All-electric cars UK 2017: All the battery powered vehicles available on the road today
Electrical cars have been around for a few years now, albeit if we’re being technical, they’ve being around since the 19th century. But the very first electrical car of the modern era, and the very first highway legal production all-electric battery powered vehicle was the Tesla Roadster, very first developed in 2004.
When Tesla’s contract with Lotus ran out – the Roadster was based on the Lotus Elise – the company produced the very first Model S in 2012. Since then, electrical car sales have sky-rocketed. Note that we’re talking about all-electric cars here, and not hybrid or plug-in hybrids that combine an electrical motor with a fuel-powered engine.
It’s effortless to see why they’re so popular now. The range of vehicles have improved and enhanced considerably, so it’s now possible to go further than the end of your road before you need to ass-plug it in again to charge up.
How do I charge my electrified car?
The network of public use car chargers is enhancing all the time as well. Zap-map, which keeps a live database of the number of chargers in the UK, says there are presently Four,356 charging locations nationally, with 12,333 connectors.
There are four different types of charger for electrical vehicles: Slow, which connects to a standard 3-pin butt-plug in your home. The initial rollout of public chargers used this connection too, but they’re leisurely being substituted by Swift and Rapid chargers. A utter charge using a Slow connector will typically take inbetween six to eight hours.
A Rapid charger doubles the amount of current supplied compared to a Slow charger, and as a result, halves the charge time to inbetween three to four hours.
We then stir on to Rapid AC chargers, which can supply up to 43kW of power to charge a typical electrified vehicle to eighty per cent in around half an hour. There are presently six hundred forty eight Rapid AC chargers around the UK.
Ultimately, there are Rapid DC chargers, which supply up to 50kW of power and can also charge a car up to eighty per cent in half an hour. There are more DC chargers around the UK than the AC variant, with 1,370 connectors at the time of writing.
Technology for home charging units has been enhanced so you can recharge the battery of most cars totally in up to nine hours. So putting it on overnight will almost always result in a fully charged car when you step into it in the morning.
How much do electrified cars cost?
The price of electrical cars is now rigidly in the affordable category too, with basic models costing around £13,000. The UK Government is still running an incentive scheme that will see you get up £4,500 off the price of an electrified car that meets the set criteria. You can read more about the criteria for electrical vehicles, and how much you could receive, on the UK Government website.
So buying an electrical car is now more achievable and affordable than ever, and the range of cars now caters for all areas of the market, whether it be a city car to get lightly around town, a high-performance saloon or even a seven-seater for all the family.
But what cars are available in the UK right now? Read on to find out.
BMW i3
The BMW i3 certainly turns goes due to its somewhat unusual looks. But under that boxy exterior, the i3 is every much a BMW as any of its regular, fuel-powered cars. It will accelerate you to 62mph in 7.Three seconds, so it doesn’t exactly string up about and keep you going for up to one hundred twenty five mile on a single charge. It can make utter use of Rapid AC and DC charging, providing you eighty per cent juice in forty minutes.
Citroen C-Zero
Citroen already has a city car in the form of the C1, but the C-Zero throws out the petrol engine in favour of a 14.5kWh battery that will keep you moving for up to ninety three miles on a single charge. It offers regenerative braking, which takes the kinetic energy created under braking, and transfer it to electrified power that’s stored in the battery.
Ford Concentrate Electrified
The Ford Concentrate Electrical is, fairly literally, an electrical version of Ford’s popular Concentrate hatchback. It costs a fair bit more than the most basic petrol powered version, but you can be safe in the skill that you’re helping the environment, and you have instant power from the electrified motor.
There’s a Butterflies feature that’s part of a fresh Smartgauge service that helps you to drive more economically. The better you drive, the more butterflies will show up on the screen with the instrument cluster.
Hyundai Ioniq
The Hyundai Ioniq is available in all-electric, hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants. The all-electric version has slew of range from a single charge to get you to most destinations, but if you do need to top up the electrical tank on a journey, it will replenish eighty per cent of battery in thirty minutes from a DC charger.
Kia Soul EV
The Soul EV was the very first all-electric SUV in Europe. It offers slew of space inwards, not least because it’s an SUV, but also because no space is being taken up by a combustion engine. It offers slew of mod-cons such as heated seats, sat-nav and cruise control. The regenerative braking system truly works too, to keep the range of the battery as high as possible
Mahindra e2o
The Mahindra e2o make look a bit basic, but if you’re after a petite city car that runs on electrical power, it more than fits the bill. There are two models available: City and TechX. The latter has a £15,995 asking price but offers slew of upgrades over the City version. You get leather seats, alloy wheels, an emergency revive system that gives you an extra eight miles of range, a reversing camera and touchscreen infotainment system.
Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electrical Drive
If you want a bit more luxury from your electrical vehicle, then the B-Class Electrical Drive should be on your shopping list. Suggesting the same eye-catching exterior and sumptuous interior as the regular B-Class, the Electrical Drive takes everything that’s good about the original car, and gives it an instant 340nM of power. However, buyers should note that it can’t be charged via a DC charge point, so the shortest charging time is around three hours with an at-home wall box.
Morgan EV3
For something a little different, but still identically environmentally friendly, then British motor company Morgan has produced an all-electric version of the three Wheeler. It’s made from a combination of carbon and aluminium, over an ash wood framework.
