Cheapest electric cars on sale 2026
EVs were often dismissed for being too expensive, but times are changing and these electric cars are flying the low-cost flag
Electric cars are now a huge part of the motoring mainstream and the cheapest electric cars on sale are well within reach for more drivers than ever before. These budget-friendly EV models offer genuine appeal, along with a generous helping of battery range.
You might think the cheapest electric cars on sale are just stripped-back city cars and superminis, but that’s far from the case. Today, there are a wide variety of different sizes of car to be found on this list from those dinky city cars to family SUVs. This means there’s a real chance that you’ll be able to find an affordable EV that will suit your needs.
Electric car grant
Electric cars at the lower end of the market are now even more affordable thanks to the UK government introducing the Electric Car Grant.
The Electric Car Grant can help cut the price of a new electric car by up to £3,750 and is available on qualifying models costing under £37,000 that have been accepted into the scheme.
The prices for the cars listed below are before any discounts or grants being subtracted, so if you decide to buy you could end up paying even less if the vehicle is ECG eligible.
Compare the cheapest electric cars
The cheapest car isn’t always the best value car so our expert road testers have driven every one of the cheapest EVs on sale in the UK to examine its strengths and weaknesses first hand.
Keep reading to find our expert insights on each of the market’s lowest-priced models and learn which will make the best buy...
| Cheapest electric cars ranking | Make and model | Prices from | Max. WLTP combined range |
| 1 | Dacia Spring | £15,990 | 140 miles |
| 2 | Leapmotor T03 | £15,995 | 165 miles |
| 3 | Citroen e-C3 | £18,495 | 201 miles |
| 4 | BYD Dolphin Surf | £18,675 | 200 miles |
| 5 | Fiat 500e | £20,995 | 199 miles |
| 6 | Fiat Grande Panda | £20,995 | 199 miles |
| 7 | Renault 5 | £21,495 | 252 miles |
| 8 | Nissan Micra | £21,495 | 257 miles |
| 9 | Citroen e-C3 Aircross | £23,495 | 249 miles |
| 10 | Hyundai Inster | £23,775 | 229 miles |
Now scroll down or use the jump links in the table above to read our verdict on every car..
1. Dacia Spring
The Dacia Sandero has long been the cheapest car on the UK market, so it’s unsurprising that the Dacia Spring is the cheapest electric car.
- Prices from £15,990
- WLTP combined battery range: up to 140 miles
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The Dacia Sandero sat at the top of the UK’s cheapest new car list for a very long time and now, in the age of the EV, it’s the turn of the Dacia Spring. For £15,990, you can have a brand-new fully-fledged electric car.
In order to keep the price small, pretty much everything else about the Dacia Spring is on the small side, too. This is a compact city car with a 24.3kWh battery and 69bhp on tap if you opt for the cheapest version.
The claimed 140-mile range isn’t exactly massive but the Spring is very efficient, returning 5.0 miles per kWh during our tests, and that should prove more than enough for most day-to-day needs, especially if you stick to slower-speed urban roads.
One thing that isn’t small is the equipment list, with a seven-inch touchscreen display, parking sensors and air conditioning all thrown in as standard.
“This isn’t the sort of car any of us will see pounding up and down the M1 on a daily basis, but the Spring will sit at 70mph quite happily if it needs to.” - Alex Ingram, Auto Express contributor
2. Leapmotor T03
If the Dacia Spring sounds ideal but you need a little more range, the Leapmotor T03 fits the bill.
- Prices from £15,995
- WLTP combined battery range: up to 165 miles
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You might not have heard of Leapmotor as it is a relatively new arrival to the UK, but you’re in safe hands as this brand is yet another piece of the Stellantis puzzle, with the global giant owing 51 per cent. The Leapmotor T03 follows a very similar formula to the Dacia Spring; it’s small, simplistic and sensibly priced.
Inside, the T03 is surprisingly spacious considering its dinky proportions, and there’s a healthy amount of kit thrown in as standard.
The sole 37.3kWh battery pack is good for an official WLTP combined range of 165 miles, which should prove plenty for typical city car duties. We were very impressed with the T03’s efficiency, returning 4.6mi/kWh and a real-world range of 166 miles.
