(Pocket-lint) – The age of the electric car is on us as more people move to embrace zero emission motoring and more manufacturers release an increasing number of models to choose from. 

While there’s still some way to go to establish a nationwide charging network that’s going to meet future demand, there’s expansion all the time, removing the worry that some might have about charging their car on the move. 

These are our favourite electric cars, all fully reviewed by us covering a range of compact, crossovers, SUVs, saloons and sports cars across all price points. These cars are all available to buy now, with many more to come in the future.

Honda e

• Compact hatch
• 137 mile range, 35.5kWh battery
• Prices from £27,160 

The Honda e is all about style. It’s totally unique and certainly one of the most interesting cars on the road, especially from the interior. The huge expanse of displays, the lounge style interior and the happy exterior styling give the Honda e plenty of appeal. 

But this is also a small electric car, with a smaller battery than many, meaning the range is strictly local – but that’s also reflected in the cheaper price.

• Honda e review: Small car is an electric star

Renault Zoe

• Compact hatch
• 238 mile range, 52kWh battery
• Prices from £26,170

The Renault Zoe has seen plenty of changes to bring it into its latest form – and it’s better than ever. With a 52kWh battery across all models it offers great range for a compact electric hatch, with the only catch being that you have to pay extra for faster charging. If you’re planning on always charging at home, that might not be a problem.

Otherwise it’s a fun car, perhaps not as unique as the Honda e in the interior, but what you do get works.

• Renault Zoe review: It’s all about the range

Mini Electric

• Compact hatch
• 130 mile range, 32.6kWh battery
• Prices from £24,900

The Mini Electric – or Mini Cooper SE as it’s technically known – is one of the most recent additions to the UK’s roads. It takes the Mini Hatch and packs in a small 32.6kWh battery, good for between 120-140 miles, so again, this is more of a local driver rather than something you’ll want to take long range. 

For the Mini lover it’s everything the Cooper S is – it’s sporty, fun to drive and basically looks and feels exactly the same as the petrol Mini. At the same time, not much has changed in bringing this out as an electric car.

• Mini Electric review: A Cooper S for the electric generation

Nissan Leaf and Leaf e+

• Hatchback
• 168 mile range, 40kWh battery
• Prices from £26,845 

The Nissan Leaf builds upon one of the best selling electric cars in the UK, firmly lodged in the hatchback segment. A new design, a bigger battery with longer range and a great drive give the Nissan Leaf plenty of appeal. There’s options for trim – without getting too expensive – and a drive that’s positive and fun.

There’s a Leaf e+ for those wanting more power and range, but the new Leaf e+ N-Tec at £33,295 with 240 miles of range is very appealing. It’s a little larger than those compact models, so a great family car.

• Nissan Leaf e+ review: Extended range, at a price

Hyundai Ioniq

• Compact saloon
• 193 mile range, 38.3kWh battery
• Prices from £30,950

The Hyundai Ioniq is a nod to efficiency. While cars like the Hyundai Kona push SUV styling, the Ioniq is designed to be as efficient as possible. That it can achieve the range it does from the limited battery is a testament to that – and that also helps keep the price in check.

There’s a lot of tech on board, a long warranty and pretty much everything comes as standard. Hyundai offers two levels of trim, but when it comes to value for money, you get a lot from the Ioniq. 

• Hyundai Ioniq Electric (2019) review: Stepping up its tech game

Tesla Model 3

• Compact saloon
• 267 miles (Standard Range Plus), 50kWh battery
• From £40,490 

The Tesla Model 3 is pitched as the affordable electric car, it comes in several variations, with the cheapest having the shortest range – but while the step-up (Long Range) offering an impressive 310 miles and all-wheel drive. 

There’s a minimalist interior but with a customary huge central display, safety features like Autopilot, and regular updates to the car’s tech offering. Tesla’s advantage also extends to the Supercharger network, which at busy points in the UK’s road network often provides many more rapid chargers than are available to other EV drivers.

• Tesla Model 3 Long Range review: The EV revolution is truly underway

Kia e-Niro

• Crossover
• 282 mile range (Long Range), 64kWh battery
• Prices from £33,855

What the Kia e-Niro does is squeeze a long range out of a modest battery, thanks to its efficient design. It’s a crossover so has appeal with a high ride height – great for the school run – but it doesn’t go to the luxury extremes that some other models do, and it’s lighter as a result, which is beneficial in an EV.

It’s a great car, because you get a lot of miles for your money, features to support EV driving and a great spec even at the entry level. As EVs go, it’s superb, with the shorter range coming in at under £30k.

• Kia e-Niro review: An electric car that’s easy to love

Hyundai Kona Electric

• Crossover
• 300 mile range (Long Range), 64kWh battery
• Prices from £36,150

The Hyundai Kona gets you a lot of tech and safety gear, plus ample space for a family of four thanks to the SUV styling, a close relative of the Kia e-Niro. The 64kWh version is the most appealing, with close to 300 mile range, which lifts the price but basically gives you everything on the spec sheet. There’s also a 39kWh version in SE and Premium trims, which start at £30,150.

