Never want to visit a petrol station again? Here are the best electric cars to buy in 2015

Motorists are always going to be keen to keep costs as low as possible - but in the past, there just wasn't much choice when it came to fuel - you'd always have to visit a petrol station sooner or later. Now though, more electric charging stations across the UK and cheaper electric cars mean that plug-in models are attracting a lot of attention.

Big brands such as Nissan, Renault and BMW have all taken the plunge and released fully electric cars and some are really rather impressive. Tesla, MINI, Volkswagen, Smart, Mitsubishi, Citroen and Peugeot are just some of the other electric car makers, with the market getting bigger all the time.

So which ones are the best? We've put together a list of our favourite electric cars here, to help you decide which one is right for you.

Most buyers will be better off with a hybrid, plug-in hybrid or range-extender - but here we've only listed cars that run on electricity only. Of course that means there's no internal combustion engine noise - or petrol station trips - ever.


* BMW i3.

BMW's i3 electric car delivers premium quality, tiny running costs and surprising pace

The new i3 is unlike any other current BMW on sale. It maintains the brand’s rear-wheel-drive tradition, but it uses a 168bhp electric motor under the boot floor, combined with a lithium-ion battery pack. It is also available with an optional range-extending motorcycle engine that keeps the batteries topped up. Without the range extender the BMW i3’s range stands at anywhere between about 80 miles and 125 miles depending on how you drive; with the range-extender those numbers could double.

The BMW i3 is about the same size as a Ford Fiesta but it feels higher and larger inside. Compared to many electric cars, like the Renault ZOE or Vauxhall Ampera, it’s also very lightweight thanks to its carbon fibre and aluminium construction –in fact, it’s about 300kg lighter than a Nissan LEAF.

Thanks to the electric motor’s instant torque, acceleration is rapid, and it manages a 0-60mph time of 7.2 seconds –3.2 seconds quicker than the Toyota Prius Plug-in hybrid. Once up to speed, the i3’s ride is reasonable on those large-diameter wheels. The skinny tyres feel like they will lose grip sooner than the wider treads on some rivals, while the car is easily unsettled by mid-corner bumps. On the plus side, a tight turning circle and light steering mean the i3 is a breeze to drive in town, and the regenerative braking is easy to manage.

The BMW i3’s economy will depend greatly on the driving you do. Keep the battery topped up and stick to the city, and the 80-mile range means you’re never likely to hear the engine fire up.

We got through a fully charged battery and a tank of fuel with an economy figure of 118mpg. There’s a choice of Comfort, EcoPro and EcoPro+ drive modes, and the latter two are designed to save energy, with EcoPro+going as far as switching off the climate control and limiting speed to 56mph to maximise range.

* Tesla Model S.

Who says electric cars can't be fast or luxurious? Tesla's Model S does both while incorporating ground breaking design After establishing itself with the Lotus Elise-based Roadster, Tesla has high hopes for the Model S.

And rightly so; you simply won’t have come across a car like the Tesla Model S before. This all-electric saloon is as quick as a Porsche, as luxurious as a Mercedes and as eco-friendly as a Nissan Leaf.

It’s roughly the same size as a BMW 7 Series and comes packed full of technology that you’ve probably never seen before in a production car. Take the all-electric powertrain for a start, which depending on model has a range of 311 miles. Most electric cars struggle to hit 100.

The futuristic cabin doesn’t have a handbrake or a start button, you just get in and go. There’s a huge 17-inch touchscreen in the centre console rather than traditional buttons, and you can even get a pair of seats in the boot to make this a seven-seater.

Buyers can choose between a 60kWh battery with a 208-mile range or the larger 80kWh battery with the full 311 miles. There’s also an 80kWh Performance, which drops the 0-60mph time from 5.4 to 4.2 seconds.

Most pure electriccars on sale in the UK right now are supermini-sized or smaller, but the new Tesla Model S targets larger models, sitting somewhere between the BMW 5 Series or Mercedes E-Class and the Audi A8, BMW 7 Series and Mercedes S-Class.

* Volkswagen e-up!

The electric version of the Volkswagen up! city car is perfectly suited to town and city driving. The VW e-up! isn’t cheap – at over £19,000 after the £5,000 Government grant is deducted, it’s almost £5,000 more than the larger, similar-spec Renault ZOE. But unlike some electric cars, it doesn’t shout about its zero emissions status. The only features marking the e-up! out from the standard up! are two C-shaped LED lights on the front, aero-optimised alloys and subtle VW badges framed in blue. Even the centre console and dash have been lifted straight out of the regular model, so the easy-to-use controls are familiar.

