What is the best electric car under £15k to buy?
There are plenty of electric cars on the market – but which ones are the best on a £15,000 budget?
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Whether petrolheads like it or not, the future is electric, and many drivers are keen to get their hands on a more environmentally friendly set of wheels.
While there are considerable fuel savings to be had, many new EVs can be very expensive, and you’d be forgiven for thinking that you have no hope of finding a cheap used model.
Now that plenty of models have been available for a long time, used examples are getting cheaper and cheaper.
Here are the best electric cars for those with a budget of £15,000.
Renault ZOE
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The Renault Zoe was one of the first mainstream electric cars and came to market around the same time as the Nissan Leaf and BMW i3.
There have been two versions of the Zoe, and while both look incredibly similar, the second version got a significant upgrade in terms of its batteries and motors.
With a budget of £15,000, you’ll be able to find plenty of second-generation models with the larger 52kWh battery, which means they can do more than 200 miles from a full charge.
They also get more powerful 110hp and 135hp motors.
Newer models come with rapid charging as standard, but look out for early second-generation models and previous Zoes that didn’t.
In this case, you’ll need to find one badged ‘Rapid Charge’ for 50kW DC charging support.
While many cars offer 100kW charging speeds or more, few come near to matching the Zoe’s 22kW AC charging speed.
This type of charging is reserved for ‘slower’ chargers dotted around towns, cities and supermarkets, though at 22kW, it’s not particularly slow.
Vauxhall Corsa-e
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The Corsa has long been a favourite of drivers who want a small but practical car, and the electric version makes it even better by eliminating tailpipe emissions.
The car got an upgrade in 2023 but earlier models used a 50kWh battery and a 136hp motor, so like the Zoe, it can do around 200 miles from a charge and feels pretty nippy.
With the upgrade came a slightly larger 51kWh battery, but the jump up to 156hp is more noticeable.
Buying a new one of these will cost you more than £30,000, but fortunately, you can find used examples for less than half of this.
You’ll find a mixture of trim levels, but even the most basic come with LED headlights and parking sensors.
Higher-specification models get luxuries like a heated steering wheel and heated seats, all without breaking the bank.
Hyundai IONIQ
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Hyundai was one of the first manufacturers to produce a saloon-shaped electric car, but it still has a really practical hatchback-style boot.
Every version of the IONIQ is well-equipped, but we think you’re better off spending a little more on a top-spec Premium SE model, with extras including cooled seats, a reversing camera and keyless entry and start.
You’d be forgiven for thinking you’re sitting in a luxury car by one of the German manufacturers, like BMW or Mercedes, but this is all for less than £15,000 and without creating emissions while driving.
If you’re not fully convinced that you’re ready for an electric car, there are regular hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions too, but with a claimed range of around 190 miles, the IONIQ Electric should suit most types of drivers.
BMW i3
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Like the Zoe, the BMW i3 has been around for a long time.
BMW stopped selling this in 2022, however, so you’ll only ever find used models.
Another similarity is that it received several upgrades during its time on sale, which means you’ll have to find a newer model to get the most electric range.
Unlike most other manufacturers that use kWh as a measurement for their batteries, BMW decided to use Ah. In this case, the 120Ah battery is the largest, and it can do a few miles short of 200.
Alongside smaller batteries, there’s also a slightly quicker one – badged i3s – and one that uses a small petrol engine as a generator to charge the battery on the go, badged Range Extender.
We like the way the rear-hinged rear doors open up to create a huge opening for passengers getting into the back, but they can be slightly troublesome in tight parking spaces.
Nissan Leaf
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The first-generation Leaf is partly credited with bringing electric cars to the masses, and while it’s worthy of your cash, its 24kWh and 30kWh batteries are much smaller than other EVs you’ll find today.
Fortunately, there are plenty of second-generation models on the upper end of your budget with a larger 40kWh battery, or for a little more, you may want to set your sights on 62kWh models badged e+, which can do more than 200 miles between charges.
Because the Leaf blends modern technology and touchscreens with physical buttons and a partly conventional speed dial, it feels very familiar and should make for an enticing choice for somebody switching over from petrol or diesel.
Depending on the trim, you can expect a range of gadgets like a 360-degree parking camera, keyless entry, and sat-nav.
Volkswagen e-Golf
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New car buyers may already be familiar with the Volkswagen ID.3, but the e-Golf came before the ID.3 and is a lot more conventional.
It’s based on the regular Golf – which also has a plug-in hybrid variant – so it doesn’t stand out as being an electric car, which many drivers prefer.
Expect to be able to do around 150 miles from a charge, which doesn’t sound much, but it's about the same as you could expect from similar-aged cars.
Smart fortwo coupé
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This is the smallest electric car you can buy on this list, and it still is – only the Fiat 500e comes anywhere near its size.
Its 17.6kWh battery is tiny, but because the car is so light, it can actually do around 70-80 miles.
Few city car drivers ever need to do that in a day, and it’s small enough to be able to top up in a few hours overnight – great if you have a period of cheap, off-peak electricity.
Although it’s called a coupé, it’s more like a regular hatchback. You can get it with a folding fabric roof, badged cabrio or with a pair of rear doors, which is called the forfour.
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