The Best Green Cars You Can Buy
20th May 2021
Green cars and our electric future
With the UK government announcing that it will be banning the sale of new internal combustion engine (ICE) cars from 2030, the popularity of electric cars has increased significantly.
Hybrid and electric cars have been on sale for around a decade or so, some even earlier, but with enhanced technology making the electric car more and more attractive, it was only a matter of time before many people started looking at them as their next new car.
The government has also extended the sale of new hybrid cars until 2035, meaning those who are not fully convinced by electric vehicles have the ability to purchase hybrid vehicle of some sort instead. Therefore, experiencing electric power, with the more familiar internal combustion engine can be still enjoyed for a further five years, acting as a nice transition for those still unsure on the benefits of electric motoring.
Discover below our top pics for the best new and used 'green' cars currently available, and check out our latest offers on them.
Nissan LEAF
Despite electric cars still very much a new concept to some people, the clever compact car which is the Nissan LEAF has been around for quite sometime, launching in 2010, and being available in the UK since March 2011.
Today, the new Nissan LEAF is very much one of the textbook electric cars, and was the world's best selling plug-in, right up till December 2019, where it was outsold by the Tesla Model 3 - unsurprisingly, given Tesla's huge popularity.
To go up against such a kingpin as Tesla shows just how good the LEAF is, and despite Tesla's surge, the Nissan LEAF is still hugely popular thanks to:
- A fully electric range of up to 239 miles
- Fast charging capabilities (80 percent charge in one hour) when using a CHAdeMO rapid charger
- Funky looks
- Top tech (Apple CarPlay and Android Auto)
- A practical 435-litre boot
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Renault ZOE
Having won the What Car? Car of the Year award for best value small electric car for value in 2021, is there any wonder the Renault ZOE has made our list? This little chic electric car is very good indeed.
On sale in the UK from 2013, the ZOE has had chance to evolve, and today is one of the world's most popular plug-in vehicles. It's lovely and compact too, meaning it's brilliant for those who live in the city, being easy to manoeuvre and park. Plus, being 100 percent electric means you can save on the congestion charge and similar too.
With fashionable styling, and typical Renault style and charm, the ZOE will fit right in with the fashion conscious, no wonder they are everywhere in Paris. But what else makes the ZOE a great green car?
- Compact and chic
- A surprisingly decent 338-litre boot space
- Up to 245 miles of range
- 5-year warranty
- 8-year battery warranty
- Straight-forward overnight charging capability
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Hyundai IONIQ
If you don't fancy going fully-electric just yet, Hyundai have created a car that will fit every mindset associated with green motoring. That's because the clever Hyundai IONIQ is available in three attractive configurations: hybrid (HEV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and all electric (BEV).
Hybrid IONIQ - Uses regenerative braking to charge, no need to plug-in. Circa 750 miles of range, from a petrol engine with hybrid technology.
Plug-in hybrid IONIQ - Plug-in the IONIQ to charge the battery and gain an all-electric range of up to 39 miles. A combination of a petrol ICE and an electric motor allows the PHEV to travel up to 600 miles in total.
All-electric IONIQ - No ICE, fully-electric, plug-in to charge. Total of up to 193 miles.
With all three versions on offer, you can choose the IONIQ which best suits your needs. Along with taking advantage of:
- Unique futuristic looks
- 443-litre boot in hybrid, 341-litre in THE plug-in and 357-litre in all electric
- Entry-level model is loaded with standard kit including an 8-inch touchscreen media centre, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
- Convenient charging capabilities
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Peugeot e-208
The French certainly know how to style a car, and the good folks at Peugeot have nailed it yet again with the handsome and super-stylish second generation Peugeot 208. Only now they have gone one step further, and made their first fully electric compact car; the Peugeot e-208.
Arguably one of the nicest-looking electric cars available, the e-208 may well be a car that changes the opinion of how an electric car can look to the naysayers out there, plus it looks very similar to the regular, and equally as smart 208.
With a stunning interior complementing the striking exterior, the Peugeot e-208 is quite the package, add in the bullet points below and it's very much an attractive proposition.
- Up to 211 miles of all-electric range
- Fast charging capability
- Stunning 3D I-Cockpit (Active Premium models and above)
- 311-litre boot, same as regular 208 models despite electric tech
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Vauxhall Mokka-e
SUVs are still very much at the top of many car buyers shopping lists and the new Vauxhall Mokka is an attractive proposition, with eye-catching styling and the inclusion of an all-electric Mokka-e version.
Best of all, this green compact SUV was launched in a rather striking 'Mamba Green', so technically this is quite possibly the greenest car in our list - quite literally!
Being a Vauxhall, standard kit is impressive with a 7-inch colour touchscreen with sat-nav, 16-inch alloy wheels, cruise control and a panoramic rear-view camera all coming as standard. Other factors which make the Mokka-e a great green car are:
- A circa 200 mile range
- Overnight and fast charging capabilities
- Multiple model choice
- Sport, Eco and Normal driving modes
- Eye-catching colour choices
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Ford Mustang Mach-E
You've read that right, one of the greenest cars on the market is a Mustang! Okay, so this is a Ford Mustang Mach-E, which is world's away from the usual V8 Mustang, but...
Is the Mach-E really fit for the Mustang's iconic motif? With the Mustang DNA clearly visible and a Mustang-like 332bhp on offer, the Mach-E deserves its chance for sure.
With a 0 to 62mph time of just 5.1 seconds*, its the fastest greenest car in this list by quite a margin. With up to 379 miles of electric range too, this is one seriously impressive bit of kit.
Other stand-out features of the Mach-E include:
- *multiple versions available offering various performance
- Multiple charging options - with fast charging capability
- Mustang heritage
- Striking interior and exterior style
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Kia EV6 (Bonus Car)
We thought we would add a bonus car to our list, as the hugely impressive Kia EV6 is due to launch soon, but it's set to be one of the most impressive electric cars from a manufacturer who continue to push the envelope in what is expected, and what is possible.
This Kia is on another level being able to keep up, and in some cases - beat some supercars in the 0 to 62mph sprint, taking just 3.5 seconds. No that isn't a typo, this Kia crossover can outpace many exotic cars.
Being a Kia it's also loaded with standard kit too, along with typical Kia practicality and technology. You'll get 19-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, LED headlights, ambient lighting, sat-nav, heated seats and steering wheel and more as standard.
We just know the EV6 is going to be one of the most exciting green cars on the market, so we simply had to include it in this list. Other pros include:
- Head-turning concept car looks
- Massive 520-litre boot
- Circa 316-mile all-electric range
- Supercar performance
- Two or four-wheel drive variants
- Rapid charging capabilities
Find your perfect 'green' car with Evans Halshaw
The above five cars are just a few of our favourite green cars currently available. With electric and hybrid technology becoming more and more impressive over time, we are sure to see some sought-after and attractive new comers to the market in due course.
Why not browse all of our current offers on new electric cars here, or maybe you fancy the idea of a new hybrid car?
Or how about a quality used electric or hybrid car instead?
The future of hybird and electric cars is certainly one in which we will be monitoring with great interest. Will you be?
