THERE’S a lot of chatter about electric cars being expensive. They are.
But that’s just a symptom of a bigger problem.
Cars are expensive, full stop.
Even with petrol superminis, you’ll be lucky to spend less than £20k.
The cheapest Skoda Fabia is £19,880, giving you enough change for a pair of trainers.
A new wave of electric cars is coming that are in that ball-park for price, and if you can charge at home they cost usefully less to run.
Plus, of course, every electric car is far smoother and quieter than a petrol, and they’re all automatic.
Budget champions Dacia has just launched the Spring. A good name, as it’s a cheery little thing with a spring in its step, handy for town driving and a cinch to park.
Sure, it’s pretty cramped and hardly goes more than 100 miles on a charge, but in a two-car household that won’t matter. And at £14,995, who’s complaining?
The Spring is made in China. It’s the same with the BYD DolphinMini, but it’s a year away. (In China it’s called Seagull, but BYD realised in Britain seagulls steal your chips.)
For more cash, there are some truly desirable small cars on the way.
The gorgeous Renault 5 arrives in April, starting from £22,995 for a handsome spec.
Hyundai’s electric cars are trusted and they have the Inster which also has a lot of funk and kicks off at £23,495.
If the word Inster is new, the Fiat Panda is generations old. But there’s a completely fresh version coming, Grande Panda.
It’s likely to slip in at a lower price than Fiat’s 500 electric which is smaller but posher and starts at £22k.
In fact we already know a fair bit about the Panda’s spec, because underneath it’s the same car as the new Citroen e-C3. Citroen and Fiat are owned by the same corporation now.
And the Citroen, like the Renault 5 and Hyundai Inster, has just been shortlisted for European Car of the Year.
The e-C3 starts at £21,990. That gets you a 199-mile battery by the WLTP test, and a big enough motor to keep you swimming in quick traffic.
It looks the part too, with alloys and a two-tone roof.
Price: £21,990
Battery: 44kWh
Power: 113hp
0-62mph: 10.4 secs
Top speed: 82mph
Range: 199 miles
CO2: 0g/km
Out: January
The main thing is comfort. The suspension laughs at speed bumps and rural pot-holed lanes.
The seats are nicely squidgy. What with the silent drive, it’s a properly Zen way of getting about.
My test route took in town and countryside and it never felt out of its depth.
And it recharges fast. There’s decent space in the back and boot.
This isn’t just a city rollerskate, it’s a proper car.
