Here are the best small electric cars to buy now, and in the future

Entirely capable in the city, and not shirking shorter-stint motorway action when needed, the 500e is an adorable, recognisable and well put together small EV.

Read Top Gear’s Fiat 500e review

Turning the Mini into a fully electric car has compounded the belief that EVs don't need to be radically different to be competent and desirable. Plus, it's more fun to drive and offers a bigger boot than Fiat's electric 500.

Read Top Gear’s Mini Cooper Electric review

The e-208's combination of range, easy personality, value and surprising desirability make it a strong contender.

Read Top Gear’s Peugeot e-208 review

The Corsa Electric is a bit more subtle and a bit more sensible. That a bad thing? Not at all. Indeed Vauxhall's played it much safer than Peugeot in designing a small electric hatchback, and while the Corsa Electric will turn off plenty of people as a result, it’ll no doubt win over at least as many more.

Read Top Gear’s Vauxhall Corsa Electric review

Jeep – the brand all about off-roading – has created something splendid for the city. Entirely suited to urban landscapes, the Avenger is small, boxy and manoeuvrable with more than enough character for consideration on any small EV shortlist.

Read Top Gear’s Jeep Avenger review

The MG 4 isn't exciting, but it nails multiple categories of what it takes to make a good car. Rides and drives very well, comes with a decent slug of standard kit, and most importantly - although very boringly - has immense residual value. MG really has played a bit of a blinder here.

Read Top Gear’s MG 4 review

Known as an 'urban mobility object' in France, where kids from 14 years old can drive one without a full licence, the Ami has unique appeal. Limits of 28mph and 46 miles' range are, er, limiting. But it's cheap from new, so might suit some.

Read Top Gear’s Citroen Ami review

Swinging in to replace the Zoe comes the reborn 5, a car that will grip many with a wave of nostalgia. It shares with the Mini and Fiat 500 a knowing silhouette, lavish external jewellery and a smart, cheery cabin. But it’s bigger than a Fiat and goes further, and it's more practical than the Mini and copes better with bumpy roads.

Read Top Gear’s Renault 5 review

Alpine's hot version of the new Renault 5 is a winner in our books – on the one hand a car you could happily commute in every day, enjoying its refinement and the fact it's ridiculously easy to use, and on the other, it's clearly made by people who know exactly how a hot hatch should behave. Try it on a B-road and you'll see exactly what we mean...

Read Top Gear’s Alpine A290 review

For many people the Dacia Spring is the perfect introduction to the electric car. It requires minimal financial outlay and minimal confusion because it’s so straightforward to drive and operate. Not for the Spring are the agony of endless screen menus, modes and options. So it’s simple, it’s affordable and it’s fun to be in and around. 65bhp is enough when it’s pushing less than a tonne.

Read Top Gear's Dacia Spring review

The Citroen e-C3 is the first car to be based on Stellantis' ‘cost-efficient’ Stellantis Smart Car platform, and in addition to the fun looks throws in impressive comfort, a useable real world range and, above all, an impressively low price tag.

Read Top Gear's Citroen e-C3 review

The Fiat Topolino – a name meaning baby mouse in Italian – showed off its cutesy credentials when it fan-carred with Disney. Like the Citroen Ami, it has a 6kW motor, a 5.5kWh battery and all the same limitations. But it's small and it's an EV, so it makes the list.

Read more about the Fiat Topolino

First we had the Enyaq. Then we had the Elroq. Now, Skoda has revealed details of its smallest electric car. Measuring 4.1m in length, it features Skoda's ‘Modern Solid’ design language (as all future Skodas will) and a sustainable, minimalist cabin, while we're told the Czech firm is targeting over 248 miles of range form one charge and a sub-£25k price tag. Bring it on.

Read more about the Skoda Epiq

Volkswagen is looking into the possibility of creating an entry-level electric car below the already-confirmed, Polo-sized ID.2 (pictured here). Indeed the concept ID.2 featured two battery options - 38kWh and 56kWh - with the latter aiming for a range of 280 miles. Top speed will be 99mph, while a 125kW DC fast charge will be able to get you from 10 to 80 per cent in 20 minutes.

The ID.1? Too early to tell, but here's what VW's technical development boss told us...

Technically an 'electric quadricycle', the Mobilize Duo is the follow-up to the Renault Twizy. ('Mobilize' is the new electrification arm of Renault.) It's currently available in other parts of Europe on a car rental/sub basis – but we've not been told if that same model will be rolled out here in the UK.

Consider our horses very much held.