What Car? Reader Award: Vote for the most exciting new electric car
From SUVs to small cars, our Reader Award is your chance to name a What Car? Electric Car Award winner – but hurry, because voting will close soon...
Going electric has never made more sense – whether you're tempted by all of the new shapes, sizes and budgets which electric cars are now available in, or by the recently announced Government grant, more buyers are going green than ever before. And that makes picking the year's most exciting new electric car a difficult challenge indeed.
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And which car gets crowned as the winner of the What Car? Electric Car Awards Reader Award is all down to you. We've pulled together a shortlist of 14 of the most exciting new electric models due to arrive in the UK within the next year. Among them are saloons, SUVs, family cars and hot hatches.
You can have your say by filling our dedicated voting form – but you'll need to be quick, because voting will close soon.
Last year's winner of the Reader Award was the Renault 4 small electric SUV, which won the grand final having seen off the 2nd place Audi A6 Avant e-tron and the 3rd place Fiat Grande Panda.
Scroll down the list below to learn more about each of our Reader Award contenders, and then cast your vote using our online form.
Cars in this list are presented alphabetically.
Vote using our online form here
What Car? Electric Car Awards Reader Award 2025 contenders
Alfa Romeo Giulia EV
Where the current Alfa Romeo Giulia is a left-field choice in the executive car market, this new version will shift its focus into the electric era. Intended to be one of two new cars the Italian brand will launch in the next two years – the other being an electric SUV to rival the Porsche Cayenne – the new Alfa Romeo Giulia EV will offer around 345bhp in entry-level form. Range-topping versions, meanwhile, will offer as much as 986bhp.
Counting the Tesla Model 3 and Mercedes CLA among its key rivals, the new Giulia is expected to offer up t0 435 miles of range on a single charge, with owners able to utilise the fastest charging speeds to ensure a 10-80% top-up need only take 18 minutes.
BMW iX3
The first model to wear BMW's new 'Neue Klasse' design language, as well as all-new underpinnings, the next-generation iX3 electric SUV is a technological showcase. Whether you've seen its tech-heavy interior, with its digital driver's display which stretches the full width of the car, or you've read about its smart brain, which can handle vastly more advanced systems than today's cars, the iX3 is shaping up to be one of the year's biggest new car launches.
We've already been for an early drive in a prototype version, and found that the 50 xDrive model feels properly fast when you put your foot down. We were impressed with the quality of its regenerative braking, and its big range – some models will be officially capable of up to 497 miles between charges.
Built on the same underpinnings as the Skoda Epiq and Volkswagen ID 2, the Raval is Cupra's take on the small electric car. It's expected to be offered with the option of 38kWh or 56kWh batteries, with the latter offering up to 280 miles of range – similar to what the larger MG4 EV can manage.
Power will be sent to the Raval's front wheels via a single electric motor, which should offer as much as 223bhp in its most potent form. That's enough to complete the 0-62mph sprint in 6.9sec, which is quicker than the BYD Dolphin. It's also likely that a hot VZ variant will join the range soon after launch. Prices for the Raval should start from around £25,000, making it a tempting proposition for prospective small EV buyers.
Read more about the Cupra Raval
Jaecoo 5 EV
Part of a new wave of Chinese-made cars making their way onto UK road, the new Jaecoo 5 will be at first only available with a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine, before the fully electric Jaecoo 5 EV joins the line-up next year. The 5 EV is expected to launch with the same combination of batteries and motors as its Omoda E5 sibling, meaning a 61kWh (usable capacity) battery and an official range of up to 257 miles between charges.
Inside, you'll find a 13in touchscreen in portrait orientation, plus a digital driver's display. The two trim levels – Pure and Luxury – each give you lots of kit, with entry-level cars getting a six-speaker Sony sound system and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity.
Rather than give us an electric Kia Sportage, the Korean brand is instead launching an all-new car to fill the same brief – the EV5. As its name suggests, the EV5 fits neatly in-between the larger EV6 – itself a former What Car? Car of the Year – and the upcoming EV4, and will count the Smart #3 and Skoda Enyaq among its key rivals.
At its core lies a 78kWh (usable capacity) battery, which offers an official range of 329 miles – more than most rivals can manage. Thanks to 400-volt charging architecture, the EV5 can accept juice at up to 130kW, meaning a 10-80% top-up need only take 30 minutes assuming you're using the fastest chargers. Elsewhere, the EV5's front-mounted electric motor produces 214bhp, which allows the EV5 to reach 62mph in 8.4sec.
Lexus ES
Taking on the BMW i5 and Mercedes EQE, the Lexus ES gets a vastly different look to its combustion-engined predecessor. Two versions will be available, with the entry-level ES 350e getting 221bhp and a 0-62mph sprint time of 8.2sec, and the ES 500e getting 338bhp across all four wheels. That extra traction helps the ES 500e to reach 62mph in 5.7sec.
Inside, you'll find a new infotainment system presented on a 14in touchscreen, plus a 12.3in digital driver's display. The smart system uses AI to lean a driver's routine and regularly-used features, and activates them automatically. Expect prices to start at around £50,000.