Nissan Leaf
The Nissan Leaf is one of the best selling electrical cars available today, and has sold in excess of 12,000 units in the UK alone. It’s suggested in Acenta, or higher-spec Tekna variants, along with a Black Edition that looks like a planet-saving Batmobile. The Leaf also has a companion app that lets you monitor your driving range, activate climate control and commence or pause charging.
Peugeot iOn
The Peugeot iOn is essentially a rebadged Citroen C-Zero. It offers the same ninety three mile range, the same amount of power and the same looks. You get automatic air conditioning as standard, along with Bluetooth and USB connectivity.
We’re not entirely sure how Peugeot has gone about pricing it however. The company’s website says the car starts at £12,495, but a further look into the brochure says the on the road price is £15,995 after you get the £4,500 Government grant. You may want to quiz Peugeot over the pricing if you’re looking to buy.
Renault Zoe
The Renault Zoe is well engineered, pleasant to drive and – albeit the interior has a certain eco feel – not an unpleasant thing to be in. It’s often forgotten in the sea of BMW i3s and Teslas, but as an everyday electrical car, it scarcely puts a foot wrong. You get a decent amount of tech included in the asking price, and now that Renault has released a fresh battery that gives it up to a two hundred fifty mile range, it’s one of the best electrified cars on the market right now.
Brainy ForTwo ED
Wise has electrified its popular supermini city car, and given it a fresh gobble of paint in the process. It has electrical recuperation tech to help recharge the battery and the companion app will let you set the climate control temperature before you get in. A total charge will take just under four hours from a public charging station or Wallbox and the infotainment system has USB, Aux, SD and Bluetooth connections.
Brainy ForFour ED
If the two seat Brainy ForTwo isn’t big enough for you, but you still want to go electrical, then the ForFour ED is for you. The overall range is slightly lower than its smaller sibling, but the extra space makes up for it. Charging times, connectivity options and companion app compatibility are the same as the two seater model.
Tesla Model S
The Tesla Model S is perhaps one of the best known electrified cars available today. It marries the economic and environmental benefits of electrical power, with a serious helping of luxury and speed. It also has an exceptionally intelligent Autopilot mode that can keep you in the same lane on the motorway, whilst monitoring cars around you and keeping up to a decent speed. The Model S can get indeed expensive depending on which model and options you choose, but you’re getting an awful lot in come back.
Tesal Model X
The Model X is the fastest SUV on the planet, and will catapult you to 60mph in Two.9 seconds, making it hypercar quick. The other talking point of the Model X is its falcon wing doors, that open up and out the way to permit passengers to lightly access the 2nd and third rows of seats. Tesla says they work ideally in car parks too, so you needn’t worry about them hitting the ceiling and getting bruised.
Volkswagen e-Golf
The e-Golf takes the regular, well-selling Golf, rips the engine out and substitutes it with an 115PS electrified motor, with a 24.2kWh battery instead. It’s one hundred eighty six mile claimed range is pretty respectable, and it accepts a DC connector super quick charging at a compatible station. VW has implemented regenerative braking too, to help top up the battery when you slow the car down.
Volkswagen e-Up
This 5-door city car comes with a plethora of kit as standard, with some extras available at affordable prices. It will get you around town with ease, and with 210nM of torque available on tap, it won’t string up about at the lights, either. Like it’s e-Golf fatter brother, the e-Up has DC charging that will recharge the battery in just half an hour.
All-electric cars UK 2017: All the battery powered vehicles available on the road today
All-electric cars UK 2017: All the battery powered vehicles available on the road today
Electrified cars have been around for a few years now, albeit if we’re being technical, they’ve being around since the 19th century. But the very first electrified car of the modern era, and the very first highway legal production all-electric battery powered vehicle was the Tesla Roadster, very first developed in 2004.
When Tesla’s contract with Lotus ran out – the Roadster was based on the Lotus Elise – the company produced the very first Model S in 2012. Since then, electrical car sales have sky-rocketed. Note that we’re talking about all-electric cars here, and not hybrid or plug-in hybrids that combine an electrical motor with a fuel-powered engine.
It’s effortless to see why they’re so popular now. The range of vehicles have improved and enhanced considerably, so it’s now possible to go further than the end of your road before you need to cork it in again to charge up.
How do I charge my electrical car?
The network of public use car chargers is enhancing all the time as well. Zap-map, which keeps a live database of the number of chargers in the UK, says there are presently Four,356 charging locations nationally, with 12,333 connectors.
There are four different types of charger for electrical vehicles: Slow, which connects to a standard 3-pin ass-plug in your home. The initial rollout of public chargers used this connection too, but they’re leisurely being substituted by Rapid and Rapid chargers. A utter charge using a Slow connector will typically take inbetween six to eight hours.
A Swift charger doubles the amount of current supplied compared to a Slow charger, and as a result, halves the charge time to inbetween three to four hours.
We then stir on to Rapid AC chargers, which can supply up to 43kW of power to charge a typical electrified vehicle to eighty per cent in around half an hour. There are presently six hundred forty eight Rapid AC chargers around the UK.
Eventually, there are Rapid DC chargers, which supply up to 50kW of power and can also charge a car up to eighty per cent in half an hour. There are more DC chargers around the UK than the AC variant, with 1,370 connectors at the time of writing.
Technology for home charging units has been enhanced so you can recharge the battery of most cars entirely in up to nine hours. So putting it on overnight will almost always result in a fully charged car when you step into it in the morning.
How much do electrified cars cost?