The Leapmotor T03 is one of our favourite electric city cars currently on sale, so much so, it was a whisker away from clinching the 2025 City Car of the Year crown at the Auto Express New Car Awards.
“For such a small car, the T03 feels surprisingly grown-up and refined to drive, but the overly intrusive driver-assist systems can get a little infuriating.” - Dean Gibson, senior test editor
3. Citroen e-C3
Citroen is known for making quirky-looking and comfortable cars, what makes the e-C3 even more appealing is its low price.
- Prices from £18,495
- WLTP combined battery range: up to 201 miles
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If you thought the cheapest electric cars would be full of stripped-back cars with limited appeal, the Citroen e-C3 is ready to prove you wrong. It has a range of up to 201 miles, enough space for four passengers, useful standard kit and distinctive styling.
The clincher, though, is that this former Auto Express Car of the Year winner can be bought brand-new for under £18,500.
Although it looks like a beefy little SUV at first appearance, the Citroën e-C3 is actually more similar in size to the Vauxhall Corsa Electric. To keep costs down, the brand has taken a back-to-basics approach with its electric supermini, with use of more hard-wearing materials.
Being a Citroen, the e-C3 is very compliant over rough surfaces which makes it well-suited to UK roads, plus, the Advanced Comfort seats mean any longer journeys are quite pleasant.
The brand has still included plenty of modern essentials inside, too, including LED headlights, an intuitive 10-inch touchscreen infotainment unit and a suite of safety and driver assistance systems.
“Citroen has produced a supermini with class-leading comfort and plenty of space, all while creating a car that doesn’t feel like it’s unduly compromised by its low price point. The e-C3 really is a benchmark for the rest to aim for.” - Alex Ingram, Auto Express contributor
4. BYD Dolphin Surf
The BYD Dolphin Surf is the smallest car the Chinese manufacturer makes, but it has all the right ingredients to be a big-seller.
- Prices from £18,675
- WLTP combined range: up to 200 miles
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BYD still might be a Chinese car newcomer in the UK, but the BYD Dolphin Surf has all the right ingredients to make it a hit with UK car buyers as this little EV feels grown-up, has plenty of range, enough room for four adults plus luggage and lots of in-car kit as standard.
With a starting price of £18,675, BYD has clearly targeted the value end of the market, but with the space, style and sophistication of cars significantly larger. There are two battery variants with a range of up to 137 miles in the 30kWh pack or up to 200 miles WLTP with the larger 43.2kWh battery.
If you can, we’d suggest you opt for the larger battery which costs a few thousand pounds more as it makes the car much more usable when it comes to longer journeys. Whichever version you opt for, these are strong figures in the city-car class and should be more than plenty when it comes to commuting or zipping through traffic.
The car remains quiet and composed while on the move, and the controls are nice and light. The Dolphin Surf has plenty of power to keep up with faster-moving traffic and should be more than capable of longer journeys.
Inside, build quality feels decent and much better than rivals such as the Dacia Spring, and you get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard.
“It’s a small car but the BYD Dolphin Surf feels very grown-up when you drive it, more like a larger supermini than a city car.” - Steve Walker, head of digital content
5. Fiat 500e
If you want your small EV to also be something of a fashion statement, look no further than the Fiat 500e.
- Prices from £20,995
- WLTP combined battery range: up to 199 miles
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The Fiat 500 has been an undeniable sales-hit for the Italian brand since the return of its small city car in 2007. Now it’s been reimagined for the EV age.
Keenly priced from under £21,000, the Fiat 500e line-up starts with the Icon variant which is officially capable of driving up to 118 miles on a single charge. Step up to the La Prima version and range jumps considerably to 201 miles while still coming in under £24,000. La Prima would be our pick of the range.
While the Fiat 500e isn't as exciting to drive as the MINI Cooper Electric, it is much more fun than you might think. Its relatively low kerb weight (compared to other EVs) means it's quite nippy and agile on a twisty road, while also remaining quietly composed and efficient.
