Top 10 best used electric cars 2024 | Carbuyer (2024)

8 Jan 2024

Electric cars are a big part of the transition for more sustainable motoring, but the problem is they’re still much more expensive than conventional petrol and diesel cars to buy new. One option is to buy a used electric car, and with car manufacturers having released more EVs than ever in recent years, nowadays there’s a big choice of second hand options to go for.

It might seem like a bit of a minefield, as earlier electric cars that start from around £5,000 have outdated battery technology and limited range. With the same budget as a new petrol or diesel supermini, though, you could get some of the best used EVs that offer a better range, low running costs and lots of equipment.

Top 10 best electric cars 2024

In recent times, electric cars have also evolved to be offered in a variety of different body styles, so our favourite used electric car list includes hatchbacks, SUVs, saloon cars and even an estate, many of whichhave won big in our Carbuyer Used Car Awards 2024.

The amount of miles you can travel on a charge has massively increased and batteries shouldn’t degrade as quickly compared to electric cars of old, although you should bear in mind that used electric cars will probably have a slightly shorter battery life than brand-new ones.

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A second-hand electric car can still be a savvy purchase. You won’t need to pay VED (road tax) until 2025, and recharging at home costs a mere fraction of what you’d pay for a tank of petrol. With far fewer moving parts than an engine, an electric car should theoretically be more reliable and easier to service. Plus, the driving experience is smooth and quiet, there’s usually nippy acceleration and you won’t be emitting any carbon dioxide.

Read on for our guide to the best used electric cars. You might also be interested in our guide to the cheapest electric carsif you’re considering buying new, but have a more modest budget.

The Citroen e-C4 won our Best Used Small Electric car award in the 2024 Carbuyer Used Car Awards because it’s a practical small EV that’s cheap to buy used and offers a decent range. Citroen owners also seem to like their cars, too, with the standard petrol and diesel C4 coming first place in the most recent Driver Power customer satisfaction survey.

The Citroen doesn’t win any prizes for performance or driving feel, but it excels in terms of comfort. It rides particularly well by EV standards, as the added weight of batteries means electric cars are sometimes fitted with firmer suspension to cope. However, the e-C4’s Advanced Comfort Suspension does a great job of ironing out bumps on UK roads, so it feels very relaxing.

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Cars fitted with the 50kWh battery get up to 222 miles or range according to official figures, while the 54kWh-battery models can do up to 260 miles – we’d recommend springing for the latter if you can, though 100kW charging means a 10-80% top-up will take just around 30 minutes at a compatible charging station.

The Kia e-Niro, the all-electric version of the Mk1 Niro, which was also available as a hybrid and plug-in hybrid, was always one of our favourite mainstream electric cars. Buyers liked it, too, and that means there are plenty of e-Niros out there on the used car market. We even awarded it our Best Used Family Electric Car award in the Carbuyer Used Car Awards 2024.

While many EVs try to stand out with outlandish designs and quirky styling, the Kia e-Niro blends in, and that’s part of the appeal for many buyers. The only features that distinguish it alongside the more conventional Kia Niro is the lack of a grille and blue highlights.

Unusually, the fully electric e-Niro is more practical than the hybrid models, so there’s a big boot and plenty of space inside. It’s better to drive than the hybrid pair, too, and running costs are even lower. Perhaps the best bit is that the e-Niro offers one of the longest ranges of any EV this side of a premium model at twice the price, with a fantastic 282-mile range.

The Jaguar I-Pace won our Best Used Large Electric Car award in the 2024 Carbuyer Used Car Awards for a few reasons. The I-Pace shows that electric cars can be very fun to drive, as well as more environmentally-friendly. It’s quicker from 0-62mph than most hot hatchbacks and impresses on a twisty road. Used buyers can pick up an I-Pace from around £21,000, so you can enjoy its well-appointed interior, futuristic styling and massive boot for much less than the price paid by the first owner.

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Insurance will be expensive – like any premium electric SUV – but running costs are low. Official range figures when new were almost 300 miles from a full charge, and the ability to recharge at up to 100kW means 80% of the battery’s capacity can be topped up in the time it takes to have a coffee.

The BMW i3 has been on sale for quite a few years now and it still looks as fresh and as futuristic as the day it was launched. Inside is just as interesting, with a wide expanse of dashboard barely interrupted by the infotainment screen and digital dials. Earlier cars get quite a small screen but the cabin is incredibly light and airy, thanks to a high roof and tall windows.

You might expect it to be a little more practical than it is, and battery degradation may mean you get fewer miles from a charge than the figure BMW quotes for new models. Those drawbacks don’t stop the i3 from being a very sought-after car, and it scooped our Best Used Small Electric Car award for 2023.

