Best small electric cars to buy 2023

Instant-punch electric motor, the regenerative range-extending braking technology and lower running costs are a few of the infinite advantages to having a small electric car to pootle about in, in the UK’s towns and cities.

Though EVs remain more expensive than their petrol and diesel equivalents, owing to the high cost of batteries, that premium is gradually eroding. What’s more, there’s a broader choice of small EVs than ever before.

Best small electric cars 2023

GWM ORA Funky Cat

Golf-sized EV newcomer

Read our full GWM Ora Funky Cat review

Pros:
✅ Well priced
✅ Good passenger space

Cons:
❌ No smartphone mirroring
❌ Tiny luggage space

The clean, fresh interior of Chinese-backed GMW ORA’s Funky Cat is, er, as funky as its exterior styling. It comes with a brilliant suite of standard kit, challenging more expensive and less well-specced models on this list. 

The driving experience isn’t outstanding and the boot is really small. Nonetheless, the Funky Cat is nippy enough to get around town, delivering 193-mile range. What’s more, versions with bigger batteries offering up to 263 miles of range 

Ora Funky Cat lease deals | VIEW OFFER

Cupra Born

Electric hot hatch with 300+mile range

Read our full Cupra Born review

Pros:
✅ Fun to drive
✅ Great range

Cons:
❌ Brakes don’t inspire confidence
❌ Lower powered models not that special 

Spun out as an independent electric-only brand of its own and despite facing plenty of competition, both from inside the VW Group family and external brands, the spacious Cupra Born firmly plants itself on this list in its own right, despite being based on the VW ID.3 (further up this list).

A simplified infotainment provision and serious comfort, even on longer journeys—of which the Born is effortlessly capable—gives the Cupra Born competitive credentials in the small electric car game. 

Cupra Born lease deals | VIEW OFFER

MINI Electric

Iconic car makes for electrified, stylish fun

Read our full MINI Electric review

Pros:
✅ Refined cabin
✅ Sporty handling

Cons:
❌ Three-door won’t suit some
❌ 145-mile range

The Mini Electric is perhaps one of the coolest cars here; everyone loves the MINI’s fashionable shape – and this one carries across all the brand’s usual attributes (trendy looks, go-kart handling, premium feel) and bolts in some of the EV technology from the BMW i3.

This makes for one of the quickest small electric cars on our shortlist, with 0-62mph times to rival many hot hatchbacks and fun dynamics to enjoy hustling across town. Downsides include a bumpy ride, limited range, cramped rear space (especially with the panoramic sunroof) and a minuscule boot.

Honda e

Cute city EV exudes cool factor

Read our full Honda e review

Pros:
✅ Cute styling
✅ Cool tech

Cons:
❌ Short range
❌ Not cheap

Its tiny loadbay and limited range mean the Honda e is very much a city car, but it’s also arguably the coolest little electric car on sale today – with cute, cartoonish design and a high-tech interior that boasts wall-to-wall digital displays instead of instruments. Even the door mirrors have been replaced by cameras and the central display has a built-in aquarium for a soothing, gaming vibe. It’s not all electro-gimmickry, though.

The Honda e is a wonderful small car to drive, with a tight turning circle and maturity to the way it goes, handles and stops while the quality of its interior is first-rate. Few small EVs make you feel as good.

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Renault Twizy

Unconventional quadricycle-styled city slicker

Read our full Renault Twizy review

Pros:
✅ Fun city runabout
✅ Seriously low running costs

Cons:
❌ Niche appeal
❌ Lack of practicality

Want one of the smallest of small cars? Look no further than the Renault Twizy, which is technically more of a quadricycle than an electric city car – but it’s 100% EV and it’s utterly at home in the urban rat race.

Half bike, half city car, the Twizy is great at threading across town but do remember that practicality is seriously limited and its 62-mile range may hinder progress too. A curveball to consider if funds are tight and you’re open-minded.

