Best all-round used electric cars for under £30k

When making the switch to an electric car, buying new isn't always necessary.

Electric cars have come a long way in a short space of time, and while newer models are more efficient and offer the lastest technology, there are plenty of used models that will meet your needs.

With this in mind, we've put together a list of affordable all-round electric cars that will easily cover your morning commute and much more besides. 

MG 5 

Whether you opt for the 250-mile SE Long Range or the 235-mile tech-orientated Trophy Long Range, the MG5 has you covered when it comes to boot space with its 578-litre capacity (1367 litres with the seats folded). It also has your back if you need to precondition your car on winter days via the MG iSMART phone app or if you need to zip off the mark for whatever reason (0-60mph in 7.3sec). We spotted a 2022 Trophy with just 584 miles for £25,595. 

Renault Megane E-Tech

The new E-Tech shows just how grown up the Megane can be. Passengers get 209mm of leg room, there’s also 33 litres of cabin storage and a 440-litre boot which extends to 1332 litres with the rear seats folded. The 220bhp electric motor delivers a 0-62mph time of 7.5sec and Renault claims the range is 280 miles. There are few used cars available but we spotted a 2023 car with 5500 miles for just £29,990.

Volkswagen ID 3

When released, the ID 3 was equipped with a 58kWh battery good for 265 miles. It would charge via a 50kW rapid charger from 10 to 80% in just over an hour, but if you found a fast 150kW unit, that’d be cut to just 30min. Open the boot and you’re met with 385 litres, fold the rear seats flat and this expands to 1267 litres. Its 201bhp motor helps the ID 3 complete the 0-62mph dash in just 7.3sec before topping out at 99mph. We noticed a clean 2020 car with 38,000 miles for just £18,500. 

MG 4

Depending on how far you travel, MG’s MG4 has you covered with its three trim levels: SE (218 miles), SE Long Range (281 miles) and the tech-packed Trophy Long Range (270 miles). The basic SE model is lighter and gets 170bhp, enough to get it to 62mph from rest in 7.5sec; the heavier but more powerful (201bhp) SE Long Range and Trophy Long Range guises are 0.7 of a second slower. Despite the shape, boot space is generous at 363 litres (1177 litres with the seats folded). We spotted a 2022 SE model with just 3700 miles for £24,000. 

Nissan Leaf

It’s still popular due to its compact frame, 168-mile range and semi-quick charging time (charging from 20 to 80% in an hour). The boot’s big enough for a medium dog and boasts 435 litres, fold the seats down and this increases to 1176 litres. For those needing more punch, you can choose the Leaf e+ variant. This variant produces 217bhp, 67bhp more than the standard car, which means it’ll dispatch 0-62mph in 6.9sec. We spotted a 2020 car with 29,000 miles for just £13,000. 

Skoda Enyaq

Skoda’s first EV was a beer truck and it was built in 1939; its first bespoke electric car, however, was the Enyaq, released in 2020. Buyers can either choose the iV 60, a 177bhp 256-mile-range car, or opt for the more expensive 201bhp iV 80, which is good for 329 miles. The estate rear means the boot has 585 litres or 1710 litres with the seats flat; this is reduced to 570 and 1610 litres for those who choose the pricey Coupe variant. Today, the 80 guise creeps above our £30,000 limit but we spotted a nice 2021 car with 17,000 miles for £28,500.

BMW i3

You may question the ability to transport a large dog in the boot of the i3 and we wouldn’t blame you — boot size is only 260 litres or 1100 litres with the seats folded. It has four seats and accessing the rear is done via the nifty rear-hinged doors. The range for the EV-only variant was originally around 100 miles whereas the range-extender, which had a 657cc engine, pushed that to 186 miles. For 2016 models, the battery was increased and the range expanded to 195 miles and 276 miles respectively. In 2022, BMW canned the i3 to focus on the i4 and iX cars. We spotted a 2020 range-extender car with 22,000 miles for £17,500.

Peugeot e-208

Like the normal 208, Peugeot managed to keep the boot space at 311 litres (1106 litres with the seats folded) due to the batteries being mounted in the floor. There’s only a 136bhp electric motor available here but it’ll still crack 0-60mph in 7.5sec and deliver 192lb ft. Peugeot claims that the e-208 is good for 218 miles and that it’ll charge from empty to 80% in 30min from a 100kW charging station. We spotted a 29,000-mile 2020 car for £15,500. 

Renault Zoe

Things start with a 22kWh battery, giving 130 miles and 88bhp, which is enough for city driving. The larger 41kWh battery is claimed to last for 250 miles while newer cars have a 55kWh 223-mile 135bhp option with rapid charging. Boot space is generous at 338 litres, extending to 1225 litres with the seats flat. We spotted a newer 55kWh 2022 Zoe with 1000 miles for just £19,000. 

Peugeot e-2008

If you’re finding yourself looking at the MG ZS or the Kia e-Niro, the e-2008 should also be on your list. Like the e-208, it has 136bhp, it will hit 62mph from rest in under 9sec and reach 93mph flat out. It has a 50kWh battery pack which Peugeot says is good for 212 miles and it’ll support rapid charging up to 100kW, replenishing it from 10 to 80% in 30min. The boot space matches that of the normal 2008 at 405 litres, falling ever so slightly short of the MG ZS and e-Niro. We spotted a 2021 car with 19,000 miles for £18,000.