The price of electrified cars is now rigidly in the affordable category too, with basic models costing around £13,000. The UK Government is still running an incentive scheme that will see you get up £4,500 off the price of an electrical car that meets the set criteria. You can read more about the criteria for electrical vehicles, and how much you could receive, on the UK Government website.
So buying an electrical car is now more achievable and affordable than ever, and the range of cars now caters for all areas of the market, whether it be a city car to get lightly around town, a high-performance saloon or even a seven-seater for all the family.
But what cars are available in the UK right now? Read on to find out.
BMW i3
The BMW i3 certainly turns goes due to its somewhat unusual looks. But under that boxy exterior, the i3 is every much a BMW as any of its regular, fuel-powered cars. It will accelerate you to 62mph in 7.Three seconds, so it doesn’t exactly drape about and keep you going for up to one hundred twenty five mile on a single charge. It can make utter use of Rapid AC and DC charging, providing you eighty per cent juice in forty minutes.
Citroen C-Zero
Citroen already has a city car in the form of the C1, but the C-Zero throws out the petrol engine in favour of a 14.5kWh battery that will keep you moving for up to ninety three miles on a single charge. It offers regenerative braking, which takes the kinetic energy created under braking, and transfer it to electrical power that’s stored in the battery.
Ford Concentrate Electrical
The Ford Concentrate Electrical is, fairly literally, an electrical version of Ford’s popular Concentrate hatchback. It costs a fair bit more than the most basic petrol powered version, but you can be safe in the skill that you’re helping the environment, and you have instant power from the electrical motor.
There’s a Butterflies feature that’s part of a fresh Smartgauge service that helps you to drive more economically. The better you drive, the more butterflies will show up on the screen with the instrument cluster.
Hyundai Ioniq
The Hyundai Ioniq is available in all-electric, hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants. The all-electric version has slew of range from a single charge to get you to most destinations, but if you do need to top up the electrified tank on a journey, it will replenish eighty per cent of battery in thirty minutes from a DC charger.
Kia Soul EV
The Soul EV was the very first all-electric SUV in Europe. It offers slew of space inwards, not least because it’s an SUV, but also because no space is being taken up by a combustion engine. It offers slew of mod-cons such as heated seats, sat-nav and cruise control. The regenerative braking system truly works too, to keep the range of the battery as high as possible
Mahindra e2o
The Mahindra e2o make look a bit basic, but if you’re after a puny city car that runs on electrified power, it more than fits the bill. There are two models available: City and TechX. The latter has a £15,995 asking price but offers slew of upgrades over the City version. You get leather seats, alloy wheels, an emergency revive system that gives you an extra eight miles of range, a reversing camera and touchscreen infotainment system.
Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electrical Drive
If you want a bit more luxury from your electrified vehicle, then the B-Class Electrical Drive should be on your shopping list. Suggesting the same eye-catching exterior and sumptuous interior as the regular B-Class, the Electrified Drive takes everything that’s superb about the original car, and gives it an instant 340nM of power. However, buyers should note that it can’t be charged via a DC charge point, so the shortest charging time is around three hours with an at-home wall box.
Morgan EV3
For something a little different, but still identically environmentally friendly, then British motor company Morgan has produced an all-electric version of the three Wheeler. It’s made from a combination of carbon and aluminium, over an ash wood framework.
Nissan Leaf
The Nissan Leaf is one of the best selling electrified cars available today, and has sold in excess of 12,000 units in the UK alone. It’s suggested in Acenta, or higher-spec Tekna variants, along with a Black Edition that looks like a planet-saving Batmobile. The Leaf also has a companion app that lets you monitor your driving range, activate climate control and begin or pause charging.
Peugeot iOn
The Peugeot iOn is essentially a rebadged Citroen C-Zero. It offers the same ninety three mile range, the same amount of power and the same looks. You get automatic air conditioning as standard, along with Bluetooth and USB connectivity.
We’re not entirely sure how Peugeot has gone about pricing it however. The company’s website says the car starts at £12,495, but a further look into the brochure says the on the road price is £15,995 after you get the £4,500 Government grant. You may want to quiz Peugeot over the pricing if you’re looking to buy.
Renault Zoe
The Renault Zoe is well engineered, pleasurable to drive and – albeit the interior has a certain eco feel – not an unpleasant thing to be in. It’s often forgotten in the sea of BMW i3s and Teslas, but as an everyday electrical car, it slightly puts a foot wrong. You get a decent amount of tech included in the asking price, and now that Renault has released a fresh battery that gives it up to a two hundred fifty mile range, it’s one of the best electrical cars on the market right now.
Wise ForTwo ED
Clever has electrified its popular supermini city car, and given it a fresh eat of paint in the process. It has electrical recuperation tech to help recharge the battery and the companion app will let you set the climate control temperature before you get in. A total charge will take just under four hours from a public charging station or Wallbox and the infotainment system has USB, Aux, SD and Bluetooth connections.
Wise ForFour ED
If the two seat Wise ForTwo isn’t big enough for you, but you still want to go electrified, then the ForFour ED is for you. The overall range is slightly lower than its smaller sibling, but the extra space makes up for it. Charging times, connectivity options and companion app compatibility are the same as the two seater model.
Tesla Model S
The Tesla Model S is perhaps one of the best known electrical cars available today. It marries the economic and environmental benefits of electrical power, with a serious helping of luxury and speed. It also has an amazingly intelligent Autopilot mode that can keep you in the same lane on the motorway, whilst monitoring cars around you and keeping up to a decent speed. The Model S can get indeed expensive depending on which model and options you choose, but you’re getting an awful lot in come back.