Beneath the floor is the 81bhp electric motor (which weighs 210kg). As it sits between the axles, it doesn’t intrude on boot capacity, meaning 250 litres of luggage space is still available.

A range of 93 miles on a full charge is a fair chunk less than you’d get in a conventionally powered city car, but it is about on par with rivals. The e-up! is also just as agile and playful as the petrol-powered model, with nimble handling and minimal body roll in corners. You’ll find the regenerative brakes do grab a little in the most aggressive of the five settings, but in stop-start traffic you barely have to touch the pedal once you come off the throttle.

The two eco modes available also help boost range by limiting the power available from the electric motor. Yet even when you select these, you’ll be hard-pressed to notice any significant changes in the motor’s performance.

Gently squeeze the throttle and the e-up! silently surges away, as all 210Nm of torque is available from a standstill. The car is eight-tenths quicker from 0-62mph than the 74bhp petrol model, taking 12.4 seconds.

Although initial acceleration is good, the e-up! begins to struggle beyond 40mph. Still, this isn’t a car you want to take on the motorway – top speed is a reasonable 81mph, but the lack of an engine note emphasises wind noise and tyre roar.

Happily, this car thrives where it’s designed to live – in the city. If you regularly find yourself in an urban rush hour, the e-up! is an ideal choice.

* Nissan Leaf.

The Nissan Leaf was the first mass-produced electric car to go on sale in the UK and remains one of the top options around.

The Nissan Leaf is a big name when it comes to electric cars, it was the first exclusively battery powered car to sell in the UK in significant numbers. It features plenty of equipment and a comfortable ride, as well as ultra-low running costs and an upfront price that's not as big as you might think.

When the car was launched it was only available as a single model, but now the range includes Visia, Acenta and Tekna specifications. The entry-level Visia version is an affordable way into electric car ownership, and it allows the Leaf to compete with some newer rivals like the Renault ZOE and BMW i3.

Rather than buying the batteries, you can choose to lease them for the duration of your Leaf ownership, which can save some money and keeps the purchase price, which is subject to a £5,000 government grant, as low as possible. The Leaf comes with sat-nav, a reversing camera, Bluetooth and keyless go as standard.
It can even compete with family hatchbacks like the Ford Focus or Volkswagen Golf for practicality.

One thing electric cars suffer from at the moment is range, and Nissan claims that the Leaf can manage 124 miles on a single charge - so it's a great commuter in the city, but not so great for long motorway journeys. You could go for a range-extending model like the Vauxhall Ampera or Chevrolet Volt, but these cars are a lot more expensive to buy.

With just 108bhp, an 89mph top speed and an 11.5-second 0-60mph time, the Nissan Leaf's performance doesn't look that impressive. However, because all 284Nm of torque is delivered instantly, it feels nippy in town and it's pretty fun to drive around in.

The handling is dull and it's definitely not set up to be a brilliant driver's car - but if you just relax and enjoy the smooth ride then the Leaf is a great car to commute and nip about in.

* VW e-Golf.

The Volkswagen e-Golf is the electric version of the family hatch favourite. A party piece of the new Golf Mk7’s MQB modular platform (beside its 90kg weight saving from the old model) is that it’s been built to accommodate the widest possible range of drive trains.

Of course, you can have petrol and diesel Golfs and there’s a plug-in hybrid Golf GTEversion coming in 2015. A compressed natural gas variant is offered in mainland Europe.
The fifth and final version is the all-electric e-Golf, which joins the e-Up in VW’s burgeoning all-electric range from summer 2014.

Unlike rivals like the Nissan Leaf or BMW i3, the e-Golf is of course a conventional car adapted for electric power, rather than a bespoke EV-only creation. This has traditionally created many compromises in re-engineered electric cars, but in terms of its packaging and practicality, the e-Golf is barely any less usable than a normal Golf. However, this five-door hatchback-only EV is let down by the weight of its batteries, and the effects this has on comfort and handling, plus the questionable usable range of around 80 miles.

* Kia Soul EV.

If the i3’s radical design and overly-complicated rear-hinged rear-doors puts you off then the Soul EV’s close relationship to the standard car is a plus. On the move it’s quiet, comfortable and nippy at low speeds, which is perfect for city use. The price will be a major barrier for some, but it does come with Kia’s class-leading 7-year warranty. If you’re prepared to be an early adopter, the Soul EV is well worth a look.

* Renault ZOE.

Renault has gone for electric cars in a big way and the stylish ZOE supermini suggests it could be on to something Some carmakers have dipped a toe in the water of mass marketing electric cars, but Renault has jumped in with both feet. The ZOE is the fourth model to join the Fluence saloon, Kangoo van and tiny Twizy in the firm's zero-emissions line-up and is the most convincing effort yet.