Nissan Leaf
The old Nissan Leaf was one of the founding fathers of affordable electric cars, and this new version is seeking to pick up the baton. It's morphed from family hatchback into more of an SUV. As before, it'll be available with a few different battery and motor combinations – 52kWh and 75kWh – with some versions able to take you up to 375 miles between charges.
Our early drive in a late-stage Leaf prototype revealed an interior which looks and feels upmarket, with a Google-based infotainment system which, though sleek, was slow to react to our inputs, and plenty of leg room for rear passengers. It's worth noting that both the Kia EV3 and Skoda Elroq have bigger boots, though.
Read more about the Nissan Leaf
Peugeot e-208 GTi
We already think that the Peugeot e-208 is a good choice in the small electric car market, but this new range-topping version should be even better. It's got 276bhp available – up from 154bhp in the regular car – resulting in a swift 0-62mph sprint time of 5.7sec. That's quicker and punchier than the rival Abarth 500e and Alpine A290.
Where the e-208 GTi falls down is with its range, because the 54kWh battery gives an official figure of 217 miles between charges – you're likely to get just shy of 200 miles in real-world conditions.
Read more about the Peugeot e-208 GTi
Polestar 5
The Polestar 5 is the Swedish firm's take on the Porsche Taycan, and in order to take on what is one of our favourite electric cars, Polestar has pulled out all of the proverbial stops. That means an 800V architecture which allows for extremely fast charging, meaning around 100 miles of range can be added in just five minutes if you use chargers capable of supplying the 5 with its peak rate.
It will also be potent, with some versions producing as much as 874bhp, alongside 663lb ft of torque and four-wheel drive. Even the more regular models, with a single motor driving the rear wheels, should get 604bhp.
Porsche Cayenne EV
Perhaps oddly, this fully electric version of the Porsche Cayenne will be sold alongside its combustion-engined sibling until the latter goes off sale in 2035. Expect three versions to go on sale, with entry-level versions getting around 395bhp, and mid-tier S models upping that output to 590bhp. Turbo models, meanwhile, should get 986bhp – making it the UK's most powerful SUV. That version should also be able to sprint to 62mph in less than three seconds.
While ranges are still being worked out, Porsche is said to be targeting around 370 miles, putting the Cayenne on par with the Lotus Eletre. As for the price, expect the Cayenne EV to command a premium over the regular car, which starts from £77,500.
Range Rover EV
We've known for a long time that Land Rover had ambitions to build an electric version of its iconic Range Rover luxury SUV, and the resulting model is almost ready to arrive. It's intended to at least match the combustion-engined car's abilities off-road, while offering the same comfortable and luxurious interior.
We've already been for an early drive, and the Range Rover Electric impressed us not only with its quiet serenity, but also the ease at which you can modulate its substantial reserves of power. You'll need to have deep pockets to put one on your driveway, though, with prices expected to start from around £150,000.
Read more about the Range Rover Electric
Renault Twingo
Renault is on a bit of a roll at the moment. The Renault 5 is our reigning What Car? Car of the Year, while that car's larger sibling, the Renault 4, recently received a full five stars on our road test. The Renault Twingo, then, has plenty of top-notch experience to call on. Intended to be the smallest electric car in the French car maker's range, the Twingo will cost from just £17,000 when it goes on sale next year.
Most versions of the Twingo are expected to use the same battery and motor combination as the cheapest Renault 5, which means a 121bhp motor driving the front wheels, and a 40kWh battery offering an official range of 193 miles. Higher-end models will likely use a 52kWh battery – boosting range to 252 miles – and a more powerful 148bhp motor.
Read more about the Renault Twingo
Skoda Epiq
Based on the same underpinnings as the upcoming Cupra Raval and Volkswagen ID 2, the Epiq will be Skoda's smallest electric SUV, sitting underneath the Skoda Elroq and Skoda Enyaq in the Czech manufacturer's range. It'll use the same battery options as the ID 2, meaning buyers will be able to choose between a 38kWh unit or a larger 56kWh option. Both options should charge at a rate of 125kW, meaning a 10-80% top-up could take as little as 20 minutes. Power will also be identical to the ID 2, so 180bhp and 223bhp motors will be offered, with a sporty vRS variant crowning the range.
In concept form, the Epiq features rugged styling and room for five passengers inside. As well as a large central touchscreen infotainment system and digital driver's display, the Epiq includes physical climate controls and a boot which is larer than that of the Elroq.
Read more about the Skoda Epiq
Toyota Urban Cruiser
The old Toyota Urban Cruiser was a fairly underwhelming SUV, but this version looks like a far stronger proposition. It's closely related to the Suzuki eVitara, and uses the same underpinnings, battery and motor combinations as that car. We've already had the chance to drive a prototype version of the Urban Cruiser, and were impressed with its comfortable ride and competitive range of up to 265 miles – further than the Ford Puma Gen-E, but not as far as the Kia EV3 can manage.
Inside, the Urban Cruiser offers good build quality and all-round visibility, but some areas can look a bit drab, and can't match the visual flair of the Smart #1. A long standard warranty and Toyota's historically strong showing for reliability should make it a tempting choice for electric SUV buyers, too.
Read more about the Toyota Urban Cruiser
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