Tesal Model X
The Model X is the fastest SUV on the planet, and will catapult you to 60mph in Two.9 seconds, making it hypercar quick. The other talking point of the Model X is its falcon wing doors, that open up and out the way to permit passengers to lightly access the 2nd and third rows of seats. Tesla says they work ideally in car parks too, so you needn’t worry about them hitting the ceiling and getting bruised.
Volkswagen e-Golf
The e-Golf takes the regular, well-selling Golf, rips the engine out and substitutes it with an 115PS electrical motor, with a 24.2kWh battery instead. It’s one hundred eighty six mile claimed range is pretty respectable, and it accepts a DC connector super quick charging at a compatible station. VW has implemented regenerative braking too, to help top up the battery when you slow the car down.
Volkswagen e-Up
This 5-door city car comes with a plethora of kit as standard, with some extras available at affordable prices. It will get you around town with ease, and with 210nM of torque available on tap, it won’t suspend about at the lights, either. Like it’s e-Golf thicker brother, the e-Up has DC charging that will recharge the battery in just half an hour.
All-electric cars UK 2017: All the battery powered vehicles available on the road today
All-electric cars UK 2017: All the battery powered vehicles available on the road today
Electrified cars have been around for a few years now, albeit if we’re being technical, they’ve being around since the 19th century. But the very first electrified car of the modern era, and the very first highway legal production all-electric battery powered vehicle was the Tesla Roadster, very first developed in 2004.
When Tesla’s contract with Lotus ran out – the Roadster was based on the Lotus Elise – the company produced the very first Model S in 2012. Since then, electrified car sales have sky-rocketed. Note that we’re talking about all-electric cars here, and not hybrid or plug-in hybrids that combine an electrical motor with a fuel-powered engine.
It’s effortless to see why they’re so popular now. The range of vehicles have improved and enhanced considerably, so it’s now possible to go further than the end of your road before you need to cork it in again to charge up.
How do I charge my electrical car?
The network of public use car chargers is enlargening all the time as well. Zap-map, which keeps a live database of the number of chargers in the UK, says there are presently Four,356 charging locations nationally, with 12,333 connectors.
There are four different types of charger for electrical vehicles: Slow, which connects to a standard 3-pin cork in your home. The initial rollout of public chargers used this connection too, but they’re leisurely being substituted by Prompt and Rapid chargers. A total charge using a Slow connector will typically take inbetween six to eight hours.
A Rapid charger doubles the amount of current supplied compared to a Slow charger, and as a result, halves the charge time to inbetween three to four hours.
We then stir on to Rapid AC chargers, which can supply up to 43kW of power to charge a typical electrical vehicle to eighty per cent in around half an hour. There are presently six hundred forty eight Rapid AC chargers around the UK.
Ultimately, there are Rapid DC chargers, which supply up to 50kW of power and can also charge a car up to eighty per cent in half an hour. There are more DC chargers around the UK than the AC variant, with 1,370 connectors at the time of writing.
Technology for home charging units has been enhanced so you can recharge the battery of most cars totally in up to nine hours. So putting it on overnight will almost always result in a fully charged car when you step into it in the morning.
How much do electrical cars cost?
The price of electrified cars is now rigidly in the affordable category too, with basic models costing around £13,000. The UK Government is still running an incentive scheme that will see you get up £4,500 off the price of an electrified car that meets the set criteria. You can read more about the criteria for electrified vehicles, and how much you could receive, on the UK Government website.
So buying an electrical car is now more achievable and affordable than ever, and the range of cars now caters for all areas of the market, whether it be a city car to get lightly around town, a high-performance saloon or even a seven-seater for all the family.
But what cars are available in the UK right now? Read on to find out.
BMW i3
The BMW i3 certainly turns goes due to its somewhat unusual looks. But under that boxy exterior, the i3 is every much a BMW as any of its regular, fuel-powered cars. It will accelerate you to 62mph in 7.Three seconds, so it doesn’t exactly drape about and keep you going for up to one hundred twenty five mile on a single charge. It can make total use of Rapid AC and DC charging, providing you eighty per cent juice in forty minutes.
Citroen C-Zero
Citroen already has a city car in the form of the C1, but the C-Zero throws out the petrol engine in favour of a 14.5kWh battery that will keep you moving for up to ninety three miles on a single charge. It offers regenerative braking, which takes the kinetic energy created under braking, and transfer it to electrified power that’s stored in the battery.
Ford Concentrate Electrified
The Ford Concentrate Electrified is, fairly literally, an electrified version of Ford’s popular Concentrate hatchback. It costs a fair bit more than the most basic petrol powered version, but you can be safe in the skill that you’re helping the environment, and you have instant power from the electrified motor.
There’s a Butterflies feature that’s part of a fresh Smartgauge service that helps you to drive more economically. The better you drive, the more butterflies will show up on the screen with the instrument cluster.
Hyundai Ioniq
The Hyundai Ioniq is available in all-electric, hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants. The all-electric version has slew of range from a single charge to get you to most destinations, but if you do need to top up the electrified tank on a journey, it will replenish eighty per cent of battery in thirty minutes from a DC charger.
Kia Soul EV
The Soul EV was the very first all-electric SUV in Europe. It offers slew of space inwards, not least because it’s an SUV, but also because no space is being taken up by a combustion engine. It offers slew of mod-cons such as heated seats, sat-nav and cruise control. The regenerative braking system indeed works too, to keep the range of the battery as high as possible
Mahindra e2o
The Mahindra e2o make look a bit basic, but if you’re after a petite city car that runs on electrified power, it more than fits the bill. There are two models available: City and TechX. The latter has a £15,995 asking price but offers slew of upgrades over the City version. You get leather seats, alloy wheels, an emergency revive system that gives you an extra eight miles of range, a reversing camera and touchscreen infotainment system.
Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electrified Drive
If you want a bit more luxury from your electrified vehicle, then the B-Class Electrified Drive should be on your shopping list. Suggesting the same eye-catching exterior and sumptuous interior as the regular B-Class, the Electrified Drive takes everything that’s good about the original car, and gives it an instant 340nM of power. However, buyers should note that it can’t be charged via a DC charge point, so the shortest charging time is around three hours with an at-home wall box.
Morgan EV3
For something a little different, but still identically environmentally friendly, then British motor company Morgan has produced an all-electric version of the three Wheeler. It’s made from a combination of carbon and aluminium, over an ash wood framework.
Nissan Leaf
The Nissan Leaf is one of the best selling electrical cars available today, and has sold in excess of 12,000 units in the UK alone. It’s suggested in Acenta, or higher-spec Tekna variants, along with a Black Edition that looks like a planet-saving Batmobile. The Leaf also has a companion app that lets you monitor your driving range, activate climate control and commence or pause charging.
Peugeot iOn
The Peugeot iOn is essentially a rebadged Citroen C-Zero. It offers the same ninety three mile range, the same amount of power and the same looks. You get automatic air conditioning as standard, along with Bluetooth and USB connectivity.
We’re not entirely sure how Peugeot has gone about pricing it however. The company’s website says the car starts at £12,495, but a further look into the brochure says the on the road price is £15,995 after you get the £4,500 Government grant. You may want to quiz Peugeot over the pricing if you’re looking to buy.
Renault Zoe
The Renault Zoe is well engineered, pleasant to drive and – albeit the interior has a certain eco feel – not an unpleasant thing to be in. It’s often forgotten in the sea of BMW i3s and Teslas, but as an everyday electrical car, it hardly puts a foot wrong. You get a decent amount of tech included in the asking price, and now that Renault has released a fresh battery that gives it up to a two hundred fifty mile range, it’s one of the best electrified cars on the market right now.
Clever ForTwo ED
Wise has electrified its popular supermini city car, and given it a fresh munch of paint in the process. It has electrified recuperation tech to help recharge the battery and the companion app will let you set the climate control temperature before you get in. A utter charge will take just under four hours from a public charging station or Wallbox and the infotainment system has USB, Aux, SD and Bluetooth connections.
Brainy ForFour ED
If the two seat Clever ForTwo isn’t big enough for you, but you still want to go electrified, then the ForFour ED is for you. The overall range is slightly lower than its smaller sibling, but the extra space makes up for it. Charging times, connectivity options and companion app compatibility are the same as the two seater model.
Tesla Model S
The Tesla Model S is perhaps one of the best known electrified cars available today. It marries the economic and environmental benefits of electrical power, with a serious helping of luxury and speed. It also has an amazingly intelligent Autopilot mode that can keep you in the same lane on the motorway, whilst monitoring cars around you and keeping up to a decent speed. The Model S can get indeed expensive depending on which model and options you choose, but you’re getting an awful lot in come back.
Tesal Model X
The Model X is the fastest SUV on the planet, and will catapult you to 60mph in Two.9 seconds, making it hypercar quick. The other talking point of the Model X is its falcon wing doors, that open up and out the way to permit passengers to lightly access the 2nd and third rows of seats. Tesla says they work ideally in car parks too, so you needn’t worry about them hitting the ceiling and getting bruised.
Volkswagen e-Golf
The e-Golf takes the regular, well-selling Golf, rips the engine out and substitutes it with an 115PS electrical motor, with a 24.2kWh battery instead. It’s one hundred eighty six mile claimed range is pretty respectable, and it accepts a DC connector super quick charging at a compatible station. VW has implemented regenerative braking too, to help top up the battery when you slow the car down.
Volkswagen e-Up
This 5-door city car comes with a plethora of kit as standard, with some extras available at affordable prices. It will get you around town with ease, and with 210nM of torque available on tap, it won’t dangle about at the lights, either. Like it’s e-Golf fatter brother, the e-Up has DC charging that will recharge the battery in just half an hour.
All-electric cars UK 2017: All the battery powered vehicles available on the road today
All-electric cars UK 2017: All the battery powered vehicles available on the road today
Electrical cars have been around for a few years now, albeit if we’re being technical, they’ve being around since the 19th century. But the very first electrified car of the modern era, and the very first highway legal production all-electric battery powered vehicle was the Tesla Roadster, very first developed in 2004.
When Tesla’s contract with Lotus ran out – the Roadster was based on the Lotus Elise – the company produced the very first Model S in 2012. Since then, electrified car sales have sky-rocketed. Note that we’re talking about all-electric cars here, and not hybrid or plug-in hybrids that combine an electrical motor with a fuel-powered engine.
It’s effortless to see why they’re so popular now. The range of vehicles have improved and enhanced considerably, so it’s now possible to go further than the end of your road before you need to ass-plug it in again to charge up.
How do I charge my electrical car?
The network of public use car chargers is enhancing all the time as well. Zap-map, which keeps a live database of the number of chargers in the UK, says there are presently Four,356 charging locations nationally, with 12,333 connectors.
