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 build some seriously good small electric cars. With the competition heating up and new models being constantly introduced, it's interesting to see that the best model overall is a facelifted version of s successful existing model. The Renault Zoe just keeps on getting better.
The Zoe might have been around for a while now, but it’s still a brilliant package and a deserving winner of the first Best Small Electric Car award. It’s been facelifted to incorporate a longer range and some big improvements to its user-friendly interior. Renault is rightly proud of its stance as an early adopter to the idea of the mainstream electric car – something that felt like a pipedream for many years. If you want a highly usable and enjoyable electric car and your budget doesn’t stretch to a Tesla, this makes a strong case for being your next set of wheels.
The Honda e is a bold step into the future, and is the sort of futuristic electric car that many of us have been waiting for. It has the neat design details that have made it through to production from the original concept car, but it still functions as a normal EV without feeling intimidating to use or too ahead of its time. The advanced all-digital dashboard looks complex but is easy to use, while the cameras that replace the door mirrors work so much better than any other manufacturer’s system. If you aren’t on a budget and don’t mind its short range, this is a fabulous introduction to the world of electric cars.
If you want an electric car that doesn’t look or feel like an electric car, the SEAT Mii Electric is a great place to start. It looks like the now-discontinued petrol-powered Mii from the outside and drives like a normal car – and on the inside it has a very familiar air about it, making it perfect for EV newcomers. But it also offers all the electric-vehicle advantages of silent and surprisingly potent performance alongside a very reasonable driving range for the money it costs.
