New EVs are arriving thick and fast – and this is what you need to know about the next year’s arrivals
Electric cars have never been more popular: sales have grown for the past 41 consecutive months, and over the first six months of 2023, more were sold than hybrids, plug-in hybrids or diesel cars.
That trend is only set to continue as a tidal wave of new models hits showrooms across the UK in the coming months.
If you’re among those looking to make the switch to an electric car, the good news is that there’s more variety than ever before. From cheap-and-cheerful hatchbacks like the MG 4 to continent-crushing limousines like the BMW i7, there’s something for everyone.
Read on for our guide to the latest electric cars, including when they’ll go on sale in the UK and how much they’ll cost.
Electric cars arriving in October 2023
Abarth 500e Convertible
The Abarth 500e Convertible isn’t a drop-top in the conventional sense: it has a landaulet-style roof that retains the hatchback’s pillars, meaning there’s no discernible penalty to rigidity. That means it’s just as fun to throw down a good country road as its tin-top sibling, if not more so, thanks to the additional airiness you get with the roof folded down. Sure, it’s £3000 more, but it also has stronger predicted residual values, so it’s not as costly an upgrade as you might think.
Abarth 500e Convertible review
BMW i5
The first electric 5 Series arrives this month in two forms: the £74,105 eDrive40, which packs a single 335bhp motor and offers a range of 357 miles; and the £97,745 M60, boosting power to 593bhp by way of a second motor, but cutting range to 315 miles. In either case, it’s a composed, comfortable saloon, if not quite as exciting as 5 Series of the past. An estate-bodied Touring variant arrives next year.
BMW i7 M70
BMW’s M performance division has swapped out the i7’s rear motor for a new six-phase unit, boosting its total output to 651bhp and cutting its 0-62mph time to 3.7sec. You’ll pay a handsome sum for the privilege, though: it starts at £161,905.
Fisker Ocean
Suffer from range anxiety? The Fisker Ocean is the car for you thanks to its 113kWh Hyper Range battery pack, which allows you to drive a whopping 440 miles between charges – more than any other electric SUV on sale. It’s priced at a hair under £61,000 in launch-spec Extreme guise.
Hyundai Kona Electric
Much like its sibling, the Kia Niro EV, the Kona Electric is a solid all-rounder at a competitive price. There’s a lot to like, including the notable increase in interior quality compared with the old Kona Electric, as well as the improved practicality. It isn’t exactly an inspiring car to drive, but we would challenge you to name a circa-£35k electric crossover that is.
Vauxhall Corsa Electric
More efficient motors and a larger 51kWh battery mean the facelifted Corsa Electric (née Corsa-e) is now capable of driving up to 246 miles between charges. Prices start from £31,945.
Vauxhall Corsa Electric review
Electric cars arriving in December 2023
BYD Dolphin
This Chinese-built hatchback will become the UK’s cheapest electric car when it arrives later this year, with prices starting from £25,490. That nets you an Active-spec model with a 93bhp motor and a 44.9kWh battery, claimed to yield a range of 211 miles between charges. However, we’d consider paying an extra £1000 for the Boost model, which adds a multi-link rear axle and a 178bhp motor.
BYD Seal
The Seal is a Tesla Model 3 rival with a similarly long range, a comfortable ride and a stylish interior. It will initially cost £44,990, with a 308bhp rear-mounted motor and an 82.5kWh battery capable of delivering 354 miles between charges. A cheaper variant with a 61kWh pack – and thus a shorter range – will join the line-up next year. There’s also a dual-motor version that sends a combined 523bhp through all four wheels, but it’s neither as comfortable nor as precise through bends as the 308bhp car.
Rolls-Royce Spectre
With this 577bhp EV, Rolls-Royce has attracted new customers with a level of interest that even CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös was “surprised” by. Production began in September, and first deliveries are set to start before the end of the year.
Electric cars worth waiting for in 2024
Alpine A290
The new Renault 5 (below)’s angrier cousin could be the electric hot hatch we’ve all been waiting for. Its development brief prioritises agility and feedback above all else: the A290 gains hydraulic bump stops and trick motor tech that simulates a mechanical limited-slip differential, compared with the regular R5. Prices are expected to start north of £40,000.
Alpine A290 on sale in 2024 as feisty electric hot hatch
Audi Q6 E-tron
The first model based on the Volkswagen Group’s new PPE architecture finally arrives next year, having been delayed several times due to software trouble. It’ll offer an official range of more than 372 miles, said Audi, and will charge at up to 270kW. Early signs are that it’s a spacious, comfortable and refined cruiser, as befits its expected price between £60,000 and £70,000.