There are four different types of charger for electrical vehicles: Slow, which connects to a standard 3-pin cork in your home. The initial rollout of public chargers used this connection too, but they’re leisurely being substituted by Rapid and Rapid chargers. A total charge using a Slow connector will typically take inbetween six to eight hours.
A Prompt charger doubles the amount of current supplied compared to a Slow charger, and as a result, halves the charge time to inbetween three to four hours.
We then budge on to Rapid AC chargers, which can supply up to 43kW of power to charge a typical electrified vehicle to eighty per cent in around half an hour. There are presently six hundred forty eight Rapid AC chargers around the UK.
Ultimately, there are Rapid DC chargers, which supply up to 50kW of power and can also charge a car up to eighty per cent in half an hour. There are more DC chargers around the UK than the AC variant, with 1,370 connectors at the time of writing.
Technology for home charging units has been enhanced so you can recharge the battery of most cars entirely in up to nine hours. So putting it on overnight will almost always result in a fully charged car when you step into it in the morning.
How much do electrical cars cost?
The price of electrical cars is now stiffly in the affordable category too, with basic models costing around £13,000. The UK Government is still running an incentive scheme that will see you get up £4,500 off the price of an electrical car that meets the set criteria. You can read more about the criteria for electrified vehicles, and how much you could receive, on the UK Government website.
So buying an electrical car is now more achievable and affordable than ever, and the range of cars now caters for all areas of the market, whether it be a city car to get lightly around town, a high-performance saloon or even a seven-seater for all the family.
But what cars are available in the UK right now? Read on to find out.
BMW i3
The BMW i3 certainly turns goes due to its somewhat unusual looks. But under that boxy exterior, the i3 is every much a BMW as any of its regular, fuel-powered cars. It will accelerate you to 62mph in 7.Trio seconds, so it doesn’t exactly drape about and keep you going for up to one hundred twenty five mile on a single charge. It can make utter use of Rapid AC and DC charging, providing you eighty per cent juice in forty minutes.
Citroen C-Zero
Citroen already has a city car in the form of the C1, but the C-Zero throws out the petrol engine in favour of a 14.5kWh battery that will keep you moving for up to ninety three miles on a single charge. It offers regenerative braking, which takes the kinetic energy created under braking, and transfer it to electrified power that’s stored in the battery.
Ford Concentrate Electrified
The Ford Concentrate Electrical is, fairly literally, an electrified version of Ford’s popular Concentrate hatchback. It costs a fair bit more than the most basic petrol powered version, but you can be safe in the skill that you’re helping the environment, and you have instant power from the electrified motor.
There’s a Butterflies feature that’s part of a fresh Smartgauge service that helps you to drive more economically. The better you drive, the more butterflies will emerge on the screen with the instrument cluster.
Hyundai Ioniq
The Hyundai Ioniq is available in all-electric, hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants. The all-electric version has slew of range from a single charge to get you to most destinations, but if you do need to top up the electrical tank on a journey, it will replenish eighty per cent of battery in thirty minutes from a DC charger.
Kia Soul EV
The Soul EV was the very first all-electric SUV in Europe. It offers slew of space inwards, not least because it’s an SUV, but also because no space is being taken up by a combustion engine. It offers slew of mod-cons such as heated seats, sat-nav and cruise control. The regenerative braking system truly works too, to keep the range of the battery as high as possible
Mahindra e2o
The Mahindra e2o make look a bit basic, but if you’re after a petite city car that runs on electrified power, it more than fits the bill. There are two models available: City and TechX. The latter has a £15,995 asking price but offers slew of upgrades over the City version. You get leather seats, alloy wheels, an emergency revive system that gives you an extra eight miles of range, a reversing camera and touchscreen infotainment system.
Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electrical Drive
If you want a bit more luxury from your electrical vehicle, then the B-Class Electrified Drive should be on your shopping list. Suggesting the same eye-catching exterior and sumptuous interior as the regular B-Class, the Electrical Drive takes everything that’s good about the original car, and gives it an instant 340nM of power. However, buyers should note that it can’t be charged via a DC charge point, so the shortest charging time is around three hours with an at-home wall box.
Morgan EV3
For something a little different, but still identically environmentally friendly, then British motor company Morgan has produced an all-electric version of the three Wheeler. It’s made from a combination of carbon and aluminium, over an ash wood framework.
Nissan Leaf
The Nissan Leaf is one of the best selling electrified cars available today, and has sold in excess of 12,000 units in the UK alone. It’s suggested in Acenta, or higher-spec Tekna variants, along with a Black Edition that looks like a planet-saving Batmobile. The Leaf also has a companion app that lets you monitor your driving range, activate climate control and embark or pause charging.
Peugeot iOn
The Peugeot iOn is essentially a rebadged Citroen C-Zero. It offers the same ninety three mile range, the same amount of power and the same looks. You get automatic air conditioning as standard, along with Bluetooth and USB connectivity.
We’re not entirely sure how Peugeot has gone about pricing it however. The company’s website says the car starts at £12,495, but a further look into the brochure says the on the road price is £15,995 after you get the £4,500 Government grant. You may want to quiz Peugeot over the pricing if you’re looking to buy.
Renault Zoe
The Renault Zoe is well engineered, pleasant to drive and – albeit the interior has a certain eco feel – not an unpleasant thing to be in. It’s often forgotten in the sea of BMW i3s and Teslas, but as an everyday electrical car, it scarcely puts a foot wrong. You get a decent amount of tech included in the asking price, and now that Renault has released a fresh battery that gives it up to a two hundred fifty mile range, it’s one of the best electrical cars on the market right now.