This being a small car and a strict four-seater, you do have to make a few compromises. While taller adults shouldn’t feel too squeezed up front, and the overall visibility is excellent, things get very tight when it comes to rear seat space.
It is possible to fit two six-foot adults in the rear at a push, there’s very little in the way of head or knee room. We think the rear seats are best suited for children or carrying bulky items. The boot is rated at 185-litres.
“The Fiat 500e is a car that’s very clearly been designed with the city in mind, and that’s without doubt where it does its best work.” - Ellis Hyde, news reporter
6. Fiat Grande Panda
If you’re after a car which is simple, durable and affordable, the Fiat Grande Panda should suit you down to the ground.
- Prices from £20,995
- WLTP combined battery range: up to 199 miles
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For generations the Fiat Panda has been a firm favourite of buyers who desired a simple yet dependable city car that cost peanuts to buy and run.
Today, the Panda has evolved into the Fiat Grande Panda and carries on where the old Panda left off. The Fiat Grande Panda is available with hybrid or fully electric power.
The latter model costs slightly more than its combustion-engined cousin, but it’s still one of the cheapest brand-new EVs on the UK market. It's a spectacular package overall, impressing us so much that it won Supermini of the Year at our 2025 New Car Awards.
Sharing its underpinnings with the Citroen e-C3, as well as the same 44kWh battery, means the Grande Panda can cover up to 199 miles on the WLTP combined cycle. Not only is it bigger than its predecessors, but this particular Panda is by far the most distinctive iteration when it comes to looks, too.
Thankfully, the simplistic, low-cost ethos remains, although the tradeoff is a lack of outright power and a rather unrefined experience at motorway speeds. Stick to the city streets, though, and the Fiat should prove a doddle to live with.
“The Grande Panda rides remarkably well considering its short wheelbase. Even over the cruddy roads of central Turin that we experienced, the Panda never crashed into potholes or speed humps, feeling polished and even quite plush on occasion.” - Jordan Katsianis, news editor
7. Renault 5
The retro and cool Renault 5 has more than a low price on its side, it’s one of the best small car packages you can currently get.
- Prices from £21,495
- WLTP combined battery range: up to 252 miles
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There’s been plenty of hype surrounding this retro-styled supermini and, much like its classic predecessor, the new Renault 5 is an affordable small car for the masses that just so happens to be fully electric, so there's no surprise that it was our 2025 Affordable Electric Car of the Year.
Along with its eye-catching design, even the basic Renault 5 comes with useful features such as a 10.1-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, LED headlights and rear parking sensors. This cheaper model is fitted with a smaller 40kWh battery, but still delivers a reasonable 193 miles of claimed range.
If we were spending our money, we’d upgrade to the larger 52kWh battery which can officially return up to 252 miles on a single charge. Not only does it give you more range, it isn’t that much more expensive, either.
During our time in the larger battery car, we achieved 4.1 miles per kilowatt-hour on a trip that included plenty of inefficient motorway driving. Stick to towns or cities and we saw this figure rise to 5.0 mi/kWh and a real-world range of 260 miles, which is higher than the official WLTP range of 252 miles.
“Renault has engineered a feeling of solidity into the way that the 5 behaves on the road. In terms of refinement and stability, it really doesn’t feel like a small car at all. It’s all very grown up and reassuring.” - Jordan Katsianis, news editor
8. Nissan Micra
The Nissan Micra has taken the formula established by the Renault 5 and injected a dose of Japanese flair.
- Prices from £21,495
- WLTP combined battery range: up to 257 miles
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While the new Nissan Micra might share much of its platform and running gear with the Renault 5, this electric supermini does plenty to distinguish itself from the competition thanks to some funky styling cues and inspiration taken from earlier generations of the Micra.
You can get the Micra with a 40kWh battery which can go up to 196 miles on a single charge in the Micra Standard Range, or there's the Extended Range version with the larger 52kWh pack which can travel up to 257 miles. Considering the Extended Range car costs less than £2,000 extra, it would be our car of choice.