BMW iX2
The rakish sibling to the BMW iX1 arrives with 309bhp and a range of 279 miles, priced at £1400 more than the equivalent iX1.
New 2024 BMW X2 grows and gains 279-mile electric option
Chery Omoda 5
Another ripple among the wave of Chinese brands targeting the UK’s electric car market, Chery is aiming for 10,000 annual sales of this new crossover. The Omoda 5 is positioned as a Toyota bZ4X and Nissan Ariya rival, equipped with a 61kWh battery that delivers a claimed range of around 280 miles. Prices are expected to start at around £45,000.
New Chery Omoda 5 EV brings 204bhp and 280 miles of range
Citroën ë-C3
The new Citroën C3 will become one of the cheapest electric cars available in the UK – and potentially the cheapest – when sales begin next autumn. It’s a taller, more rugged-looking proposition than the outgoing supermini but isn’t substantially longer or wider. At first, it will be offered with a 44kWh battery and a 111bhp front-mounted motor, giving a range of 199 miles and a 0-62mph sprint time of around 11.0sec.
New Citroen e-C3 brings 199-mile range for £22,000
Cupra Tavascan
The Tavascan is a sportier take on the Volkswagen ID 5 that will arrive with a potent dual-motor, four-wheel-drive powertrain, delivering a combined output of 335bhp and 501lb ft. It gets the same 77kWh (usable) battery as the ID 5, good for a range of up to 341 miles.
2024 Cupra Tavascan makes public debut at Munich motor show
Dacia Spring
The Spring will likely become the UK’s cheapest full-size electric car when it goes on sale next summer, arriving from China with significant design and technology upgrades to help it fend off competition from newer, European-designed EVs.
Fiat Topolino
Take a Citroën Ami, inject a dose of ‘la dolce vita’ and you get the new Topolino. Created to “make young people fall in love with the cars again”, it’s available in only one colour and can be purchased with nightclub-style ropes in place of traditional doors. Prices will start north of £8000.
2024 Fiat Topolino to launch in UK as Citroen Ami twin
Fiat 600e
Fiat’s take on parent firm Stellantis’s e-CMP2 architecture is a stylish, well-rounded family crossover that offers reasonably good value for money. It’s powered by a front-mounted 154bhp motor and a 51kWh (usable) battery, giving an official range of up to 254 miles. Prices start at £32,995.
Ford Explorer
The Ford Explorer was originally due to arrive this autumn, but has been pushed back to summer 2024 to ensure compliance with a new technical standard for EV batteries. When it arrives, it’ll mark the start of a new era for Ford of Europe, taking on a more explicitly American identity.
New Ford Explorer launch delayed to mid-2024
Honda e:Ny1
Honda’s second electric car might look like the petrol-powered HR-V, but it couldn’t be more different underneath. It packs a 68.8kWh battery offering 256 miles of range and is driven by a front-mounted motor that makes 201bhp and 229lb ft. Prices start at £44,995, which is higher than for the Tesla Model Y.
Hyundai Ioniq 5 N
Hyundai‘s track-honed, 641bhp mega-hatch is the first production EV to be breathed on by its N division, the team behind the acclaimed i20 N and i30 N petrol hot hatches. Revealed at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, it promises to “electrify the passion of driving” with a bespoke four-wheel-drive powertrain that can simulate a highly strung combustion engine – with all the noises to boot.
Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is 641bhp electric hot hatch
Kia EV9
Kia’s most expensive and luxurious car to date is a flexible family hauler, available with a six- or seven-seat interior layout. Prices start from £64,955, which gets you a seven-seater with a 336-mile range and a 200bhp motor driving the rear axle. Early signs point to it being a highly credible rival to Germany’s best.
Maserati Granturismo Folgore
The new Maserati GranTurismo might just be the car to dethrone the Porsche Taycan as the performance EV of choice: its tri-motor set-up provides four-wheel drive and a combined output of 751bhp.
Maserati GranTurismo Folgore review
MG Cyberster
MG’s first roadster in almost 30 years is a bruiser, packing a 536bhp dual-motor powertrain. It’s also larger and heavier than the brand’s historic cars. It is understood to tip the scales at 1850kg in 306bhp single-motor form and pile on an extra 135kg in full-fat models. Prices are expected to start at around £55,000.
MG Cyberster to be ‘affordable’ 309bhp electric roadster
Mini Cooper
Mini is going back to its roots with this one, optimising the popular hatchback’s interior packaging with shorter overhangs, a longer wheelbase and a wider track. The retro inspiration continues inside the new Mini, with a large central touchscreen positioned in place of the 1959 original’s rev counter.