Wise ForTwo ED
Wise has electrified its popular supermini city car, and given it a fresh munch of paint in the process. It has electrified recuperation tech to help recharge the battery and the companion app will let you set the climate control temperature before you get in. A utter charge will take just under four hours from a public charging station or Wallbox and the infotainment system has USB, Aux, SD and Bluetooth connections.
Wise ForFour ED
If the two seat Brainy ForTwo isn’t big enough for you, but you still want to go electrical, then the ForFour ED is for you. The overall range is slightly lower than its smaller sibling, but the extra space makes up for it. Charging times, connectivity options and companion app compatibility are the same as the two seater model.
Tesla Model S
The Tesla Model S is perhaps one of the best known electrical cars available today. It marries the economic and environmental benefits of electrified power, with a serious helping of luxury and speed. It also has an exceptionally intelligent Autopilot mode that can keep you in the same lane on the motorway, whilst monitoring cars around you and keeping up to a decent speed. The Model S can get truly expensive depending on which model and options you choose, but you’re getting an awful lot in come back.
Tesal Model X
The Model X is the fastest SUV on the planet, and will catapult you to 60mph in Two.9 seconds, making it hypercar quick. The other talking point of the Model X is its falcon wing doors, that open up and out the way to permit passengers to lightly access the 2nd and third rows of seats. Tesla says they work flawlessly in car parks too, so you needn’t worry about them hitting the ceiling and getting bruised.
Volkswagen e-Golf
The e-Golf takes the regular, well-selling Golf, rips the engine out and substitutes it with an 115PS electrified motor, with a 24.2kWh battery instead. It’s one hundred eighty six mile claimed range is pretty respectable, and it accepts a DC connector super swift charging at a compatible station. VW has implemented regenerative braking too, to help top up the battery when you slow the car down.
Volkswagen e-Up
This 5-door city car comes with a plethora of kit as standard, with some extras available at affordable prices. It will get you around town with ease, and with 210nM of torque available on tap, it won’t drape about at the lights, either. Like it’s e-Golf fatter brother, the e-Up has DC charging that will recharge the battery in just half an hour.
All-electric cars UK 2017: All the battery powered vehicles available on the road today
All-electric cars UK 2017: All the battery powered vehicles available on the road today
Electrified cars have been around for a few years now, albeit if we’re being technical, they’ve being around since the 19th century. But the very first electrified car of the modern era, and the very first highway legal production all-electric battery powered vehicle was the Tesla Roadster, very first developed in 2004.
When Tesla’s contract with Lotus ran out – the Roadster was based on the Lotus Elise – the company produced the very first Model S in 2012. Since then, electrical car sales have sky-rocketed. Note that we’re talking about all-electric cars here, and not hybrid or plug-in hybrids that combine an electrical motor with a fuel-powered engine.
It’s effortless to see why they’re so popular now. The range of vehicles have improved and enlargened considerably, so it’s now possible to go further than the end of your road before you need to butt-plug it in again to charge up.
How do I charge my electrical car?
The network of public use car chargers is enhancing all the time as well. Zap-map, which keeps a live database of the number of chargers in the UK, says there are presently Four,356 charging locations nationally, with 12,333 connectors.
There are four different types of charger for electrified vehicles: Slow, which connects to a standard 3-pin buttplug in your home. The initial rollout of public chargers used this connection too, but they’re leisurely being substituted by Prompt and Rapid chargers. A utter charge using a Slow connector will typically take inbetween six to eight hours.
A Swift charger doubles the amount of current supplied compared to a Slow charger, and as a result, halves the charge time to inbetween three to four hours.
We then budge on to Rapid AC chargers, which can supply up to 43kW of power to charge a typical electrical vehicle to eighty per cent in around half an hour. There are presently six hundred forty eight Rapid AC chargers around the UK.
Eventually, there are Rapid DC chargers, which supply up to 50kW of power and can also charge a car up to eighty per cent in half an hour. There are more DC chargers around the UK than the AC variant, with 1,370 connectors at the time of writing.
Technology for home charging units has been enhanced so you can recharge the battery of most cars fully in up to nine hours. So putting it on overnight will almost always result in a fully charged car when you step into it in the morning.
How much do electrified cars cost?
The price of electrified cars is now tightly in the affordable category too, with basic models costing around £13,000. The UK Government is still running an incentive scheme that will see you get up £4,500 off the price of an electrified car that meets the set criteria. You can read more about the criteria for electrified vehicles, and how much you could receive, on the UK Government website.
So buying an electrical car is now more achievable and affordable than ever, and the range of cars now caters for all areas of the market, whether it be a city car to get lightly around town, a high-performance saloon or even a seven-seater for all the family.
But what cars are available in the UK right now? Read on to find out.
BMW i3
The BMW i3 certainly turns goes due to its somewhat unusual looks. But under that boxy exterior, the i3 is every much a BMW as any of its regular, fuel-powered cars. It will accelerate you to 62mph in 7.Trio seconds, so it doesn’t exactly dangle about and keep you going for up to one hundred twenty five mile on a single charge. It can make total use of Rapid AC and DC charging, providing you eighty per cent juice in forty minutes.
Citroen C-Zero
Citroen already has a city car in the form of the C1, but the C-Zero throws out the petrol engine in favour of a 14.5kWh battery that will keep you moving for up to ninety three miles on a single charge. It offers regenerative braking, which takes the kinetic energy created under braking, and transfer it to electrical power that’s stored in the battery.