It shares a lot with the Kia e-Niro, so you get a lot for your money, with hugely competitive pricing.

• Hyundai Kona Electric review: The everyman’s EV is a near-perfect crossover

BMW i3

• Crossover
• 190 mile range, 42.2kWh battery
• Prices from £36,575

The BMW i3 certainly turns heads with its somewhat unusual looks. But under that boxy exterior, the i3 is as much a BMW as any of its regular, fuel-powered cars. One of the first pure electric – and designed to be electric first – cars, the BMW i3 is also one of the most popular on the roads.

It’s practical, it’s comfortable, it’s futuristically designed – and it’s a reasonable performer. The battery is small compared to some others and BMW has updated the i3 a couple of times, with a feeling that it’s slowly reaching the end of its tenure.

• BMW i3 review: Living with the ultimate electric car?

Kia Soul EV 2020

• Crossover
• 282 mile range, 64kWh battery
• Prices from £34,295

The Kia Soul EV is now in its second generation, sharing a lot with the Kia e-Niro when it comes to the battery, range and overall driving experience. It’s a touch cheaper for the First Edition, making this one of the most affordable longer range EVs on the roads right now.

Yes, the design does divide opinion with its boxy looks, and the interior space is geared towards the passengers rather than the boot. But this is a great electric car, lovely to drive and does away with common pain points like range anxiety. 

• Kia Soul EV (2020) review: Back with more battery

Jaguar i-Pace

• SUV
• 300 mile range, 90kWh battery
• Prices from £65,195

The Jaguar i-Pace was one of the first big marque, completely electric, cars on the road. The i-Pace pushes into SUV styling, giving you space and practicality inside, but with a sporty drive. It’s very much a luxury electric car to excite. There’s oodles of tech, but it’s the smoothness of the driving that really makes this car feel like the embodiment of an electric future. 

There’s lots of power, while the realistic driving range comes in somewhere in the 220-250 mile range. Jaguar wants to offer refinement in the premium segment and it manages that with aplomb.

• Jaguar i-Pace review: The electric SUV game-changer

Audi e-tron

• SUV
• 193 mile range, 71kWh battery
• Prices from £61,360

The Audi e-tron is the company’s first all-electric vehicle – and perhaps the car to normalise electrification. Why? Because this Audi SUV looks, feels and drives, well, just like most other Audi cars. It just happens to be electric.

There are two battery sizes, with a decent saving to be had if you opt for the smaller, accepting the lesser range that it offers. There’s also a Sportback version of the e-tron, with sloping roofline for more sporty looks. 

• Audi e-tron review: Audi goes all-electric and it’s e-mazing

Tesla Model X

• SUV
• 348 mile range (Long Range Plus), 100kWh battery
• Prices from £82,980

The Model X is the fastest SUV on the planet and will catapult you to 60mph in 2.9 seconds. The other talking point of the Model X is the falcon wing doors, that open up and out the way to allow passengers to easily access the second and third rows of seats. It’s very much the big daddy of electric cars right now.

You get long range, access to Tesla’s Supercharger network and the infamous Autopilot. But the price is high, as is the impression it makes when you cruise silently past.

• Tesla Model X review: The ultimate electric SUV?

Polestar 2

• Saloon
• 310 mile range, 78kWh battery
• Prices from £49,900

The Polestar 2 is one of the newer models to hit the roads and it’s made quite an impact, offering comfort, style and performance with good value for money. It’s clearly gunning for some of Tesla’s audience.

It also has really sophisticated tech inside, powered by Google, while offering a number of unique design twists to keep this Volvo offshoot interesting.

• Polestar 2 review: Electric car superstar

Tesla Model S

• Saloon
• 405 mile range (Long Range Plus), 100kWh battery
• Prices from £74,980

If you were looking for the father of electric cars, it has to be the Tesla Model S. It marries the economic and environmental benefits of electric power, with a serious helping of luxury and speed.

The Tesla Model S was wowing with its speed and huge interior touchscreen while electric cars were still a twinkle in many other manufacturers’ eyes. While most have focused on small car or SUV, the Tesla Model S cuts a swathe through the executive saloon segment. There are two versions to choose from: Long Range Plus and Performance, with Plaid coming in 2021.

• Tesla Model S 100D review: London to Scotland and back in the reigning EV king

Porsche Taycan

• Sports saloon
• 230 miles, 71kWh battery
• Prices from £83,580

The Porsche Taycan is a visionary retelling of what is probably the world’s most popular sports car. There are plentiful versions, Taycan 4S, Taycan Turbo and Turbo S, with different batteries and a wide range of prices too. 

But all aim to offer that futurisitic drive – and there’s no avoiding the fact that from the exterior looks to the interior quality, the Taycan is one of the most impressive electric cars on the road. But you’d expect that – it’s a Porsche after all – and that’s what you should demand for the price you’ll pay.

• Porsche Taycan Turbo S review: High-voltage visionary

Writing by Chris Hall.