Kia Soul EV

Refined and roomy SUV-style EV

Read our full Kia Soul EV review

Pros:
✅ Great range
✅ Quick acceleration

Cons:
❌ Cramped boot
❌ More expensive than e-Niro sibling

The latest, third-generation Kia Soul is exclusively an electric vehicle nowadays. Under its distinctive, boxy design lie the EV innards of the excellent Kia Niro EV, so you get the same 64kWh battery and a 204hp electric motor for ample performance.

The result? Kia claims 0-62mph in 7.9 seconds and a 280-mile quoted range potential. The icing on the cake of the Soul is how good it is to drive. Nippy around town, not difficult to park and 

Kia Soul EV lease deals | VIEW OFFER

Vauxhall Corsa Electric

A great all-rounder

Read our full Vauxhall Corsa Electric review

Pros:
✅ Impressive performance
✅ Budget friendly for entry levels

Cons:
❌ Top range models expensive
❌ Cheap feeling interior

The first electric Corsa is a really smart choice and well suited to people wanting their first small electric car. You can’t currently buy a battery-powered Ford Fiesta or VW Polo, so Vauxhall has stolen a march for those wishing to plug in to a small EV.

Fundamentally, the Corsa-e shares the hardware from the Peugeot e-208 and that means that its key stats are similar: a 50kWh battery, 209-mile e-range and charging times of as little as 30 minutes on a public rapid charger, or just over seven hours if you plug in at home. Crucially, Vauxhall generally has some cracking finance deals that’ll make it more wallet-friendly than its French cousin.

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Volkswagen ID.3

A great all-rounder

Read our full Volkswagen ID.3 review

Pros:
✅ Impressive performance
✅ Budget friendly for entry levels

Cons:
❌ Top range models expensive
❌ Cheap feeling interior

When VW brought the purpose-built electric-only ID.3 to the market, it was set to revolutionise the German brand and solidify its position as a pioneer in ‘mobility solutions’. With almost 350 miles of range, plenty of space and impressive performance, the ID.3 has been a success.

Volkswagen ID.3 lease deals | VIEW OFFER

Fiat 500 Electric

Multi-year award-winning electric city car

Read our full Fiat 500e review

Pros:
✅ Iconic style
✅ Quick and good range

Cons:
❌ Not especially practical
❌ Options are pricey

The new Fiat 500 is being launched as a standalone electric car – and the older model will continue to be sold as a petrol city car alongside it. Prices for the Fiat EV start at below £24,000 and buyers can choose from a 24kWh battery (for 115 miles of range) or a larger 42kWh cell (for a quoted 199 miles).

If you live and predominantly drive in a city, the smaller battery may well be enough but we suspect that many buyers may prefer the reassurance of the bigger unit. The Fiat 500 Electric is super-stylish outside and in and is also available as a convertible. In many regards, it’s the perfect electric city car. In fact, it’s so good we named it our 2022 Small Electric Car of the Year.

Fiat 500e lease deals | VIEW OFFER

Volkswagen e-Up

City EV back by popular demand

Read our full Volkswagen e-Up review

Pros:
✅ Great real-world range
✅ Easy to drive

Cons:
❌ Four-seat limit
❌ Not the best on longer journeys

Take one common or garden Volkswagen Up, electrify it and you have one of the smartest, simplest entry points into the EV marketplace. It’s undauntingly simple and feels easy to drive, with a small footprint meaning it’s stress-free to drive around town and won’t scare off technophobes.

With a battery capacity of 33kWh, VW now claims a reasonable 159-mile electric range. We’d also recommend looking at the mechanically identical Seat Mii Electric if you’re less bothered by the badge on a car’s snout.

The one to avoid… Smart ForTwo

On the face of it the Smart EQ ForTwo might seem appealing. After all, its small size and tiny turning circle make it a breeze to drive around town. However, the official range of just 80 miles means out of town journeys will require plenty of planning, it’s sluggish and there’s only two seats. With a miniscule boot and a price that’s not far off the far more practical E-Up, we’d give it a miss.