Mileage 1472 List price £34,850 Target Price £34,850 Price as tested £40,005 Test range 256 miles
THE GOOD THING about any new technology is that, over time and with enough people using it, the cost of entry comes down. When Oculus launched its Rift virtual reality headset in 2016, for example, it cost a heady £600. Just six years later, the latest and more powerful Oculus Quest 2 can be bought for less than half that.
The same is true with electric cars. Price was once a major barrier to entry for many potential owners, but today you can drive a new one for as little as £231 per month. And even my Skoda Enyaq, which is big enough for five people and their luggage, and which we count as being among the best electric cars on sale, is surprisingly affordable if you stick with the 6o model that I went for.
True, if, like me, you can't charge at home and instead have to rely on the public charging network, the cost of running an electric car is higher than you might expect. But in the same way that I'll pay more to have a reusable coffee cup rather than a single-use one, I'm happy to spend a little extra to do my bit for the environment - especially when I'm paying such a reasonable price for the car itself.
The Enyaq used to be even cheaper to buy, but, sadly, government policy has put paid to that; towards the end of 2021, the £2500 electric vehicle grant was cut to £1500, while the maximum price of qualifying cars was reduced from £35,000 to £32,000.
Denne historien er fra May 2022-utgaven av What Car? UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra May 2022-utgaven av What Car? UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Lexus RZ 450e+ Takumi Bi-tone
Greater stamina and a lower price would have enhanced our opinion of this upmarket electric SUV
Audi A6 Avant 45 TFSI quattro Sport
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Renault Clio 1.0 TCe 90 Evolution
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ALL POSHED UP
Looking to buy an upmarket SUV? For around £35,000, you could have a new Lexus LBX or a used BMW X1. Let's see where your money should go
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Small, cheap cars bring numerous benefits, especially if most of your driving is around town. We take three leading examples on a road trip to see which of them paints the most complete picture
GRIPPING STUFF
Tyre choice can make a huge difference to how your car behaves in changeable weather. We search for the best
Audi A6 e-tron
BMW i5 rival uses the same tech as the Q6 e-tron SUV for serious pace and range On sale Late 2024 Price from £62,000 (est)
Renault Symbioz
Slightly smaller than Renault's existing Austral, this new hybrid family SUV has its sights set firmly on the popular Nissan Qashqai On sale Now Price from £29,295
Volkswagen Golf
Family car celebrates its 50th birthday with an update, including much-improved infotainment On sale Now Price from £27,035
Hyundai Tucson
Update for Hyundai's family SUV includes a redesigned interior and a revised engine line-up On sale Now Price from £32,000