Best used electric cars

Updated: 12 April 2024

The best used electric cars are a great buy whether you’re aiming for lower ownership costs, a reduced environmental impact, or both. There are more models for you to choose from than ever before, and many used electric cars are now excellent value for money.

Here are our top 10 used electric cars for 2024.

The Renault Zoe is everything a French supermini should be – small, practical, affordable and fun to drive. It also just happens to be an electric car and has been sold since 2013, so there’s a good selection of used models to choose from.

Earlier models have a battery range of up to 130 miles on a full charge, while the newer version (pictured), built from 2020, has a range of up to 247 miles. With some older versions, you may need to pay a separate leasing fee (of between £49 and £110 per month) for the battery.

Whichever version you choose, the Zoe is excellent value for money. It’s also surprisingly spacious, with good legroom and a large boot for a car this size. To top it all it’s enjoyable to drive, with nippy acceleration and a smooth ride.

Its futuristic looks make the BMW i3 one of the most distinctive electric cars around. It’s one of the best too, offering excellent performance and an interior that combines sleek minimalist design with a high-quality feel. The rear-hinged back doors offer good access to the five-seat interior and every version is well equipped.

Battery range for early i3 models varies from 81 miles in cars made before 2016 to 115 miles for cars built between 2016 and 2018. An i3 REx (range-extender) model was also sold until 2018, with a small petrol engine that can top up the battery when its charge runs low, giving you a range of up to 200 miles. The updated i3 (launched in 2018) gained a longer battery range of up to 193 miles, and a new ‘S’ version with a sportier look and feel.

• Top electric car questions answered

• How to charge an electric car

• Best used hybrid cars

Peugeot’s 2008 compact SUV has long proved a hit on UK roads, so it’s no surprise that the electric version is similarly impressive. It keeps the regular car’s smart, distinctive interior, its stylish looks and its comfortable driving experience but adds an electric motor to drive the front wheels.

The earliest models had an official range of 214 miles, while later versions got a larger battery promising up to 251 miles from a full charge. That’s not as much as you get from, say, the Kia Niro EV, but the e-2008 costs less to buy. You can charge at up to 100kW, giving you 80% in 30 minutes using a suitable charger and there’s a wide range of trim levels to choose from.

The Hyundai Kona Electric is a car that should tick a lot of boxes for a lot of people – it’s a compact, good-looking SUV that’s cost-effective, well-equipped and gives you zero-emission travel.

It’s an excellent used buy that gives you as much battery range as many brand-new models, with an official range of between 180 to 279 miles, depending on which of the two models you choose. Both are zippy around town and more than able to deal with motorways.

The Kona’s simple dashboard is easy to use, while its interior is solid and roomy enough for four adults and their luggage. You’ll also find used Konas with petrol, diesel and hybrid power but the electric version is the one to go for if you want to keep your running costs lower and your environmental footprint to a minimum.

The Nissan Leaf is the electric car many people think of first. And for good reason – the Leaf has been around since 2011 and until late 2019 it was the world’s biggest-selling electric car.

Earlier Leafs are among the least expensive electric cars to buy used – a fine choice if you want a family-friendly car that requires little or no compromise if you’re switching from a petrol or diesel car. These versions have an official maximum battery range of between 124 and 155 miles, depending on which model you pick.

An all-new Leaf was launched in 2018. You can tell it apart from the previous model by its extra black trim around the front, back and roof. Although you’ll pay more for a post-2018 Leaf, these models have a more premium feel, more inside space and an official maximum range of between 168 and 239 miles, depending on the model.

The Vauxhall Corsa-e is the pure-electric version of one of the UK’s most popular cars. It’s the most fuel-efficient model in the Corsa range and also the fastest, giving you strong acceleration.

You’ll get up to 222 miles of range (depending on the model) from a fully charged battery, according to official figures, which compares very well to rivals such as the Renault Zoe and the Peugeot e-208. The Corsa-e competes very well on price, too, with a choice of well-equipped trim levels and top-spec versions that feel positively luxurious.

We think the MG ZS EV is one of the best value-for-money cars on the market today. It’s not just affordable, though – it also comes with a very good battery range, lots of features included as standard and loads of interior space.

Early models will give you a range of up to 163 miles, according to official figures. In 2021, the battery was upgraded for a range of 198 miles and MG also added a Long Range model with a 72.6kWh battery with an official range of 273 miles.

The Volkswagen ID.3 is a family hatchback that’s about the same size as a Volkswagen Golf but has a more futuristic look and is only available with pure-electric power.

Several versions are available, with different sizes of battery. The high-end models will manage up to 347 miles on a full charge, according to official figures, and can recharge at speeds up to 170kW. The interior is spacious and the boot is a good size, and if you want to use it as a family car there are Isofix child seat mounting points on the outer back seats as well as the front passenger seat. With a choice of trim levels alongside several power options, there’s an ID.3 to suit a range of budgets.

The Jaguar I-Pace, Jaguar’s first electric car, gives you all the luxury and sportiness you expect from the brand along with thrilling performance, zero emissions and sleek, futuristic styling. It’s a very impressive debut.

Few electric cars are as enjoyable to drive as the I-Pace. It can accelerate quicker than many sports cars and it’s responsive and agile for such a big car. It’s smooth and comfortable too, while standard four-wheel drive provides reassurance in slippery conditions.

The interior is very spacious and mixes high-tech features with luxurious materials, while the maximum official battery range is almost 300 miles.

The Tesla Model 3 has been a real game-changer for electric cars: at one point it was the UK’s best-selling car. It looks like a hatchback but it’s actually a saloon, with a boot lid hinged under the back window.

The interior is very distinctive, with just about everything controlled through a huge touchscreen in the centre of the dash. You get lots of space and an airy feel inside, while every version is very quick. Battery range is exceptional, too, with most models having an official range of more than 300 miles when fully charged.

You’ll find lots of used cars for sale at Cazoo, all available to buy through our trusted dealers.

Cazoo makes selling a car just as easy – just enter a few details for an instant online valuation. If you accept the offer our partners will get in touch to arrange payment and collection of your car at a time that suits you.