Lexus UX 300e

We’re used to Lexus giving us hybrid and plug-in hybrid cars but the 300e is the first toe the brand dipped into all-electric waters. The 300e is an SUV, and while you’d expect the hybrid to have more boot space, the EV guise trumps it at 370 versus the hybrid’s 320 litres. Lexus claims that the battery is good for 196 miles and that the 201bhp will get it to 62mph from rest in 7.5sec; given enough room, it’ll top out at 100mph. The 2021 car we spotted with just 7000 miles had all the luxury and tech you’d expect from a Lexus and only cost £25,000.

Hyundai Ioniq 5

If you fancy a head-turner, then the Ioniq 5 is the way to go with its aggressive front and galactic-like rear lights. There’re three battery options available: a 58kWh, a 73kWh and a 77kWh but the smaller 58kWh is the one in our £30,000 budget. This option will still manage around 238 miles on a charge and deliver decent performance from its 168bhp motor — 0-62mph in 8.5sec. Its 527-litre boot extends to 1587 litres if you fold the seats flat. We spotted a 2022 car with 15,000 miles for £29,000. 

Audi e-Tron

What was once Audi’s flagship EV can now be had for under £30,000. The e-Tron has seen various variants since its release but the 71.2kWh 50 with 309bhp is good for 194 miles and will charge to 80% from empty in just 40min from a 120kW charger. Open the boot lid and you’re met with a 660 litres of space, expanding to 1725 litres with the seats down. Being the 50, performance is swift with 0-62mph arriving in 6.8sec while the top speed is 118mph. There are a few to choose from but we spotted a 2020 car with 45,000 miles for just £27,500.

Citroën ë-C4

The ë-C4 doesn’t have the largest battery on our list at 50kWh but Citroën does say that it’s good for 219 miles and will charge from 15 to 80% in 30min using a 100kW charger. The boot is decent at 380 litres (1250 litres with the seats down) which is like the one found in the Volkswagen ID.3.

Its 136bhp electric motor means that the ë-C4 will take a leisurely 10sec to reach 62mph but it does have 192lb ft on tap for swift overtaking. There are plenty to choose from in the used market but we noticed a 2022 car with just 7000 miles for £21,000.

Mini Electric

It uses the drivetrain from the earlier BMW i3 which means the electric Mini achieves 144 miles. Mini implanted an electric motor from an i3s, producing 181bhp and 199lb ft, the result of which is that it nearly rivals the petrol-powered Cooper S in the 0-62mph sprint, taking just 7.3sec. It’s worth remembering that the Mini Electric is a city car, and while its boot space isn’t dreadful, it is just 211 litres (731 litres with the seats folded). We spotted a near-new 2022 car with 3000 miles for £27,000. 

MG ZS

It’s easy to see why the ZS EV is so popular with its plethora of standard tech on offer and four trim levels: SE, Trophy, SE Long Range and Trophy Long Range, catering for various range needs. Range is 198 miles for the SE and spans to 387 miles for both Long Range variants. Cars come with adaptive cruise control, traffic jam assist, lane keep assist and high beam assist. The ZS has a large boot at 470 litres (1100 litres seats folded). All variants will hit 62mph from rest in around 8sec. We saw a 2022 Trophy with 4000 miles for £23,000. 

Hyundai Kona Electric

Hyundai offered two variants for the Kona: a 136bhp 189-mile 39kWh and a 204bhp 300-mile 64kWh — both fall into our £30,000 budget. The latter is nearly 2sec quicker to 62mph than the 39kWh version at 7.9sec but both cars will top out at around 100mph. Both variants have 332 litres of boot space and 1114 litres with the seats folded. We noticed an 8100-mile 2022 64kWh car for £26,000. 

DS Automobiles DS 3 Electric

Although there’s only one trim to choose from, a 50kWh, Citroen claims it gives 232 miles of range. Mix this with a 134bhp 192lb ft motor and you get a spacious SUV with decent boot space — 350 litres — with enough oomph to hit 62mph from rest in 8.7sec. Its max charging speed is 101kW, or 10 to 80% in just 30min. We spotted a clean 2021 car with just 31 miles for £28,000. 

Mercedes B250e

Arriving in 2015 was the B250e and to this day it remains one of the best all-round EVs due to its 500-litre boot, extending to 1456 litres with the seats down. It packs a punch thanks to the 177bhp 251lb ft motor and 0-62mph arrives in just under 8sec. The battery is only 36kWh which explains why the range falls short of quite a few cars on our list at just 124 miles and there’s no rapid charging available. Charging from a 22kW charger does only take three hours, however. They can be picked up from as little as £10,000 but we spotted a high-spec 2017 model with 29,000 miles for £15,000. 

Mazda MX-30

The MX-30 traces its roots almost back to the RX-8 with its rear-hinged doors and Mazda released it as an electric sibling to the CX-30. 2022 cars received a charging hike from 40kW to 50kW, meaning the 35.5kWh battery, capable of around 124 miles, will charge from 20 to 80% in just 26min. All cars get LED headlamps, heated mirrors, front and rear parking sensors, rain-sensing wipers and a reversing camera. The boot size is 350 litres or 1155 litres when you fold the seats down and the 143bhp motor will haul it to 62mph in just under 10sec. We noticed a 3600-mile 2022 car for £24,500.