What Car? launches new Electric Car Awards

UK’s best electric and plug-in hybrid Electric cars to be named by What Car? in August as part of new Electric Car Awards...

2020 Renault Zoe charging

The inaugural What Car? Electric Car Awards, which will be held in association with Myenergi, will take place in August, following an unprecedented rise in the interest in more environmentally-friendly cars among consumers during lockdown.

The standalone event will name the best pure pure electric (EV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models in a variety of buyer-friendly categories, in order to support consumers who are looking to switch to an electrified vehicle.

During lockdown, What Car? polled its online audience weekly on their attitudes to car buying, including whether their views on cleaner motoring were changing. From a poll of more than 6000 would-be car buyers, a peak of 26% said they were more inclined to buy an EV or PHEV model as a result of the changed environment they were living in.

The poll insight was backed by What Car?’s own online search data, which revealed the Tesla Model 3 was, at times, the most-searched-for car on its website during lockdown, with the Kia e-Niro and Hyundai Kona Electric regularly joining it in the top 10. What Car?’s online stories that list the best electric and hybrid cars on sale are also out-performing other areas of the site, with the latter now the second most-read story online.

The best electric cars will be named in the following categories: Value car, Small car, Family car, Family SUV, Luxury SUV, Executive car, Performance car and Seven-seater. The best plug-in hybrids will be named in these categories: Family car, Family SUV, Large SUV, Luxury SUV, Estate car, Executive car, Performance car and Seven-seater.

The best overall electric and plug-in hybrid cars from across every category will be named at the What Car? Car of the Year Awards in January as usual.

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Read more: all the electric cars coming soon >>