10 best electric cars to buy in 2022 — plus their benefits
Thinking about buying an electric car? You’re not the only one. Plenty of British buyers are wondering about when to switch from petrol or diesel to an electric model.
There’s good news if you’ve decided to make the leap: the market is brimming with brilliant options. Indeed, it feels like each week a new electric car (EV) comes out that brings with it more range, more equipment, a lower price or even a combination of all three.
To keep up, we’ve revised our list of the 10 best electric cars to buy for 2022. This list, of course, is not exhaustive; there are plenty more excellent EVs on sale, and indeed, it’s taken us no small amount of teeth-gnashing, hair-pulling and some heated discussion to come up with this ranking.
With that in mind, it’s important to remember that these cars are very closely matched; there are no bad cars in this list, and what’s more, several very good EVs missed out by mere fractions of a hair’s breadth; honourable mentions must therefore go to the incomparably affordable MG ZS EV, the brilliantly practical Vauxhall Combo-E Life, a glut of much-vaunted Teslas, the quietly competent Skoda Enyaq and the surprisingly sporty Ford Mustang Mach-E.
Those are our runners-up. So which cars made it into our Top 10? Without further ado, and in reverse order, here are our picks of the EV market today.
NB: All prices quoted are ‘On The Road’ and do not take into account any Government incentives. Where quoted, range and energy consumption figures were obtained using the official WLTP Combined test cycle.
Top 10 electric cars to buy in 2022
10. Skoda Enyaq
Price: from £38,480
Range: Up to 339 miles
Energy consumption: Up to 4.0 mpkWh
A recent round of updates nudges the Enyaq in at the bottom of our top 10 list. But this is still a brilliant electric car, made even better by the recent addition of the quick 80x model at the top of the range and by the introduction of over-the-air updates. Add to that the Enyaq’s established plus points of space, comfort, high quality and reasonable value, and it’s easy to see why this is still one of our favourite electric cars.
9. Cupra Born
Price: from £34,715
Range: Up to 335 miles
Energy consumption: Up to 4.5mpkWh
The Cupra Born is another of those electric cars that’s quite sensitive to specification. In this case, we reckon the top model really sets it apart – it’s one of the most exciting electric cars to drive, and for the price, no other EV feels quite this lively to drive. The trouble is, lesser versions of the Born feel a little more humdrum – and while the smart copper accents lift the interior to make it feel more special than that of the VW ID.3, on which it’s heavily based, the touchscreen is just as painful to use.
8. Renault Megane E-Tech
Price: from £35,995
Range: Up to 280 miles
Energy consumption: Up to 4.8mpkWh
We expected big things from the new Megane when we first drove it last year, given Renault gave us the Zoe – now one of Britain’s most popular and enduring electric cars. And we got them. The new Megane is smooth and smart to look at, sweet to drive, and sleek to sit in. Its big boot and high-quality interior knock spots off the Volkswagen ID.3, its biggest rival, and let’s not forget the new Megane will come with Renault’s five-year warranty, too. It’s also very efficient – despite only coming with a 40kWh battery, its range is very respectable, and that smaller battery means it consumes fewer natural resources during manufacturing.
7. Porsche Taycan
Price: from £75,500
Range: Up to 318 miles
Energy consumption: Up to 2.9mpkWh
It’s arguably the best-driving electric car on sale today, but until recently, the Taycan’s high price made it hard to justify. Now, though, with the addition of the entry-level version, it suddenly seems a bit more reasonable, while the Cross Turismo estate brings added comfort and versatility. Yes, it’s costly to buy and reasonably pricey to run, too, but if you can stretch to it, the Taycan is a pretty special bit of kit.
6. Mercedes-Benz EQS
Price: from £102,160
Range: Up to 453 miles
Energy consumption: Up to 3.7mpkWh
Put simply, this is the longest-range electric car money can buy at the moment – a statistic which should be enough to earn it a place in this list in its own right. Mind you, you have to pay for it; the EQS certainly doesn’t come cheap. But when you factor in the fact that it offers levels of luxury akin to its internal combustion-engined stablemate, the S-Class, that price starts to make a little more sense. It’s also remarkably efficient for an EV with such a big battery This, then, is a luxury limo with electric power – and it fills that role like no other.
5. Tesla Model 3
Price: from £48,490
Range: Up to 374 miles
Energy consumption: Up to 4.2mpkWh
It should come as no surprise that the Model 3 has won over thousands of buyers across the world. With a better level of finish than its Model S stablemate, it’s even banishing some of the reasons not to buy a Tesla. Throw in the smart, minimalist interior, access to Tesla’s Supercharger network, and a price that actually seems rather reasonable, given the whopping range and super-saloon performance, and the Model 3 is very tempting.
4. Hyundai Ioniq 5
Price: from £41,650
Range: Up to 315 miles
Energy consumption: Up to 3.7mpkWh
Not since the Audi TT went on sale has a car looked more as though it’s just driven straight off a concept car pedestal on a motor show stand. And inside, the Ioniq 5 is even more of a revelation, with a bright, airy interior replete with high-tech touches, like the screens that appear to loom out of a translucent sheet of frosted glass. It’s practical, too, with sliding, reclining and folding rear seats and a good-sized boot. Top-spec Ultimate versions are too firm, but the mid-range Premium, with its smaller wheels, is much better.
3. BMW i4
Price: from £53,480
Range: Up to 365 miles
Energy consumption: Up to 3.8mpkWh
See past the i4’s love-it-or-loathe-it face, and you’ll find a four-door coupe of prodigious talent. It’s a joy to drive, with fluent chassis feedback and brilliant steering, and it rides with the sort of quality we’ve come to expect from BMW – and that many electric cars struggle to match. The long, low coupé-style form factor means it’s efficient, too, and the big battery means there’s a long and very usable range.
2. Polestar 2
Price: from £43,150
Range: Up to 341 miles
Energy consumption: Up to 3.5mpkWh
You might not yet have heard of Volvo’s premium EV offshoot, Polestar, but if you haven’t, you surely will soon. With its maiden entry into the market, a mid-range, mid-size crossover SUV with chunky styling and a taut but fluid ride, it’s hit the bullseye, especially now that the more affordable (and better to drive) single-motor models have just become available. Offering decent value, a long range and one of the finest interiors on sale today, the Polestar 2 makes several other premium EVs look overblown and overpriced.
1. Kia EV6
Price: from £44,195
Range: Up to 328 miles
Energy consumption: Up to 3.8mpkWh
We weren’t too sure about the EV6 on first acquaintance with the four-wheel-drive version. But the rear-drive model is miles better – lighter, more wieldy, and smoother-riding. That makes the EV6 a seriously capable bit of kit; available exclusively with just one chunky battery pack that gives it a brilliant range, beautifully finished inside, and surprisingly spacious given its eye-catching coupé-esque styling. Throw in Kia’s excellent seven-year warranty, and you have a cracking electric car. Indeed, right now, we reckon it’s the best.
This article is kept updated with the latest information.
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