Renault Megane E-Tech
The Renault Megane E-Tech is an exciting addition to the electric car market, offering an eye-catching interior and exterior as well as a dash of very un-EV like agility. It’s making a splash despite so many excellent electric cars being rolled out over the past 12 months – which augers well for the phasing out of new petrol and diesel sales in 2030.
Why is the Megane E-Tech a winner? It’s fun to drive and will encourage you into driving it keenly when the opportunity arises – not a quality that many electric cars possess. There’s no super-large battery option, like you get in the Volkswagen ID.3, but the counterpoint is that without that weight, it’s a more balanced car to drive.
But the best bit is the interior. The quality really measures up, is trimmed nicely, with quality to finally banish Renault prejudices. The driver’s digital display. and screen are glossy and easy to use, while the infotainment system is a Google-powered object lesson in brilliance, which should finally convince rival carmakers to leave what’s shown on the screen to the experts.
The experts over at Carmagazine.co.uk agree, citing it as one of the best electric cars on sale today.
RUNNERS UP
MG5 EV
Unless you can afford a Porsche Taycan the MG5 is your only option if you’re looking for an electric estate car. But don’t think we rate it just because it’s good value and roomy – although that goes a long way – the MG5 is also good to drive, sensible, and offers an impressive amount of battery range to help alleviate any charging anxiety you might be having about longer journeys.
The MG 5 EV managed to get under our skin rather more than we expected it to and we’ll make no apologies for it, and while it doesn’t excel in any one area – aside from being great value – it does many things really well and nothing to embarrass itself. On top of that, there’s the added benefit of a seven-year warranty and the excellent, although optional on some models, MG Pilot driver assistance systems. In short, it’s a value choice that will easily exceed your expectations.
Cupra Born
If you’re looking for an electric hot hatch, the Cupra Born is a very tempting proposition. It’s a brisk and capable machine that is satisfying to drive quickly on a country road, and you can’t argue with its pricing, which is in line with key rivals – even entry-level models get plenty of equipment, which we suspect will appeal to many buyers previously undecided about owning an EV.
It’s available with a number of powertrain options, but most importantly for an EV, the range will be more than sufficient for most people. Rapid charging capability means longer journeys won’t cause too much pain for those averse to public chargers. Finally, and importantly, the spacious interior is both usable feels a cut above the ID.3 it’s based on.
