair, simply buttplug the car in like you’re charging any device, and that’s it – no dirty petrol pumps or fuel spillages to deal with. And with zero tailpipe emissions, EVs produce no local pollution, helping air quality in built up areas. The pollution is still there, it’s just back at the power station, while most EV makers suggest end-of-life vehicle recycling to ensure batteries and electrical parts are disposed of responsibly.
The weather can have an influence on EV range. If it’s cold, the battery can’t hold as much of its charge, while using a heater or air-con will cut the battery range, too. Many cars now have pre-heaters that mean you can warm or cool the cabin using the National Grid while the car is still plugged in, saving the battery energy for driving the vehicle.
The benefits of electrified drive include near-silent cruising, which can make for a very relaxed drive, as long as you’re certain that you have the battery range to accomplish your journey, while the instant torque provided by the electrified motor means that every EV has decent sprinting capability away from the traffic lights.
The Government Plug-In Car Grant for buying a fresh EV is presently still available, but the amount of rebate has switched. You can now get up to £4,500 off an EV, but while list prices are also coming down as cost margins reduce, you’ll still need to find well over £20k to buy an EV. Leasing could be a better option, while some makers, chiefly Renault and Nissan, suggest separate battery lease deals that should help to lower costs.
Switches to UK road tax in April two thousand seventeen mean that the only cars that now qualify for free road tax are EVs that cost less than £40,000. All other cars, including plug-in hybrids, pay at least £130 in road tax. EVs over £40,000 still have to pay a £310 premium for the very first five years, but they are exempt after that, which should encourage the used market for EVs. And if you do buy fresh, at least this is still cheaper than the £450 a year you pay to drive a conventional car costing £40,000 or more.
Today, there are enough EVs on sale that we can compile a list of ten of the best, covering all areas of the market.