New Year, new car? Check out some of our favourite EV’s from 2020
Let’s be honest, 2020 wasn’t great was it? Unless, perhaps, you love electric vehicles (EVs). Last year was a wonderful time in the land of electric, environmentally-friendly motoring. More models, more interest, more availability and over 108,000 pure electric vehicles registered in the UK! The number of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) registered in 2020 was slightly higher than the DriveElectric forecast of 98,500 back in January last year, this year we’re predicting over 200,000 Pure Electric Vehicles to hit UK roads in 2021!
So, what better way to round off a trying year than by celebrating the best electric cars to come out in 2020? We’ve broken down our favourite EV releases of the year into six different categories, to bring you our Class of 2020 awards.
Best range – Polestar 2
Polestar has risen from its origins as a racing arm of Swedish manufacturer, Volvo, to be a leading light in the challenge to range-masters Tesla in the EV sector. With the first UK deliveries of the Polestar 2 Fastback coming in June 2020, this exciting fully-electric car has a 78kWh battery pack which produces a mighty WLTP range of 292 miles. Our ‘real world’ range comes in at 265 miles, which is 55 miles more than the similarly-priced Tesla Model 3 Standard Plus. The Polestar electric car evolution is certainly one to keep an eye on in the coming years.
Most practical – Kia Soul EV
Sure, it’s a little quirky, but who doesn’t like a bit of individuality when travelling amongst the sea of cars out on the roads? Bold and funky, the all-electric 2020 Kia Soul enjoyed an update this year which along with some other improvements, enhanced the battery capacity to 64 kWh. This increased the WLTP range of the new Kia Soul Electric to more than 280 miles, with our real world figure closer to 220 miles. Brimming with excellent features and handy touches such as driver aids and wireless mobile phone charging, the Kia Soul electric vehicle has plenty of neat storage solutions and space for all the family. We’re talking a 315-litre luggage compartment, which extends to nearly 1,340 litres with the rear seats down.
Most stylish – Porsche Taycan 4S
No contest here – it’s an all-electric Porsche, for goodness sake. The Porsche Taycan 4S is a game-changer in the world of electric motoring. Its 93 kWh battery pack serves up 523bhp and can whisk you from 0-62 mph in just 4.0 seconds. Things get a little ludicrous when you move up to the Turbo S model, which delivers 751bhp and a 0-62 of 2.8 seconds. The performance is astonishing and combined with those classic Porsche lines that are so appealing to the eye, the Taycan is a serious piece of kit. Oh, and it has a real-world range of 235 miles, while Porsche Taycan charging speeds top out at 270 kW. This means Taycan drivers are able to take advantage of the super fast IONITY network which has the ability to charge at speeds of up to 350 kW per hour, achieving 62 miles charge in just 6 minutes you can top the vehicle up to 80% in no time (less than 20 minutes).
Best all rounder – Volkswagen ID.3
A compact car with a great range, Volkswagen’s new and much anticipated VW ID range is set to revolutionise this historic manufacturer. The Volkswagen ID.3 comes in a selection of trims, while there are three different battery sizes available. The mid-range 62 kWh battery pack is capable of 215 real world miles, which should be more than enough for buzzing around the city all day without the need to recharge. The VW ID.3 interior is packed with exciting features, not least the ID.Light function which communicates with you visually and helps you navigate through traffic more easily.
Cheapest to run – Hyundai IONIQ Electric
For many people interested in electric cars, cost per mile is a key consideration, and the Hyundai IONIQ Electric performs admirably in this respect. Its 38 kWh battery pack boasts an impressive real world range of around 165 miles. Based on a home charging electricity cost of 14p per kWh, this equates to a stunning electric cost per mile of just 3.2p. Better still, you can pick up a brilliant deal on a Hyundai IONIQ lease, this EV is consistently available sub £200 (+VAT) to lease, currently (Jan 2021) this car is costing just You can read more about this great, affordable car in our Hyundai IONIQ review.
Most fun – Mini Electric
The launch of the new Mini Electric in 2020 was a game-changer. One of the most iconic cars in history offering a fully-electric version with no compromise in its famous driving experience was another watershed moment for EVs. A joy to drive and therefore staying true to the essence of this historic British marque, the Cooper S spec comes in three different trim levels, imaginatively named Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3. From its legendary styling to swathes of modern touches and that fun-filled driving experience, the Mini Electric car is also capable of around 115 real world miles on a single charge.
Our top six 2020 EV releases compared
There’s a lot to love about our favourite EVs of 2020, with each car bringing something different to the table. Below are some of the headline figures you get with each car, including how much they cost to charge and the range you can expect to get from their batteries.
| Vehicle | Battery size | Full charge time | Cost of full charge | WLTP range | ‘Real world’ range | Cost per 100 ‘real world’ miles |
| Polestar 2 | 90 kWh | 12 hours 51 minutes | £12.60 | 292 miles | 265 miles | £4.75 |
| Kia Soul EV | 64 kWh | 9 hours 9 minutes | £8.96 | 281 miles | 220 miles | £4.07 |
| Porsche Taycan 4S | 93 kWh | 13 hours 17 minutes | £13.02 | 253 miles | 225 miles | £5.79 |
| Volkswagen ID.3 | 62 kWh | 8 hours 51 minutes | £8.68 | 261 miles | 215 miles | £4.04 |
| Hyundai IONIQ Electric | 38 kWh | 5 hours 26 minutes | £5.32 | 193 miles | 165 miles | £3.22 |
| Mini Electric | 33 kWh | 4 hours 43 minutes | £4.62 | 144 miles | 115 miles | £4.02 |
*based on home charging speed of 7kW at a cost of 14p/kWh
Whether you’re asking yourself how do electric cars work or you want advice on a specific model, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. Our friendly, experienced team will happily help guide you through your EV journey as best we can.