The second-generation Nissan Leaf went on sale in early 2018 and you can now buy one of those early examples for the price of a mid-range Nissan Micra. This Leaf offered the best part of 170 miles on a charge when it was new, and cars of this age should still be covered by Nissan’s generous eight-year, 100,000-mile battery warranty. Nissan gave the new car much more conventional styling, and both the exterior and interior look far more modern.

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There’s plenty of tech - even the entry-level model has sat nav, a reversing camera and cruise control - and it’s decent to drive, too, hitting 0-62mph in a sprightly 7.9 seconds. Look for e+ models if you need a little more range; these should manage comfortably more than 200 miles.

As part of our Best Used Car Awards, the Nissan Leaf won our Best Used Family Electric Carback in 2022.

The Model 3 is a much more affordable model when new than the Model S that came before it, making it more accessible for many buyers. For that reason, plenty of used versions are now popping up in the classifieds, making them a good choice for those after a second-hand electric car.

Tesla is known for offering advanced technology and equipment in its cars, so that means that even a few years down the line, the Model 3 feels modern. Even with the entry-level’s rear-wheel drive configuration, the Model 3 feels quick, doing 0-60mph in just 5.8 seconds and making light work of overtaking and getting up to speed when on the motorway, and a 305-mile range will be adequate for most buyers. Go for a Performance version, and you’ll be leaving BMW M3 drivers trailing behind thanks to its extra motor helping to propel it from 0-60mph in 3.1 seconds, with official range when new increasing to 340 miles.

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For the ultimate balance of range and performance, though, we recommend the dual-motor Long Range model, which does the same sprint in 4.2 seconds and can go for up to 374 miles between charges.

The UK’s best-selling supermini is available as a fully electric car. The Vauxhall Corsa-e, or Corsa Electric depending on its age, looks almost identical to the petrol-powered version - inside and out - and brings lots of standard equipment. There are also dealerships in most towns, which will make servicing easy.

Sharing its battery and electric motor with the Peugeot E-208, the electric Corsa should manage over 200 miles from a full charge. Fast-charging is available to top the car up in half an hour, while it feels very nippy around town. We’d like it to feel a bit more special but the electric Corsa earns its place on this list because it’s great value; we’ve seen nearly-new electric Corsa models for under £20,000, which is a substantial discount on a new one.

Besides the grey blanked-off grille, the Hyundai Ioniq Electric looks pretty normal, especially in comparison to cars like the BMW i3 and the original Nissan Leaf. With the inside looking pretty similar to any other Hyundai, the Ioniq could be an ideal choice if you’re worried about an EV feeling too unfamiliar.

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The Ioniq doesn’t exactly offer a sparkling drive, but it does well for comfort and refinement and is better to drive than the Ioniq Hybrid. Newer second-hand examples should manage around 150 miles between charges - enough for most people’s weekly commutes - and the battery should be fully topped up if you charge overnight.

The ID.3 packs the very latest tech at VW’s disposal. The ID.3 is also a spacious family car with far more interior space than the similarly sized Volkswagen Golf, plus you’ll get between 200 and 330 miles on a charge depending on the battery you pick.

If you want an electric car that feels barely any different to a petrol or diesel, or can’t stretch to an ID.3, the older Volkswagen e-Golf is worth considering. Besides model-specific alloy wheels, C-shaped daytime running lights and a couple of blue trim finishers, the e-Golf looks pretty much identical to any other Golf, and inside very little gives away the electric powertrain. The boot’s exactly the same size as petrol and diesel models, too, and acceleration is about the same. In fact, perhaps the only difference is that you’ll need to plug it in every 130 miles or so.

When it was released, MG proudly boasted that the MG5 was the only estate electric car on sale in the UK. Competitors have since begun to develop their own electric estate cars to fill the niche, with Vauxhall’s Astra Electric Sports Tourer, and the Peugeot E-308 SW. The MG5 has already been around for some time, though, and there are now plenty of pre-facelift models on the second-hand market if you want the low running costs of an electric car and the practicality of a large boot.

You can expect up to 214 miles from the 53kWh version and 250 miles from the 61kWh version, both of which were offered in either base-level Excite or top-spec Exclusive trim. Post-facelift trims were renamed SE and Trophy, though there are much fewer of those on the used market, and higher prices mean they’re not yet as good a bargain. Excite models got rear parking sensors, cruise control, a central touchscreen with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and sat nav, as well as a seven-inch digital gauge cluster. Exclusive brought extra luxuries such as keyless entry, heated front seats with six-way electric adjustment, automatic wipers and leather-look upholstery

Best used electric cars

1. Citroen e-C4
2. Kia e-Niro
3. Jaguar I-Pace
4. BMW i3
5. Nissan Leaf
6. Tesla Model 3
7. Vauxhall Corsa Electric
8. Hyundai Ioniq Electric
9. Volkswagen ID.3
10. MG5

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