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Best used electric cars 2025: Top 10 used EVs from £2,000

We run down our pick of the 10 best used electric cars in the UK, ranging from Renault and Nissan to Tesla and Porsche

Used electric car sales have soared over the last couple of years as an every-growing variety of models enter the second-hand market.

That growing range of models and prices gives a wealth of choice to drivers but can make it hard to determine the best used electric cars to suit a particular budget or requirement.

The good news is there is a car to suit most drivers and most wallets, whether your priority is low cost, maximum range or driving fun, and we’ve compiled a list of our 10 favourites here.

Nissan Leaf – from £2,000

Nissan Leaf

The Nissan Leaf was the first truly mainstream EV and it’s been around since 2010. That means you can pick up very early examples of this mid-sized hatchback for as little as £2,000. That’s a very cheap way into an EV but these older cars feel pretty low-tech now and their already small range is likely to have dropped noticeably. Second-gen cars start at around £7,000 and offer newer technology, more power and a longer range. For that money, you can probably live with the slightly creaky infotainment system and relatively slow maximum charging speeds. Just be aware that there are two battery and motor options, with the smaller 42kWh battery offering around 50 miles less range and 65bhp less power from the motor than the 62kWh/215bhp version.

Renault Zoe – from £3,000

Renault Zoe

The now-defunct Zoe was been on sale for a decade, meaning it’s an affordable way into EV ownership. While its compact size means it’s not a great family car it is stylish and decent to drive and makes an attractive used option. Early cars made do with a 22kWh battery and range of around 130 miles, but this was upgraded twice. The ZE 40, from 2017, offered 185 miles (claimed), while the 2019-onwards ZE 50 used a 52kWh battery with 240 miles of range.

Pre-facelift cars often came with a battery lease deal which kept costs down but tied owners into a monthly payment to Renault that gets passed on to any new owner. From late 2019 the lease scheme was scrapped and all cars were battery-owned, which is usually reflected in a higher asking price.

Kia Soul EV – from £6,000

Kia Soul

The Soul’s looks are unconventional but beneath the surface it’s a surprisingly spacious and practical stablemate to the more popular Niro. The first generation (2014-2020) offers a roomy but slightly cheap-looking interior, 110bhp motor and a 27kWh battery (later 30kWh) good for around 132 miles. You can pick one of those up for as little as £6,000. Second-gen cars start at £17,000 and keep the unique styling but with a nicer interior, nearly twice as much power and a 64kWh battery good for 280 miles.

BMW i3 – from £7,000

BMW i3

BMW’s i3 was a groundbreaking car back in 2013 and even today it looks fresh and unique. It’s a sharp-handling compact, premium hatchback packed with radical ideas, from its rear-hinged doors to its unique interior look and option of a range-extender hybrid. It also helped pioneer BMW’s ever-expanding ‘i’ family. Purely electric versions saw various upgrades over the years, with the battery growing from 22kWh to33kWh and eventually 42.2kWh, with ranges of 80, 121 and 165 miles respectively, and 2019’s i3s got a power boost too. Some versions overlapped, so look closely at the spec of any potential purchase.

Hyundai Kona – from £11,000

An excellent powertrain makes the hyundai kona among the best used electric cars

Hyundai is one of the car makers that has most successfully embraced the EV transition and the Kona has helped spearhead that. On sale since 2018, this mid-sized SUV is a practical family-friendly option with a high specification and interesting looks. A 39kWh battery version was available with 133bhp and a 189-mile range but the secondhand market is dominated by the 64kWh version with 201bhp and up to 300 miles of range, plus 100kW DC charging.

Mini Electric – from £12,000

Mini Electric is one of the best used EVs on sale

The first-generation Mini Electric was a hard car to recommend as a brand-new purchase due to its high price and low range. But as a used option, with prices for a four-year-old example less than half the original price, it’s a far more attractive choice. The 32kWh battery is still only good for a little over 100 miles of real-world range but as a second car or purely city runaround there’s a lot to love. Aside from the famous Mini looks and stylish interior, there’s the thrilling go-kart driving experience that’ll put a grin on almost anyone’s face. If the Mini isn’t for you but you still fancy a cute compact EV with a city-friendly range, there’s always the Honda e, which starts from around £15,000

Tesla Model 3 – from £12,500

Tesla Model 3

The Model 3 arrived in the UK in 2020, which means there are plenty of ex-company cars now flooding the secondhand market, with prices starting at around £15,000. The weird interior and Tesla’s brand image might put some buyers off but the Model 3 offers seriously impressive performance and range, clever navigation, plus access to the excellent Supercharger network. Build quality is also far better than the troublesome Models S and X, although insurance can be shockingly high.

Skoda Enyaq – from £15,500

Skoda Enyaq

Skoda excels at using a shared platform to offer more space and value than its VW Group stablemates and the Enyaq is another example of this. It’s a roomy, practical and stylish family SUV with a nicer interior than either the related VW ID.4 or Audi Q4 e-tron. There are multiple versions available including a four-wheel-drive identified by an ‘x’ in its name. The high-spec ‘80’ setup offers 201bhp and a 82kWh battery good for 311 miles, while cheaper ‘60’ cars pack a 62kWh battery, 177bhp motor and a 242-mile range. There’s also a confusing array of trim levels and interior packages that have changed over the years, so check the specification of every car carefully.

Kia EV6 – from £20,000

The Kia EV6 is among the best used electric cars on sale

The EV6 is the car that signalled Kia’s intention to move beyond its value-focused mainstream models like the Soul and the E-Niro. Its sharp SUV-coupe design was a complete departure and it brought new levels of sophistication and technology as well as an entry price starting with a 4. Four years on from its launch though and with a facelift just landed, early models are now much more affordable and among the best used electric cars on sale. The most popular and readily available models are RWD GT-Line spec which come with heaps of equipment, a 225bhp motor and a 74kWh battery good for 328 miles. From £25k the AWD version is also an option, with 320bhp but a 314-mile range. Every version gets 238kW DC charging for ultra-rapid top-ups on the go.

Porsche Taycan – from £40,000

Porsche Taycan

The Taycan was one of the first cars to show there was more to EVs than just going fast in a straight line. It can certainly do that, but its appeal lies in the way it handles any situation with traditional Porsche poise and dynamism. While brand-new models start at £86,500, second-hand examples now start at less than half that. The cheapest RWD models still get 470bhp, a blistering 0-62mph time of 5.4 seconds but even under £50k most are the 563bhp all-wheel-drive variant. Regardless of the motor every Taycan features sleek futuristic looks and a beautifully designed and finished cabin. Many of the examples on sale are also loaded with optional extras that will have set the original owners back a five-figure sum.

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Matt Allan

Matt is Editor of EV Powered. He has worked in journalism for more than 20 years and been an automotive journalist for the last decade, covering every aspect of the industry, from new model reveals and reviews to consumer and driving advice. The former motoring editor of inews.co.uk, The Scotsman and National World, Matt has watched the EV landscape transform beyond recognition over the last 10 years and developed a passion for electric vehicles and what they mean for the future of transport - from the smallest city cars to the biggest battery-powered trucks. When he’s not driving or writing about electric cars, he’s figuring out how to convert his classic VW camper to electric power.