The whole concept of electric cars seemed weird and not impractical to a lot people around the world about a decade ago. Back in the days they had limited range and often became a real nuisance for early owners. Nevertheless, situations has changed over time. Electric vehicles nowadays have become an intrinsic part of the usual road traffic and more importantly, electric cars today can offer better overall performance than gasoline powered cars. Furthermore, electric vehicles have become more affordable and cheap whatever you like to call it, thanks to the more advanced technologies and government incentives to promote the production and sale of electric vehicles in order to save the environment. Also
the average driving range began to grow almost in an explosive way, which made owning an electric vehicle even more efficient and practical. On the other hand, many government programs aimed at stimulating sales of electric vehicles are close to being wrapped up. Therefore manufacturers are looking for both further reducing the production costs and creating new segments on the global EV market. Today we will talk about some of the most affordable or cheapest cars whatever you want to call it, which offers very modest price to performance ratios and at the same time, create opportunity to feel the thrills
of an electric power.
#9 Volkswagen e-UP
Image Courtesy: Volkswagen
Volkswagen group is the toughest rivals of Renault on the market of affordable EVs. Over the next few years Volkswagen intends to become the world market leader in E mobility with 36 billion dollars investments. The next gen E-Up comes with an upgraded 32.3 Kwh battery pack to achieve a longer
driving range close to 150 miles. The base price is $24000
#8 Twingo ZE
Image Courtesy: Renault
Twingo ZE is an all electric version of the famous Twingo City car and is one of the most recent Renault models. It has a single rear mounted electric motor providing 60 kW to the rear wheels. The car uses a 22 kwh battery source which fill up in 63 mins in a level 2 charging station and can achieve a driving range of 110 miles. The company says it’s designed to support urban transformation with it’s three different pedestrian sounds based on speed. The Twingo ZE is priced at $23,000.
#7 Skoda CitiGo iV
Image Courtesy: Skoda
The Skoda CitiGo iV shares its platform with the e-Up. It comes with a 36.8 Kwh battery pack that drices a 61 kw electric motor. It has a top speed of 81 mph. It’s claimed range of 160 miles is good enough for the price its offered for. The price of the car starts at $22,500.
#6 Kandi K7
Image Courtesy: Kandi
If you still think that electric cars are too expensive, even with all the available state incentives than the new K27 from a Chinese electric car manufacturer, Kandi comes to the market to change your vision. Its main advantage is the price which automatically makes the model the most affordable electric car in the United States. However, such a low price also implies compromises in terms of technical equipment, the candy K 27 is not hugely impressive with its performance and features and the design of this model can
hardly be called outstanding. Instead there's obviously modest model can offer up to 100 miles of range provided by a lithium ion battery with a capacity of 17.7 Kw. The power delivered by a 45 kilowatts electric motor is enough to accelerate the vehicle to a top speed of 63 miles per hour. The K 27 is not the
best choice for long trips for sure, but it is quite convenient for daily commuting within usual urban areas. The price of this car will range from $7500 to $10000.
#5 Renault City K-ZE
For many years is Renault has remained one of the leaders in electrifying the automotive industry, introducing newest technologies through the whole model line-up, starting from strange to see to models, to practical crossovers, the Renault City K-ZE is a very compelling offering from the company. It comes with 26.8 Kwh, battery pack and could be charged using a fast charger above the Chinese GBT standard. It is powered by a 44 hp (33 kW), 125 Nm (92 lb-ft) front-mounted electric motor driving the front wheels. It should be enough for a range of 130 miles in an overly optimistic and EDC cycle, which is
largely used so far in China. The K-ZE can develop a top speed of 65 miles per hour in China, it's available in three versions with a starting price of about $8,700, including all incentives at the same time, Renault has already announced the European version of the K-ZE It will probably be marketed next year as Dacia spring becoming the most affordable, full-fledged UV in Europe.
#4 Citroen Ami
Image Courtesy: Citroen
Another French company Citroen is following Renault in its efforts to expand the line-up with a bunch of affordable and compact EVs. The latest electric model called the Citroen Ami was developed for both private buyers and the growing car sharing industry. And you don't even need a driving license to grab it's steering wheel. It looks more like a light quadricycle and has the top speed limited to about 28 miles per hour, which is comparable with the specs of the speed pedal assist e-bikes yes, Citron Ami is obviously not that powerful vehicle to compete with most electric cars on the road, but instead it could offer a reliable solution for your everyday transportation needs. It comes with a 6 Kw electric motor and a 5.5 Kwh lithium ion battery pack stuffed under the floor. This is enough for up to 43 miles of driving range. Charging time is about three hours when using a standard 220 volt charger. You can purchase a
Citroen Ami for about $7000.
#3 Squad
Image Courtesy: Squad Mobility
From vehicles from today’s list here comes a vehicle with roof mounted array of solar panels which generate electricity to run this car. This car comes from a start-up company Squad Mobility. It has a 28 mph top speed. The Squad retails at a price of $6300, which makes it quite attractive to a large group of
prospects.
#2 Baojun E 200
Image Courtesy: Baojun
The Baojun E 200 is an affordable small UV available for the Chinese Indian and Indonesian markets is produced by a China based joint venture between general motors and two local companies S AIC and ruling. This model followed the successful E 100 and with 60,000 units sold together in 2019, they were the number five best-selling models in the world. The E 200 has a claimed range of up to 167 miles in normal driving conditions but the range of 110 miles to 130 miles seems much more realistic. The vehicle comes with a smart summon feature, which enables it to park automatically or leave a parking space and
navigate around obstacles to its owner. It has two seats and the back rest of the passenger seats can be folded forward to provide additional room for large items. What makes the Baojun E 200 so attractive is the price that starts from $7,700.
#1 Wuling Mini EV
Image Courtesy: Wuiling
Four seater configuration Wuling Mini EV lacks a trunk, but if you fold the one piece back rest of the wrist sofa, you can get a compartment with a capacity of 0.74 cubic meters. In addition, there are 12 places for different small items in the cabin. The Mini Evie is powered by a small 20 Kw electric motor and a 13.8 Kwh battery pack offering range of 75 to 106 miles. The small is priced at just $4,100. What else should the compact electric vehicle have to be ideal for everyday commute!