From a funky Fiat to a proper Porsche: Six of the best electric vehicles to buy now

You wait years for an electric car that wasn’t built by Elon Musk and hundreds arrive, seemingly all at once.

Here are six of the best on the market right now, including a roomy SUV and a car with oodles of Scandi-cool vibes.

Full disclosure: one is also a Tesla.

MG 4

Up until now, China-built MGs have been rather cheap, boring things to behold and drive. The MG 4, however, is dynamic in the looks and handling department, yet remains excellent value for money.

While brands like Kia and Hyundai are moving upmarket, MG has become the car of the people. It’s the fastest growing automotive brand in the UK and the 4 has picked up a slew of awards from the motoring press, including Carwow’s Car Of The Year and Top Gear’s Bargain Of The Year.

Price £25,995
Power 168bhp
0-60mph 7.5sec
Range 217 miles

Fiat 500e

This latest reboot of the iconic Cinquecento ushers in a new era of La Dolce Vita without any exhaust pipes. The 500e has all sorts of natty design touches, like electric door handles, ‘torpedo’ indicators and e-shaped tail lights that give the rear a wide stance. The interior materials are made from plastic bottles reclaimed from the sea, and when you pass 20mph for the first time on each journey the speakers emit a short chorus of strings and digital revs inspired by Fellini’s 1973 film Amarcord – making this the most romantic of EVs.

Price from £23,835
Power 94bhp
0-60mph 9.2sec
Range 115 miles

Tesla Model 3

Tesla might seem like a cult but with more than 1.3 million sales last year it’s now fully mainstream. Given that the models all look pretty similar and are only available in a handful of solid colours, they’ve been compared to ‘white goods’ such as washing machines and fridges but are handsomely designed nonetheless, while the interiors are a lesson in Apple-esque minimalism. Build quality is better than it was a few years ago and no one can touch Tesla for range and charging speed – although rivals are encroaching. The competitively priced Model 3 is the best all-rounder.

Price £40,490
Power 279bhp
0-60mph 5.8sec
Range 305 miles

Lexus RZ

SUVs lend themselves well to electrification as they have large wheelbases for the batteries and are heavy to start with. The RZ is Lexus’s first EV designed from the ground up, as opposed to being adapted from an ICE chassis. It looks chic inside and out, with a BMW-like rear, refined ride and an innovative steer-by-wire system, to be introduced in 2025 – with a steering wheel ‘yoke’ like Kitt’s in Knight Rider.

Price £62,600
Power 308bhp
0-60mph 5.6sec
Range 246 miles

Porsche Taycan

EVs can be very quick with instant torque, while a low centre of gravity means they tend to corner like they’re on rails. But they can sometimes feel a bit unexciting. The Taycan, however, really does drive like a Porsche and is one of the most distinctive, sporty-looking four-doors we’ve seen. You can spend far more and get a lot more power – the £142,400 751bhp Turbo S delivering 60mph in 2.8 seconds – although it might be wiser to focus on range with all of these EVs rather than acceleration. And that rather defeats the object of a Porsche. But the Taycan shows cars can still be fun in the electric era.

Polestar 2

Polestar is the coolest car brand in the world right now – a Scandinavian EV-dedicated company that builds stylish, elegant cars for buyers who might have felt at home in a Saab or Volvo in the past. In many ways it’s the anti-Tesla, quite possibly driven by those who would hate to be stuck in a lift with Tesla chief Elon Musk. The Polestar 3 SUV is out at the end of this year, but at £80,000 it’s pricey. The mid-size saloon, the 2, came out in 2020 but remains the best option in this class, is well-priced… and is about to get a facelift.

Price £39,900
Power 230bhp
0-60mph 7sec
Range 292 miles