Electric car test - Aixam Mega City

Aixam Mega City
Price £12,564
Range 37 miles

A smart, four-seat electric supermini for just £12,500? Yes, but don't get too excited because there are a few drawbacks.

First, performance. Now, it's important to remember that the Mega City is designed for the city and nothing more, but even so, acceleration isn't good enough. It took 13.7sec to hit 30mph in our tests, and that just won't keep you up with the traffic flow – even in Central London.

Even more disappointing is the way the Aixam stops: it took a longer distance to brake from 30mph than any other car here. It also has the worst range (just 37 miles) and it's poorly built. Its eight-hour charge time is about average.

There's more space inside than in the G-Wiz and MyCar, but the Aixam is no better to drive, and its turning circle is particularly poor – not what you want in a city car.

Finally, there's the price. If you want only two seats, Aixam will sell you a Mega for £11,564, but that still isn't cheap enough to justify the serious shortcomings. So, stump up more cash or buy the cheaper G-Wiz.