Tempted by an electric car, but worried about the price? Well, here we reveal the cheapest EVs on sale, and some of them are more affordable than you might think…
Electric cars are not known for their low purchase cost yet, because they’re still relatively new to our roads. However, as more cars are launched and the years go by, this is slowly starting to change.
Manufacturers are beginning to expand their horizons by producing body styles to suit the needs (and wallets) of a wider variety of buyers. This means there are now many more cars to choose from, including different sizes of electric car and electric SUV.
Some models have been on the market for several years now too, which means that there are some great discounts available.
Citroen Ami (Source: uk-mediacitroen.com)
So, which are the cheapest electric cars on sale? Here, we name the 16 cheapest cars and show you how much you can save on each of them by using our Target Price deals and our free What Car? New Car Buying service.
You can follow the links below to read our full review of each model and see our latest deals.
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Welcome to Autocar’s exhaustive list of PHEVs you can buy today, from Audi to Volvo
As we hurtle towards an electrified future and the UK’s 2030 ban on ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) new car sales, the need for alternatives is more pressing than ever.
BEVs (Battery Electric Vehicles) are the ultimate goal for many governments and manufacturers, but they still remain a controversial option for many buyers. Not only are they costly to buy, mainly because of their expensive batteries, they are at the mercy of public charging infrastructure that’s still not widespread and reliable enough to
On paper, the PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) looks to be the ideal stepping stone. Combining the pure electric running for anything between 15 and nearly 100 miles, they’ve got more than enough battery power for everyday commutes and running around. However, they combine this zero emissions at the tailpipe progress with the confidence-inspiring addition of traditional petrol or diesel engines for longer journeys.
Effectively, these machines promise to offer ‘best of both worlds’ experience for those still uncertain about taking the plunge with a full EV. Even better, there’s a wide choice of models to choose from, with most manufacturers having at least one PHEV on their books.
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At around £6k the Citroen Ami is the most significant EV breakthrough moment for Brit consumers, says Mike Rutherford
How’s this for a run of events? Last winter, the Citroen Ami wins its first major trophy: World Vehicle of the Year. By early summer it’s got the Auto Express Technology Award. Then, in August at the British Motor Show, car nuts queued to see the most talked about and photographed vehicle there.
Citroen Ami (Source: uk-mediacitroen.com)
A few weeks later came the happiest story of the year: Citroen will sell the Ami in the UK. It’s expected to have a cash price of about £6,000. Plus, the firm told me that although mobile phone-like, circa-£40-a-month contracts may be offered here as in France, such deals require deposits of a grand or three. Low or no-deposit contracts appeal more to Brits, even if this means payments of nearer £80 a month. Either way, this car at these prices is the most significant EV breakthrough moment ever for Brit consumers.
We never did have the cash, or hunger, for the worthy but ugly original Nissan Leaf launched at £30,000 a decade ago. A few years later the smaller, prettier VW e-up! at nearly £24,000 (almost twice as much as the basic version) also failed to hit the spot. And although today’s mid-sized pure-electric family cars from firms such as Hyundai, Kia and Skoda are credible, some of ’em carry £50,000 price tags. Ouch!
Though very different, the stripped-out Ami’s imminent arrival in the UK means long-overdue change (and then some) for pure-EV accessibility and affordability. Bucking the tradition of EVs being almost twice the price of their ICE equivalents, the new-tech Ami is poised to start a price revolution by wading in as THE least expensive new vehicle on the market, period.
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Citroen has announced the ultra-compact Ami will be making its way to British shores, and despite its clown-car proportions, we should take its arrival seriously
It’s very easy to think of the Citroen Ami as yet another comedy electric car – on the same plane as the infamous G-Wiz or the (doorless as standard) Renault Twizy. Hell, with a range of 46 miles and 8bhp on tap, combined with plastic bodywork and a squared-off designed that makes the Ami resemble a heavily compacted Portaloo, you’d be forgiven for questioning why 12,000 people in the UK – actively, in sound mind and body – registered their interest for what looks like an electrified pet carrier. I’m fairly sure if I parked one outside my house on bin day, it would be mistakenly recycled by the council.
Electric cars in 2021 are capable of some stupendous feats, from the Lucid Air’s 500 miles on a charge to the Hyundai Ioniq 5 – an ordinary electric family car – recharging at the same speed as the circa-£100,000 Porsche Taycan. We’ve come a very long way since the G-Wiz arrived in 2001, so is the Citroen Ami actually a huge step backwards? Another round of ammunition for sceptics looking to hold back the serious and rapid adoption of electric cars ahead of the 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel models?
Perhaps not: in fact, there’s a very strong case to be made for this bizarre micro-EV. Not in terms of driving pleasure, comfort, practicality or even usability – as our full review of the Ami establishes.
Citroen Ami (Source: uk-mediacitroen.com)
But instead, as Eurig Druce, Citroen UK’s managing director and one of the people who pushed for the electric quadricycle to be sold in the UK, has said: “I would love to see collections of Amis on street corners, where it could become the norm not to get an Uber, but to get an Ami.”
It’s when you consider the Ami like this – as an alternative to the ranks of bikes and e-scooters you can now rent for a short time in cities like London, rather than as rival to ‘proper’ cars – that you begin to understand why people are so enthralled by the French brand’s little bundle of joy. And this isn’t just a theoretical notion: you can currently rent an Ami from as little as 26 cents (22 pence) per minute on Citroen’s ‘Free2Move’ initiative, which is up and running in France.
I’d certainly rather arrive at the office or to meet up with friends relatively fresh after a drive in an Ami, rather than sweating and panting like a St Bernard after a stressful stint on a Boris Bike. And for all my criticism of its proportions and design, I can’t argue that climbing out of an Ami makes you look as suave as 007 in comparison to making an entrance on an e-scooter.
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