Best electric cars for 2024: Which? Best Buys and expert buying advice

Electric cars are smooth to drive, create zero exhaust emissions and have the potential for very low day-to-day running costs. But our lab tests show not all electric cars are created equal.

You can trust our new and used electric car reviews because we subject each one to over 200 individual lab tests. We also factor in reliability, based on feedback from our latest owner survey.

Read on to discover the best electric cars and those to avoid.

Best new electric cars under £35,000

Although electric cars typically cost more than their petrol and diesel counterparts, our lab tests show that there are plenty of models under £35,000 that provide decent range and a good overall driving experience.

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On a tight budget? Check out our guide to the cheapest electric cars

Best new electric cars £35,000 and over

If your budget can stretch over £35,000, you can expect greater range, more features and improved performance. However, time and time again we've found expensive models that fall down for reliability, performance and more.

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The best used electric cars

The used market for electric cars is increasing, and our testing has uncovered some real gems if you're on a tight budget.

Our latest electric car reviews

Not found the one you're after? See all of our electric car reviews.

The electric cars to avoid

Whether it's for safety, performance or reliability, there are some electric cars we recommend you avoid at all costs.

If you don't think an electric car would suit you, a hybrid may be a better bet. Our guide to the best hybrid cars shows the models we recommend.

What is an electric car like to drive?

The lack of pistons and noisy combustion means electric cars can ghost along very quietly at city speeds, and they tend to be very nippy. The surprising turn of speed from a standstill can take the uninitiated by surprise, so make sure you take it slowly the first few times you drive one.

The lack of noise can seem peculiar at first, as can be the total absence of engine vibration, but these are two big advantages of driving an electric car.

The basics of driving an electric car are the same as any other car. There's still an accelerator and a brake pedal. But in other ways an electric car can seem strange to a seasoned driver. 

Some models, including the Nissan Leaf, can be driven using just one pedal. So when you lift off the accelerator, the car uses heavy regenerative braking to slow down the car significantly (enough to illuminate the brake lights) and feed energy back into the battery. It can take a little time to get used to and there's still a separate brake if you'd prefer to drive conventionally.

How should you charge an electric car?

Unless you don't use your car that often, don't even think about using a domestic three-pin socket to charge your car. This is slow. Very slow. We're talking in excess of 35 hours' worth of slow, depending on the car.

For regular charging at home, if your property allows it, you'll be best off investing in a dedicated fast charger. This normally takes the form of a wallbox mounted on the outside of your house. The type of charger, connector and wattage you need will depend on your car, budget and what electricity connection you have.

When you're away from home, you can use websites or apps to find out where your nearest public charging point is. These include on-street charging points in city centres, for example, as well as the growing number of high-voltage fast chargers and rapid chargers at strategic service stations on the motorway network. 

Currently, charging points are run by a variety of separate networks, so you’ll need to work out which ones are compatible with your car, and register with them accordingly. And bear in mind that some public charging points can be very costly when compared with rates for home charging.

See our dedicated guide on how much it costs to charge an electric car for all you need to know.

Which electric cars have the longest range?

If you're planning to buy an electric car, check the maximum range of the electric cars in your shortlist, especially if you regularly drive long distances. And don't forget to factor in your charging time, too, if you need to top up at any time other than overnight. 

The maximum driving range available can vary greatly between models. Luxury models with larger batteries offer greater claimed driving ranges, but even entry-level models should offer a driving range of around 150-250 miles. 

However, don't just look at the official figures. At Which? we do our own realistic range tests because, just like fuel tests, the figure manufacturers quote are often quite ambitious. 

We've found cars that fall more than 100 miles short of their quoted range. If you don't want to be caught out, make sure you check out the real, independently tested ranges in our electric car reviews. 

We test cars more thoroughly than anyone else

Our tests go further than those carried out by other organisations, and because Which? is independent, you can trust our reviews to give you the full, honest and impartial truth about every car we test.

To find out more, head to our how we test cars guide.