Reborn electric Mini Cooper priced from £31,945 in the UK
Peugeot e-3008
Brand-new electric Peugeot SUV takes on a fastback design inspired by the 408. The French company touts a 435-mile range for the car, which will also spawn a dual-motor four-wheel-drive model. Inside, it’ll feature Peugeot’s latest version of its i-Cockpit, including a 21in curved LED screen. UK deliveries are pencilled in for February 2024.
Peugeot e-3008 pairs bold redesign with 435-mile range
Polestar 5
The Swedish firm’s new-fangled 872bhp electric GT debuted in prototype form at the 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed with a striking, aero-optimised exterior design and minimalist interior. A full unveiling is expected in early 2024 and deliveries later in the year.
First ride: 2024 Polestar 5 prototype review
Porsche Macan EV
Powered by a 100kWh battery or an optional 93kWh unit (providing 314 miles of range), the electric Macan’s 800V architecture allows maximum charging rates exceeding 270kW. It receives a pair of electric motors, one per axle, yielding power outputs of up to 603bhp and 738lb ft. Expect deliveries in 2024, followed by a slew of Porsche EVs scheduled over the following years.
First drive: 2024 Porsche Macan prototype
Range Rover EV
Land Rover’s first battery-electric car will become available to order later this year and arrive by the end of 2024. Billed as “the world’s first electric luxury SUV”, it promises to be recognisable as a Range Rover in its approach to luxury, usability and refinement.
Orders to open for battery-electric Range Rover later this year
Renault 5
Renault‘s smallest electric car is being developed with enjoyment at its core, from that charming retro design to a chassis aimed at maximising handling enjoyment.
Renault 5 platform targets keen dynamics, low cost
Renault Scenic
This long-running family hauler has made the switch from MPV to fashionable SUV and from petrol power to electric. It’s claimed to maintain the practicality of the original, with plenty of storage cubbies dotted around the interior, and a sizeable 545-litre boot. Two powertrains will be offered: Standard Range, capable of 0-62mph in 9.3sec and 261 miles between charges; and High Range, cutting 0.9sec from its sprint time and boosting range beyond 385 miles.
2024 Renault Scenic goes electric with 385-mile range
Tesla Model 3 facelift
More range, a nicer interior and a lower price are the headline changes for the facelifted Model 3. The entry-level rear-wheel-drive version is now priced from £39,990 – £3000 less than the outgoing car – and can drive a claimed 344 miles between charges. Deliveries begin in January.
New 2024 Tesla Model 3 brings big improvements for £3000 less
Vauxhall Crossland
The next-generation Vauxhall Crossland will introduce an electric version, in keeping with the ‘multi-energy’ approach of the Astra, Corsa and Mokka. Spy shots suggest it’ll be a larger, more rugged-looking proposition; expected to share the updated e-CMP platform with the Fiat 600e and Jeep Avenger.
Bigger, bolder Vauxhall Crossland to launch with EV in 2024
Volvo EX30
Volvo’s entry-level compact crossover will be a “cornerstone” of its reinvention as an electric-only manufacturer by helping to attract new, younger customers. The Jeep Avenger and Smart #1 rival is available to order in the UK now, priced from £33,795. Subscription packages will start at £579 per month, with customer deliveries due to start early 2024.
New Volvo EX30 Cross Country will be coming to UK
Volvo EX90
Volvo’s flagship electric car will start from around £100,000, comes with seven seats and will offer variants capable of covering up to 364 miles between charges. There will even be a version with more than 500bhp. Production was slated for 2023 but it’s been pushed back to give developers longer to test software.
Volvo EX90 rallies against ‘super-annoying’ driver monitoring
Volkswagen ID Buzz LWB
VW’s modern iteration of the Samba Bus comes as a seven-seat MPV powered by a newly upgraded 282bhp rear electric motor, as well as a larger 85kWh battery. It has the largest panoramic glass sunroof yet produced by the German firm, with a retro-inspired appearance similar to the standard ID Buzz.
New Volkswagen ID Buzz LWB gets 7 seats, 355bhp GTX variant
Volkswagen ID 7
Volkswagen’s latest electric car sits in a class almost of its own: it’s set to be significantly cheaper than the BMW i5 and Mercedes-Benz EQE, at roughly £50,000, yet offer similar proportions and a significantly greater range of 382 miles. UK deliveries are expected to start early next year, following production delays.
Volkswagen ID 7 goes official with 282bhp and 435-mile range
Source: Autocar