It offers a zero emissions powertrain, well-equipped interior and acceptable performance, all for a much more reasonable price than we've so far seen from electric cars. It currently has no obvious rivals, but costs a similar amount to a diesel Clio, although while it is better equipped, the range in the ZOE is limited to about 100 miles of mixed driving. However, it's so like a normal car to drive that only the reduced range make it less practical than an ordinary supermini.

The ZOE has an electric motor that develops 87bhp in normal mode, and 60bhp in Eco mode. More important is the 220Nm of torque it develops as soon as the motor turns, giving very sprightly acceleration, 0-30mph takes four seconds. However, push on and you’ll soon notice the ZOE run out of puff, as it struggles at higher speeds and on steep inclines.

Just like in the VW e-up!, the ZOE’s conventional gear selector and handbrake mean the initial driving experience is refreshingly normal.

You simply power up, select drive and accelerate away. On the move, the ZOE’s steering feels more artificial than the e-up!’s and with 290kg of batteries to lug around, it’s a little inert compared with the VW (which is 254kg lighter). Body control isn’t bad, with the batteries mounted beneath the floorpan, but the Renault seems nose-heavy.

The car has zero emissions, but if you take into account the carbon dioxide produced by making the electricity in the first place, the ZOE's CO2 rating is around 54g/km.

There, you have it all. Which do you prefer?

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Motoringnigeria.com / autoexpress.co.uk

Nice Concept !!! Sadly This car wont perform at its peak in Nigeria.

Nice Concept !!! Sadly This car wont perform at its peak in Nigeria.
Meanwhile Cc: lalasticlala,ishilove *Push to FP*

Charging station will replace the current gas stations.

What if power finish for bush while travelling and you know no Nepa in many Nigerian villages.

The Tesla makes sense...but Naija road though?

That's the future of the auto industry....while they push their 1900's technology assembly plants to countries such as ours which proudly accept the cast off as welcomed development. Of the cars...I've seen many of the Leaf....and Kia Soul.... never k ew they were electric. The Leaf is really small. I am impressed with the Tesla S... seen a few.At first glance it looks like the Porches Panamera.....but it's quietness made me pay close attention...thought it had broken down. If money is not a problem....I'll go for Tesla.....that's all they do...make electric cars and I think they are ahead of all others.

Where is the Chevy Volt/Vauxhall Ampera?

Don't you think the Ford energi trim can be considered electric too, with a back up gas engine

http://www.ford.com/cars/fusion/trim/seenergi/

I think the Model S is unique because of its over the air software updates that users can get straight into the car. The car is superior in its interior and exterior design and Elon is working hard to become the Steve Jobs of the Automobiles industry (just check out his new plant) and he is succeeding gradually with the recent launch of the Model X Car/SUV with adjustable flap doors.

However, there recently were series of software/hardware glitches that required that Tesla recall some model S's. But guess what? Tesla's does not use Dealerships in their supply chain, so instead Tesla technicians flew helicopters daily to client sites to effect modifications for their clients - cool but a tid expensive.!!!

Many of these cars are actually Nigeria ready today!
Now, i know that some people here in lagos have guaranted power supply (i dont have o) for certain times of the day and the car can be plugged to charge then (just remember - i don tire no dey else you wont go to work tomorrow or they go dey push u 4 3rd mianland).

Think about it, if your daily city commute comprises 20miles drive to victoria island for instance, that's 40miles both ways. An additional 20Miles for traffic conditions in between commute and another 20 miles for shopping and errands - that adds up to 80Miles. For some of the EV's, you will still have some juice left. If you have influence at your work location, you can also get a charging station installed there for about 250K and so you change at home and at work

On the flipside, regards to a global adoption of EV, some of the concerns include

1. The image problem - early adopted looked ugly which challenged Elon Musk with the Tesla
2. Lack of charging stations - Battery fever for longer commuters
3 Limited range - range also deteriorates with age
4. Required frequency of charge - always tethering the car to electricity already seems like some work
5. cost of charge if you pay for electricity
6. Government favorable regulations - In Nigeria govt incentive to reduce tariff on hybrid cars can reduce green house gasses dramatically and alleviate the fuel lines at the filling stations.

IMHO i will prefer a plugin hybrid, gives me the best of both worlds - the ICE and hybrid system.

Mr. Jossy
2007 Prius 1NZ-FXE
2010 Prius 2ZR-FXE

Visit www.businessguide.com.ng to view the list of electric car sellers in Nigeria.