The 10 best electric cars to buy in 2020

1. Volkswagen ID.3

It's easy to see why Volkswagen roughly translates to 'people's car'. The company's air-cooled, rear-wheel drive Beetle brought mobility to the masses, and the front-engined, front-wheel drive Golf modernised the genre. Now it's the Golf's turn to be superseded by the ID.3 EV.

The ID.3 was designed to be an EV from the off, and it shows. Inside, thanks to the neat packaging of its EV powertrain, the VW has a completely flat floor and a deep windscreen that makes it feel airy. Interior quality has steadily improved since the car first went on sale in 2019. The same goes for the infotainment, which is now easier to use and less buggy.

In terms of driving, the ID.3 has everything you want from an EV. Quiet, instant power makes it hassle-free to drive, and with no engine to get in the way of the front wheels turning, it is highly manoeuvrable.

2. Porsche Taycan

The Porsche Taycan is arguably the world's first proper stab at an electric performance saloon (if by 'performance' we mean more than just laser-like acceleration). Meaning it should be the first port of call for well-heeled enthusiasts looking to go green, particularly as it's just been updated with power and range increases across the range. 

Like any EV, the Taycan is not a light machine, which makes its rock-solid body control and huge cornering grip all the more impressive – it accelerates like a bullet and even slides its tail on a metered throttle. Inside, it's very posh and plenty practical enough for most families. As fun as a petrol Porsche? Not quite, but it gets close.

3. Tesla Model 3

Tesla started our transition to EV power, offering huge performance, decent range and a novel interior with barely any physical buttons – it's a blueprint established manufacturers have been scrabbling to copy ever since. 

While the Model S started the revolution, in the UK, it's the Model 3 that's selling like hotcakes and has recently been updated to deal with a Tsunami of new German entrants. Performance and range have increased slightly, while inside, you get better interior quality and new infotainment, but also steering-wheel-mounted indicator buttons that are a pain to use. 

4. Fiat 500e

Small cars play by a different rulebook to larger models, their tiny size and cutesy styling creating a pet-like personality, and no one is better at capturing that magic than the Italians and Fiat in particular.

This brings us to the Fiat 500e. It has the retro looks we've come to expect of the 500 but with an electric power plant that's ideal for the city driving the car is designed for. Off the line, it has hot-hatch-like acceleration, and its small size makes it perfect for zipping through busy streets. Inside, it has the styling to match the outside, and while it's not huge in space, it can carry four adults for short periods. The only major fly in the ointment is its crashy suspension.

5. Abarth 500e

The Abarth 500e is a Fiat 500e only with the charisma turned up to 11. In EV terms, you get an exterior speaker (or sound generator) that does a surprisingly good job of replicating the guttural splutter of Abarth exhausts of old, cool decals and bright paint jobs.

As fun as a petrol hot hatch? Yes, in a different way. While the Abarth can't match a petrol-powered hot hatch's 0-62mph performance, instant torque means it's quicker off the line and with no gearbox (or gearchanges) to worry about, it's ideal for darting through town. Even on country roads, the Abarth can be fun; its back end squirms when you lift your foot off the accelerator. Its sound generator can drone on the motorway, but with a range of less than 150 miles, that's not such an issue.

6. Jeep Avenger

Jeep – famed for building tough offroaders – might not be the first company you'd think of when hunting for a new EV, but the Avenger is worth your attention.

It's likably chunky on the outside, and inside, it has enough space for a young family and their stuff. It's also reasonably quick to drive and has a decent real-world range of more than 200 miles between charges. Factor in a reasonable price, and perhaps it's no surprise it won European Car of the Year in 2023. Mind you, if you're looking for a Jeep worthy of the name, the Avenger – which is front-wheel drive and can wade no deeper than a regular hatchback – isn't it.

7. Tesla Model Y

Based on the Model 3, the Tesla Model Y's SUV-shaped body is even more practical for families with genuine space for five adults and a bigger boot that's easier to load thanks to its hatchback tailgate. With the extra boot under the bonnet, the Tesla's design is hard to argue with. There's not much to dislike about how the Model Y goes, either. All versions have strong performance, a range that'll better most rivals and a charging network that makes rivals unreliability and slow charging speeds seem pretty pitiful.

It's not all good news, though. Anyone used to a conventional interior (with ye old buttons) will find the Y's cabin, operated exclusively via a substantial central touchscreen, has the warmth of a dentist's surgery and is fiddly to use. You'll also forever be associated with the flawed genius that is company founder, Elon Musk.

8. BMW i5 Touring

For decades, the BMW 5 Series has been showing us what a great mid-sized saloon looks like, and that's not set to change as the model transitions to electric power, adding EVs that are sold alongside the petrol and plug-in hybrid models.

Best of all, you can have the i5 EV with the practicality of a Touring body shell. With space for five people and a boot that'll swallow all their stuff, the i5 Touring feels very posh, with a curved infotainment screen that complements the expensive interior trims. Even basic models have plenty of performance, and their rear-wheel drive chassis delivers a purer experience than the AWD M60 model. And, while you'll miss the creamy purr of a straight-six (already strangled by particulate filters on petrol models anyway), the i5's outrageous refinement makes up for it.

9. MG4

Since falling into Chinese ownership, MG has struggled to make a name for itself as anything other than a builder of budget machines that are cheap but unexceptional. But transitioning to electric has changed everything, the company builds some of the best available and the MG4 is the pick of the bunch.

It ticks all the boxes you'd expect of an EV – loads of performance, excellent refinement and ease of use – and some you wouldn't. For starters, it's a hoot to drive, quick but also engaging; its character makes an ID.3 seem a little one-dimensional. With a decent range, plenty of equipment and a practical cabin, pound-for-pound this is arguably the best EV family car currently on sale.

10. Kia EV9

The huge Kia EV9 electric SUV, with its vast dimensions and confident creases, looks more like a statement of intent than a car, coming from a company building boring budget machines not so long ago. The EV9 looks good enough to take on the best Germany offers.

South Korean EV technology is some of the cleverest available, meaning all EV9s have strong performance and decent range (more than 300 miles in the rear-wheel drive version), although significant body lean and a crashy ride are clear signs the Kia weighs more than 2.5 tonnes. The upside is that the interior is enormous. It'll easily swallow seven passengers with room left over for luggage. Equipment levels are also generous enough to take your mind (briefly) off the plethora of safety bongs that chime inside the cabin. Nevertheless, Kia's most expensive model to date might just be its best.