It probably won't be a surprise to learn than the Micra drives and feels very similar to the Renault 5, but this is no bad thing. The Micra is nice and easy to drive around town thanks to its light steering and good all-round visibility. On the open road, the Nissan's suspension does fidget a little over uneven surfaces but it rarely crashes over bumps thanks to some good dampening.
The Micra is equally as spacious as the R5, but that also means it has the same shortcomings with the rear seats lacking a great deal of space.
"The Micra has a few little touches that help to distance it from the Renault 5. Open the tailgate, and you’ll find an outline of Mount Fuji on one of the pieces of black plastic trim that sits on either side of the boot opening." - Dean Gibson, senior test editor
9. Citroen e-C3 Aircross
If you liked the sound of the Citroen e-C3 but wish it had more space, then say hello to the Citroen e-C3 Aircross.
- Prices from £23,495
- WLTP combined battery range: up to 249 miles
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If you’re tempted by the idea of owning a former Auto Express Car of the Year but would prefer the practicality of an SUV, the Citroen e-C3 Aircross offers the best of both worlds.
Underneath, the Aircross uses the same platform and battery as its supermini sibling, although the additional bulk of its SUV body reduces the maximum WLTP combined range down to 188 miles in the 44kWh battery version.
If that isn’t enough then you can get the e-C3 Aircross with a larger 54kWh battery which increases the overall range to 249 miles.
Whichever way you look at it, the e-C3 Aircross is an incredibly spacious family car with 460 litres of boot space and enough space for five passengers — even particularly tall ones.
Unfortunately, the e-C3 Aircross doesn’t come with the option of seven seats, unlike its combustion-powered cousin. Aside from this, though, it’s pretty much business as usual if you opt for electric power.
Comfort is king here (a typical Citroen trait) and the combination of a near-silent powertrain and the brand’s Advanced Comfort Suspension means you can chew up miles in a drama-free fashion.
Performance is equally relaxed, though, as a grand total of 111bhp means a 0-62mph time of 12.9 seconds.
“The 111bhp of the e-C3 Aircross won’t win any traffic light drag races. It’s smooth, though, and with the extra weight we actually felt it rode better and smothered bumps more effectively than its lighter hybrid counterpart.” - Alastair Crooks, staff writer
New Citroen e-C3 Aircross deals
10. Hyundai Inster
The Hyundai Inster might have some quirky styling, but it’s very versatile and quite loveable.
- Prices from £23,775
- WLTP combined battery range: up to 229 miles
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If you’re someone who likes your car to really stand out, the Hyundai Inster is one of the quirkier options on our list.
This is a city car with a pseudo-SUV design that follows a similar ethos to the Toyota Aygo X. It feels like a bigger car from behind the wheel, too, as there’s plenty of kit and space to be found within the cabin.
Although we found the ride quite firm during testing, the upside is that the Inster is quite enjoyable to drive without having to sacrifice efficiency – helped by the fact it weighs less than 1,425kg.
The Hyundai’s tall stature also means there’s genuinely enough space for four adults inside and plenty of luggage to boot, even though this is only a tiny city car.
“The Hyundai Inster is a very charming and lovable small car that’s so spacious it feels almost like a Tardis on wheels – the cartoonish proportions and boxy shape help achieve that, and turn heads in the process.” - Ellis Hyde, news reporter.
Top 50 cheapest EVs in the UK
Below are the UK's cheapest electric cars. All are under the £37,000 price ceiling for the EV grant.
To make the list comparable, all prices exclude any manufacturer discounts.
Should I buy an even cheaper quadricycle instead?
They aren’t technically classed as cars but quadricycles are an even cheaper way into fully-electric four-wheeled motoring. The difference between electric cars and quadricycles is the amount of power on offer, a legally-required limited top speed of 28mph plus their extremely compact size and low weight.
A well-known example of a quadricycle that can currently be bought in the UK is the Citroen Ami. While its starting price of less than £8,000 is certainly eye-catching, the official 46-mile battery range is much less likely to suit driver requirements.
Quadricycles are primarily designed with short-distance urban journeys in mind, and in order to keep costs to a minimum, there’s very little in the way of comfort, technology or safety equipment to be found. Because of this, most buyers will be far better suited to a fully-sized electric car.
Electric car deals
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