Electric Cars

10 of the best small electric cars you can buy in 2025

• 5 min read

Ben Custard

Content Editor

Ben is a Content Editor at Motorpoint. He's written for Top Gear and Auto Express, and has written a book. He likes hot hatches, estates and weird Japanese cars

Electric cars are now a regular sight on the UK’s roads but, with more options than ever before, choosing the right model can be tricky.

This is especially true if you live in a city where tight parking spaces and narrow gaps in traffic are your bread and butter. If you’re looking for a battery-powered car to zip through dense urban areas, here are our picks for the best small electric cars.

Here are our favourite small electric cars you can buy in 2025:

1. Renault 5

Range – up to 255 miles

We could award the Renault 5 this accolade simply for the way it looks – its athletic styling is littered with nods to the classic R5. This is a car that’s attracting people based on first impressions, rather than what it’s powered by. But there’s much more to enjoy besides the design, with attractive pricing, sparkling handling and, perhaps most importantly, a Google-based infotainment system that’ll divert you around bottlenecks quicker than you can say ‘zut alors’. Two batteries are available, offering up to 194 and 255 miles respectively.

Read more about the new Renault 5 EV and its optional wicker baguette holder

2. Peugeot e-208

Range – up to 217 miles

The e-208 is Peugeot’s first EV and shares much of its design with its fuel-powered siblings. However, it gains a 100kW electric motor and 50kWh battery for an electric range of more than 200 miles. A new 54kWh battery increases the range to almost 250 miles. The e-208 marks itself out from other cars on this list by looking fairly conventional without shouting about its EV underpinnings, so might suit you if you want to stay understated.

Shop used Peugeot e-208 cars for sale or read our Peugeot 208 review

3. Vauxhall Corsa Electric

Range – up to 221 miles

The Corsa is now available with an electric option, and it’s the non-identical twin of the e-208. The looks and name might be different but both cars share DNA – the 50kWh battery is identical, and you can also choose the bigger battery in brand-new Corsas. Often, the Corsa is a little cheaper than an equivalent e-208, and a used Corsa-e is roughly the same price as a petrol one at the moment.

Shop used Vauxhall Corsa cars for sale or read our Vauxhall Corsa review

4. Mini Cooper E/ SE

Range – up to 250 miles

The previous-generation Mini Cooper SE is one of the most fun electric cars, but its 143-mile official range limited its usability. Behind this new car’s clean, pared-back looks, there are two battery options – the Cooper E gets close to 200 miles between charges, and the Cooper SE increases that to around 250 miles. Much more like it. Both versions get from 0-62mph in around seven seconds, give or take, so it feels pretty quick off the line.

Shop used Mini Cooper cars for sale or read our Mini Cooper review

5. Fiat 500e

Fiat 500 Electric in rose gold driving front three quarter shot

Range – up to 199 miles

This is the second generation of Fiat’s ‘new’ 500 and, this time, the only choice under the bonnet is an electric motor. The new model offers a similar package to its predecessor – super-stylish bodywork with city-friendly proportions, paired with a surprisingly upmarket retro-inspired cabin. Most have an infotainment system with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, while basic cars give you a phone holder – you’ve got all the apps you could want in your pocket and it reduces the cost.

Shop used Fiat 500e cars for sale

6. Jeep Avenger

Range – up to 248 miles

Jeep’s first electric car is a car that won’t be sold in its native America. We’re glad it’s sold on this side of the pond, because the Avenger’s 4x4-at-80-percent-scale styling will cheer you up and cheer other drivers up – especially if you get it in yellow. The interior – from the body-coloured dash panel to the iPad cover on the centre console and even the drum’n’bass indicators – is characterful and charming, and using the same underpinnings as the Peugeots and Vauxhalls on this list makes for strong range and performance figures.

Shop used Jeep Avenger cars for sale or read our Jeep Avenger review

7. Peugeot e-2008

Range – up to 226 miles

Like its hatchback sibling covered above, the Peugeot e-2008 is the battery-powered version of the regular 2008 crossover. That means you get the same 200-mile range and 100kW motor for smooth, silent acceleration. Inside, you get a little more passenger space and 122 litres more boot space than the e-208, making this electric crossover a slightly better choice for families.

Shop used Peugeot 2008 cars for sale or read our Peugeot 2008 review

8. BMW i3

Range – up to 189 miles

It might look futuristic, but the BMW i3 is actually one of the older cars on this list. Don’t let its age fool you, however, because its carbon-fibre-reinforced chassis, airy cabin made from recycled materials and funky rear-hinged back doors help the i3 feel bang up to date. A mid-life update brought range up to a usable 189 miles to complement its hot-hatch-like acceleration.

Shop used BMW i3 cars for sale or read our BMW i3 review

9. Smart #1

Range – up to 273 miles

Behind the marshmallowy styling, the cute but distracting fox on the touchscreen and over-keen safety assistance, the Smart #1 is a great little urban EV. It doesn’t take up a lot of space on the road but the interior space is positively generous, making the Jeep Avenger feel like you’re crammed in a phone box by comparison. The interior is cool and airy, performance is nifty and even the entry-level 49kWh model can manage 193 miles on a charge – so it’s efficient, too. If you want to make your passengers terrified and/or violently sick, go for the Brabus one – its 3.8-second 0-62mph time matches the Lamborghini Urus.

Shop used Smart #1 cars for sale

10. Fiat Grande Panda

Range – up to 199 miles

The Fiat Grande Panda is unashamedly cheap-feeling, leaning into it so much that you can’t help but love it. And it is cheap, too, starting from under £21,000 brand-new as we write this. Let’s just say the current crop of small EVs is the best yet. The Grande Panda manages almost 200 miles of range, so long journeys aren’t out of the question, and there’s even a built-in spaghetti-like charging cable behind the ‘grille’.

Read more about the Fiat Grande Panda and its bamboo glovebox

Small electric cars: best of the rest

Still not sure what to pick?

If you’re more worried about the size of your monthly bills than the size of your car, check out our list of the best cheap EVs. If you’re not sure whether an electric car is for you, take a look at our handy guide to hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles or our guide to buying an electric car.