At a time where being ecological has transcended trendy, and has moved firmly into ‘essential’, it’s heart-warming to see that car companies are beginning to churn out seriously good electric cars. And while the Kia and Audi are great electric cars from car companies, the winner of this award is arguably supplied by a tech firm instead. A sign of things to come?
Tesla’s smallest and cheapest car, the Model 3 is a brilliant piece of disruptive thinking. So good, in fact, that we named it our overall car of the year award winner as well as best electric car. The cheapest models come in at under £400 per month, while the all-important driving range stretches from 259 to 335 miles. It’s highly capable, very likeable and extremely good to drive. The quality and usability are also a step-up from the Teslas that have come before. We think it’s a real gamechanger.
The Audi E-Tron is just that – an Audi. It just happens to be electric. Excuse the broken metaphor here, but Audi isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel, because it doesn’t need to. Audi has millions of customers worldwide who love the perceived build-quality and premium tactility of its interiors, and the E-Tron is an upmarket Audi SUV in every sense of the word. This is a halo car for Audi’s E-Tron range, and the technology is befitting of such a car. Conventional door mirrors? No thank you. The E-Tron is available with OLEV screens situated in the door. Claimed range of less than 250 miles relegates it to third place.
In a bang for buck Martin Lewis money-saving obsessed 2019, the Kia E-Niro is a world champion. A 282-mile digital tank for just over £32,000? Not a problem for the Kia. It’s a deeply impressive car, with a 7 year/100,000 mile warranty that will suit most families’ needs. Not just because of its practical SUV shape (and a 451-litre boot), but because of that useful range, it may just be the car that tips the scale for many families, helping them turn a new page and go electric for the first time.
