EVs offer plenty of benefits. The best electric cars are quieter than petrol cars, they’re quicker off the mark and they produce zero local emissions, which means they’re kinder to the lungs of passing pedestrians. However, most still can’t drive as far as their petrol-powered equivalents – and they still take far longer to refuel once you drain their batteries of electricity.
If you’re looking to make your switch from petrol to electric power as painless as possible, you’ll want to shop for the most efficient electric car you can. Buying an EV that can wring the greatest number of miles from its battery pack will mean you’ll spend less time waiting for it to recharge.
But just like petrol-powered cars, some electric cars make better use of their fuel than others. Take the BMW iX. It has an enormous 105kWh battery pack, which allows it to cover more than 300 miles on a single charge (in good conditions). But, because the iX weighs 2.5 tonnes and boasts the same aerodynamic efficiency as a falling piano, it can only cover around three miles per kWh of electricity.
What’s more, an electric car’s efficiency also changes with the weather. In cold conditions, the chemical reactions inside an EV battery work more slowly, choking the amount of electricity the cells can store and carving chunks out of the car’s maximum range.
The Toyota bZ4X illustrates this issue well. Toyota says the SUV can travel up to 318 miles between charges but, when we tested the SUV during the winter months, we struggled to drive more than 170 miles before needing to recharge. To put that another way, our test car was only delivering around 2.7 miles per kWh rather than the 4.9 miles per kWh Toyota claimed it would.
Because an electric car’s range varies so wildly according to the weather, we’ve tried to average out the playing field. For this comparison, we calculated each car’s efficiency by dividing its maximum WLTP range by its battery capacity in kWh to give you a best-case scenario figure. We’ve also omitted notoriously inefficient electric cars such as the Toyota bZ4X and MINI Electric.
We acknowledge this method won’t give you a definitive answer on the efficiency of each electric car in every usership scenario, but it works well as a comparison point to allow you to compile a shortlist of vehicles. Scroll down to learn more.
The most efficient electric cars of 2023
Vauxhall Corsa Electric – 5.0 miles per kWh
<strong>Britain’s best-selling car is available with a great electric powertrain</strong>
We still haven’t driven the facelifted Corsa Electric because the first cars aren’t set to arrive in the UK until October – and we’d rather wait until we’ve driven the car before we endorse it. That’s because Stellantis EVs tend to underperform on their efficiency claims. The outgoing version of the Corsa Electric is a perfect example. It had a maximum claimed range of 209 miles, but it could only manage 180-ish miles in the real world, giving it an efficiency figure of around 3.6 miles per kWh. Here's hoping the bigger battery mends it.
Read our Vauxhall Corsa Electric review
Pros
- Facelift brings sharp new styling
- Impressive straight-line speed
- Entertaining handling and steering
Cons
- Options can make it expensive
- Warranty less impressive than rivals
Fiat 500 Electric 42kWh – 4.8 miles per kWh
If driven carefully, the 500 Electric can deliver great efficiency
The trouble with the 500 Electric (and indeed any small Fiat) is that you can only achieve its stellar economy figures if you’re prepared to drive it with a feather-light touch. But it’s so much fun to drive spiritedly that you’ll inevitably tear around your neighbourhood like a Formula E driver, munching through your battery capacity. Still, you’ll have an enormous grin on your face – and having fun is equally as important as being frugal.
Read our Fiat 500 Electric review
Pros
- Eager electric motor
- Engaging driving experience
- Stylish interior
Cons
- Not particularly practical
- Rather expensive for its size
Renault Megane E-Tech Electric – 4.6 miles per kWh
It looks great and it drives well. What's not to like?
It’s efficient, too. In ideal conditions, the Megane can return up to 4.6 miles per kWh and a maximum range of 280 miles. On a cold winter morning, that figure will drop into the 3.0-mile per kWh range – but we’ve also found the Renault has a very honest and accurate range indicator, which makes it easy to plan your charging stops.
Read our Megane E-Tech Electric review
Pros
- Great to drive
- Spacious interior
- Good value
Cons
- Huge alloys ruin ride
- No large-battery option
Volkswagen ID.3 77kWh – 4.5 miles per kWh
Volkswagen’s purpose-built EV hatch is still a great all-rounder
We like the ID.3 for its breadth of ability. It’s good to drive, it’s spacious and it has a maximum range of almost 350 miles, which means you’d need to drive an awfully long way before worrying about using a public charging point. It’s efficient, too – drive carefully and you'll see up to 4.5 miles per kWh. But even if you drive with your lead-lined loafers on, you’ll still achieve 4.0 miles per kWh.
