Budget EVs: Our Top 5 Best Value Picks

EVs are getting more affordable by the minute – and that’s a great thing!

It’s easy to rank the cheapest EVs by list price - but if you’re looking for more information on the best value of these budget EVs, you’ll need to factor in the cost of home charger installation (if you don’t have one), charging, and maintenance and repairs.

So, we’ve done the hard work for you and put together our top five recommendations for the best affordable EVs based on total cost of ownership.

• We’ve based monthly leasing payments on a 4-year lease at 5,000 miles per year, with an initial payment equal to three monthly payments.
• We’ve calculated home charging costs at 3p a mile – which is roughly how much you’ll pay on our Intelligent Octopus Go - EV Saver tariff.
• We used Octopus EV’s average home charger cost (£899) – this includes installation as well. That’s over £200 cheaper than the industry average of £1,110.
• For home charger purchase and installation, based on 2025 data from the Electric Car Guide.
• We’ve defined ‘affordable’ as any car with a list price of £37,000 or less, in line with the UK Government’s Electric Car Grant.

Your total leasing payment will consist of one initial payment equal to three monthly payments, and 47 monthly leasing payments over the course of a four-year lease. The initial payment is not a deposit – instead, it works to lower the monthly payments over the span of your lease.

Did you know: Intelligent EV often runs deals that give you a free home charger and installation? If this applies to your car below, you can knock £1,100 (the average cost of an EV charger and installation) off the total cost of ownership.

The BYD Dolphin is, perhaps, the first mass market EV that the UK has truly fallen in love with – and it’s easy to see why. Nimble, surprisingly spacious, and super affordable, this nifty hatchback ticks all the right boxes for couples, families, and the young-free-and-single alike.

With a strong real-world range for a smaller car and an acceleration of 0-60 in 7 seconds, the performance is definitely there, which makes the Dolphin great fun to drive. A range of smart features make for economical, easy driving, including intelligent voice control, driver assist features, and Over-The-Air updates.

Read our review of the BYD Dolphin

Need a car compact enough to tackle tiny parking spots and tight city streets? Want to look incredibly stylish whilst doing so? The Dacia Spring is your answer.

This eye-catching city car offers brilliantly thought-through design at a super accessible price point – it feels surprisingly spacious for a small car, and is no slouch when it comes to features either. Drivers enjoy vehicle-to-load compatibility, a remote management app, and a stylish YouClip customisation system, which at under £300p/m offers plenty of bang for your buck.

Fact file

• Average real-world range: 100 miles
• Release date: 2024
• Best for: city driving and commutes, second ‘runaround’ car for families
• Fun fact: The Dacia Spring is currently the UK’s cheapest EV!

The Omoda E5 looks and feels like a car far more expensive than it actually is. Spacious family SUVs are few and far between at this price point – the Omoda E5 offers real value when it comes to what you get for your money.

A decent real-world range and interior storage that will accommodate everything from school bags to bulky camping gear make the Omoda E5 a highly practical pick. Meanwhile, slick, premium-feel interiors, complete with wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay connection and twin curved displays, offer plenty of comfort on longer journeys.

Fact file

• Estimated range: 215 miles
• Year released: 2024
• Best for: families that need a spacious all-rounder on a budget
• Fun fact: The Omoda E5 is the Chinese manufacturer’s first UK release

The MG 4 is an all-electric hatchback that packs a punch when it comes to performance and smart driving features. With industry-leading safety features and a surprising amount of power behind it, it’s the perfect hot hatch pick for a mixture of practicality and pleasure.

The 265-mile real-world range is a standout on a car of this size, whilst five separate regen braking settings give you a choice of how you drive – the most powerful enables one-pedal driving. Elsewhere, you’ll find V2L (vehicle to load) compatibility, keyless start and entry, wireless phone charging, and a six-speaker sound system.

Read our review of the MG4

Fact file

• Estimated range: 265 miles
• Year released: 2022
• Best for: couples, young families
• Fun fact: The MG4 is currently one of the only EVs that is cheaper (going by list price) than its nearest petrol rivals!

The E-2008 combines the spacious cabin of a family SUV with a footprint that makes it easy to manoeuvre around tight town centres. If you’re looking for a family car that can shift seamlessly from city commutes to longer drives, the E-2008 should be on your list.

The E-2008 offers one of the most comfortable rides on this list, thanks to its premium-feel interiors, supportive seats, and minimal road noise. There are plenty of driver assist features too, including adaptive cruise control and the latest-generation automatic emergency braking.

Fact file

• Estimated range: 185 miles
• Year released: 2023
• Best for: families that need a car that works for weekend getaways as much as the daily school run
• Fun fact: Peugeot’s first EV – the VLV (Véhicule Léger de Ville - Light City Vehicle) was released in 1941

Looking for a budget-friendly EV that doesn’t skimp on range or features? The BYD Dolphin Surf is officially here – and with a starting price under £20,000, it’s making waves.

Previously launched in China as the BYD Seagull, the UK version comes with upgraded safety features, a sleek new name (we see you, seaside chip-stealers), and an expected range of over 200 miles - not bad for a compact city car.

Small in size, big on value - the Dolphin Surf is definitely one to keep an eye on.

Intelligent EV is more than just a car on your driveway. Here’s what you get:

• A selection of the best EVs to choose from - find the perfect car for you and lease with affordable monthly payments, new or used.
• Smart charging - save money at home and on the road with exclusive discounts on Electroverse and Octopus Energy’s smart tariffs.
• Servicing and maintenance - we’ll keep your car in top shape with included servicing, maintenance, and repairs.
• Extra Octopus perks - save £500 on heat pumps and solar panels with Octopus energy and slash your energy bills further (plus more goodies when your car is delivered) - getting you that one step closer to that low-carbon home.