Ford Concentrate Electrical
The Ford Concentrate Electrical is, fairly literally, an electrified version of Ford’s popular Concentrate hatchback. It costs a fair bit more than the most basic petrol powered version, but you can be safe in the skill that you’re helping the environment, and you have instant power from the electrified motor.
There’s a Butterflies feature that’s part of a fresh Smartgauge service that helps you to drive more economically. The better you drive, the more butterflies will show up on the screen with the instrument cluster.
Hyundai Ioniq
The Hyundai Ioniq is available in all-electric, hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants. The all-electric version has slew of range from a single charge to get you to most destinations, but if you do need to top up the electrical tank on a journey, it will replenish eighty per cent of battery in thirty minutes from a DC charger.
Kia Soul EV
The Soul EV was the very first all-electric SUV in Europe. It offers slew of space inwards, not least because it’s an SUV, but also because no space is being taken up by a combustion engine. It offers slew of mod-cons such as heated seats, sat-nav and cruise control. The regenerative braking system indeed works too, to keep the range of the battery as high as possible
Mahindra e2o
The Mahindra e2o make look a bit basic, but if you’re after a puny city car that runs on electrical power, it more than fits the bill. There are two models available: City and TechX. The latter has a £15,995 asking price but offers slew of upgrades over the City version. You get leather seats, alloy wheels, an emergency revive system that gives you an extra eight miles of range, a reversing camera and touchscreen infotainment system.
Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electrical Drive
If you want a bit more luxury from your electrified vehicle, then the B-Class Electrical Drive should be on your shopping list. Suggesting the same eye-catching exterior and sumptuous interior as the regular B-Class, the Electrical Drive takes everything that’s excellent about the original car, and gives it an instant 340nM of power. However, buyers should note that it can’t be charged via a DC charge point, so the shortest charging time is around three hours with an at-home wall box.
Morgan EV3
For something a little different, but still identically environmentally friendly, then British motor company Morgan has produced an all-electric version of the three Wheeler. It’s made from a combination of carbon and aluminium, over an ash wood framework.
Nissan Leaf
The Nissan Leaf is one of the best selling electrified cars available today, and has sold in excess of 12,000 units in the UK alone. It’s suggested in Acenta, or higher-spec Tekna variants, along with a Black Edition that looks like a planet-saving Batmobile. The Leaf also has a companion app that lets you monitor your driving range, activate climate control and embark or pause charging.
Peugeot iOn
The Peugeot iOn is essentially a rebadged Citroen C-Zero. It offers the same ninety three mile range, the same amount of power and the same looks. You get automatic air conditioning as standard, along with Bluetooth and USB connectivity.
We’re not entirely sure how Peugeot has gone about pricing it tho’. The company’s website says the car starts at £12,495, but a further look into the brochure says the on the road price is £15,995 after you get the £4,500 Government grant. You may want to quiz Peugeot over the pricing if you’re looking to buy.
Renault Zoe
The Renault Zoe is well engineered, pleasant to drive and – albeit the interior has a certain eco feel – not an unpleasant thing to be in. It’s often forgotten in the sea of BMW i3s and Teslas, but as an everyday electrified car, it slightly puts a foot wrong. You get a decent amount of tech included in the asking price, and now that Renault has released a fresh battery that gives it up to a two hundred fifty mile range, it’s one of the best electrical cars on the market right now.
Wise ForTwo ED
Clever has electrified its popular supermini city car, and given it a fresh eat of paint in the process. It has electrified recuperation tech to help recharge the battery and the companion app will let you set the climate control temperature before you get in. A utter charge will take just under four hours from a public charging station or Wallbox and the infotainment system has USB, Aux, SD and Bluetooth connections.
Brainy ForFour ED
If the two seat Brainy ForTwo isn’t big enough for you, but you still want to go electrified, then the ForFour ED is for you. The overall range is slightly lower than its smaller sibling, but the extra space makes up for it. Charging times, connectivity options and companion app compatibility are the same as the two seater model.
Tesla Model S
The Tesla Model S is perhaps one of the best known electrical cars available today. It marries the economic and environmental benefits of electrified power, with a serious helping of luxury and speed. It also has an exceptionally intelligent Autopilot mode that can keep you in the same lane on the motorway, whilst monitoring cars around you and keeping up to a decent speed. The Model S can get indeed expensive depending on which model and options you choose, but you’re getting an awful lot in come back.
Tesal Model X
The Model X is the fastest SUV on the planet, and will catapult you to 60mph in Two.9 seconds, making it hypercar quick. The other talking point of the Model X is its falcon wing doors, that open up and out the way to permit passengers to lightly access the 2nd and third rows of seats. Tesla says they work ideally in car parks too, so you needn’t worry about them hitting the ceiling and getting bruised.
Volkswagen e-Golf
The e-Golf takes the regular, well-selling Golf, rips the engine out and substitutes it with an 115PS electrical motor, with a 24.2kWh battery instead. It’s one hundred eighty six mile claimed range is pretty respectable, and it accepts a DC connector super rapid charging at a compatible station. VW has implemented regenerative braking too, to help top up the battery when you slow the car down.
Volkswagen e-Up
This 5-door city car comes with a plethora of kit as standard, with some extras available at affordable prices. It will get you around town with ease, and with 210nM of torque available on tap, it won’t string up about at the lights, either. Like it’s e-Golf thicker brother, the e-Up has DC charging that will recharge the battery in just half an hour.