Read our Volkswagen ID.3 review
Pros
- Massive 347-mile official range
- Impressive performance and speed
- Decent levels of standard equipment
Cons
- Big-battery models are expensive
- Fiddly climate controls and infotainment
Tesla Model 3 – 4.3 miles per kWh
Tech-forward EV offers great comfort and stunning speed
The Model 3 is also incredibly long-legged. We took a fully charged Long Range variant on a 200-mile road trip and, by the time we’d reached our destination, it still had 150 miles of electricity remaining. That means the car very nearly matched its official WLTP range figure of 360 miles and averaged around 4.0 miles per kWh. The base-spec Model 3 is slightly more frugal on account of its lighter, smaller battery pack. Drive it gently and you should see 4.3 miles per kWh.
Read our Tesla Model 3 review
Pros
- Clever infotainment system
- One of the best EV ranges around
- Fantastic charging infrastructure
Cons
- Steering offers very little feedback
- Some build quality issues
Kia Niro EV – 4.3 miles per kWh
As EVs go, the Niro is as about approachable as it gets
Granted, it doesn’t have much character – it’s certainly a purchase you’d make with your head rather than your heart – but there’s a lot to be said for its consistency. The only issue we could find with the car was its ride. To help control the added weight of the battery pack, the Kia Niro EV has much firmer suspension than its hybrid-powered sister cars, which means you get bounced around in your seat at low speeds. It smooths out well once you’re on the motorway, though.
Read our Kia Niro EV review
Pros
- Easy to live with
- Good value for money
- Spacious interior
Cons
- Slightly choppy ride
- Poor Android Auto layout
MG 4 Trophy Extended Range – 4.3 miles per kWh
Plucky EV underdog shows the big brands how it’s done
We haven’t yet sampled the MG 4 Extended Range in the UK, but these on-paper figures look very encouraging indeed. And the added battery capacity will allow you to enjoy the car for longer, which is great because we think it’s one of the best-driving electric hatchbacks on sale today. It’s nimble enough to run rings around the ID.3, yet comfortable enough to outclass the Born on a bumpy road.
Read our MG 4 EV review
Pros
- Great fun to drive
- Honest range indicator
- It’s a proper bargain
Cons
- Too many touch controls
- Cheap cabin – but it’s a cheap car!
Vauxhall Astra Electric – 4.2 miles per kWh
It’s just like an Astra, only it's powered by electricity
Just bear in mind that figure will tail off if you spend a lot of time on motorways. The Astra is at its most efficient on A- and B-roads. The suspension is noticeably stiffer than the standard car’s, too, which impacts comfort. But these aren’t the Astra’s biggest problems. It’s how much it costs. Prices start from over £40,000, which seems like far too much when you compare it to the £36,500 you’ll spend on the range-topping MG 4 EV above (especially when you consider the MG 4 can drive further on a single charge).
Read our Vauxhall Astra Electric review
Pros
- Well-designed interior
- Good standard equipment
- Efficient battery and motor
Cons
- Expensive for what it is
- Rivals can go further
Hyundai Ioniq 6 – 4.1 miles per kWh
Swoopy electric saloon with an impressively long range
For now, though, lets concentrate on the Ioniq 6’s frugality. The rear-wheel drive model can get awfully close to its 338-mile maximum range, returning upwards of 4.0 miles per kWh if you drive it with care. It’s very comfortable, too, which is important considering how far it can drive. Its suspension does a great job of rounding off the worst bumps on the motorway and it’s packed with driver assistance technology that helps to ease fatigue on long trips.
Read our Hyundai Ioniq 6 review
Pros
- Interesting design
- 300-mile plus range
- Chock-full of technology
Cons
- Rakish looks affect practicality
- Only one (expensive) battery option
Skoda Enyaq iV 80 – 4.0 miles per kWh
A no-nonsense electric car from a level-headed car company
Skoda knows that nobody wants to fritter away the hours on a family day trip waiting for their car to recharge, so it fitted the Enyaq iV 80 with a battery that’s large enough to get you there and back on a single charge. Our editor, Keith Adams, has tested the car’s long-distance capability extensively. He regularly drove his long-term Enyaq the 260 miles between the Parkers HQ and his home in the Lake District. The Enyaq averaged 4.0-miles per kWh and it still had some range left in the battery at the end of the trip.
Read our Skoda Enyaq review
Pros
- Comfortable
- Practical
- Efficient
Cons
- It isn’t very exciting
- Or especially fast
Luke Wilkinson is a Senior Staff Writer for the Bauer Automotive Hub. He writes news, reviews and features for Parkers and its sister site CAR magazine.
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