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Efficient electric cars 2022

We're all used to looking at how many miles per gallon a specific car can get when new-car shopping, but with electric cars there's a different metric to consider: miles per kiloWatt hour.

This is abbreviated to miles per kWh or miles/kWh (the 'W' is upper case as it's named after James Watt), which denotes how much distance can be covered by an EV on a single kWh of electricity.

A big EV battery might have a 100kWh capacity, and if the car did three miles for every kWh, it would cover 300 miles before it needed recharging.

Do bear in mind, though, that the size of an EV's battery is comparable to the size of a conventional car's petrol tank, and some cars have big fuel tanks, but large, thirty engines propelling a large, heavy car.

It's the same with EVs: a car with a 50kWh battery that did five miles per kWh could cover the same 250 miles as a car with a 100kWh that only did 2.5 miles per kWh; this would mean the same 250 miles would cost you twice as much in electricity in the less efficient EV.

Just to make things slightly more complicated, not all of the kiloWatt hours in EV batteries are useable, as a degree of 'buffering' helps maintain their health. This means that an 80kWh battery might have a useable capacity of 77kWh, and it is the useable figure that is used in efficiency calculations.

How EV efficiency figures are quoted is also a bit of a wild west at the moment: some databases list miles per kWh, and some list Watt hours per kilometre, some list kWh per 100 miles. We've gone with miles per kWh as it's closest to the familiar miles per gallon metric. We've also calculated efficiency based on the total size of each car's battery and their official range. Some figures are based on the 'useable' net battery size rather than gross size, but the former is not always easily available. Either way, each car listed below is a) efficient and b) measured against its companions on a level playing field.

1. Tesla Model 3 (5.08 miles per kWh)

9/10

Battery range up to 374 miles

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£562^* / month (£48,490)

Tesla has been ahead of the game for some time now, both in terms of how early it was to market EVs, and with regard to its battery chemistry and manangement sysyems. The Model 3 in standard range form tops our list of efficient EVs, as while a long-range version is available, the extra weight of the larger battery means the sstandard-range car is more efficient, officially getting 305 miles from its 62kWh battery.

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2. Renault Megane E-Tech (4.87 miles per kWh)

8/10

Battery range up to 280 miles

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£406^* / month (£36,745)

The Megane was once a hugely popular player in the family hatchback class, but over the years has given way to rivals somewhat. The all-new electric Megane E-Tech looks set to change that slide, though, and off the strength of its 292-mile range and 4.87 miles per kWh efficiency figure, the omens look good. It doesn't hurt that it's a good-looking EV with a fantastic interior, either.

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3. Hyundai Kona Electric (4.8 miles per kWh)

8/10

Battery range up to 301 miles

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£373^* / month (£31,813)

While Tesla has been at the forefront of popularising electric cars, Hyundai has also been pretty quick to get into the game, with the Kona Electric being an in-demand car from the moment it was offered for sale. That's more tha understandable given its impressive efficiency and strong range, and while the more affordable 39kWh model is the most efficient (cracking 4.8 miles per kWh), there's also a 58kWh model if you'd like to go further in-between charges.

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4. Volkswagen ID.3 (4.8 miles per kWh)

8/10

Battery range up to 340 miles

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£365^* / month (£34,419)

The Volkswagen ID.3 is arguably the spiritual successor to models such as the Golf and Beetle, so it's good to see that its efficiency figure is an attractive one, with the 45kWh version covering 4.8 miles per kWh. Given global supply disruption you may find you need to order the larger capacity 58kWh model if you're after a new ID.3, but that's still a pretty efficient (4.57 miles/kWh) choice.

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5. Fiat 500e (4.57 miles per kWh)

7/10

Battery range up to 200 miles

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£312^* / month (£23,254)

The Fiat 500e is a modern take on a retro car. Confused? Well, the original 500 of 1957 was an iconic small car, the reimagined petrol-powered 500 of 2007 remains on sale as a popular and stylish city car, while the 500e is an all-new electric take on the 500 formula. Being small and relatively light helps the 500e officially achieve 200 miles from its 42kWh battery, making 4.57 miles per kWh.

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6. Renault Zoe (4.59 miles per kWh)

8/10

Battery range up to 245 miles

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£349^* / month (£25,245)

Renault (together with Nissan) was one of the pioneers of modern, mass-produced EVs, and that experience shows through with the current, second-generation Zoe, which as well as being smooth, comfortable and easy to drive, is also impressively efficient, with its 52kWh battery giving an official range of 239 miles.

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7. Peugeot e-208 (4.5 miles per kW)

9/10

Battery range up to 217 miles

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£323^* / month (£29,359)

The Peugeot e-208 is the car same underneath as the Vauxhall Corsa-e, but the French hatchback eeks out slightly more miles from its 50kWh battery pack than its British sibling. The stylish e-208 can officially cover up to 224 miles before its battery needs replenishing, giving it a healthy efficiency figure of 4.5 miles per kWh.

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9. MINI Electric (4.45 miles per kWh)

8/10

Battery range up to 190 miles

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£324^* / month (£28,431)

Sure, the MINI Electric has a comparitively low-capacity 32.6kWh battery, which results in a relatively modest 145 miles of range, but being a small, light-ish car helps it return 4.45 miles for every kWh its cells contain. Addded to that is the sharp, fun handling and endearing character.

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9. Niro EV (4.39 miles per kWh)

8/10

Battery range up to 285 miles

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£329^* / month (£36,045)

The Kia Niro is available in three flavours: there's a Toyota Prius style conventional hybrid, a plug-in hybrid and this, the pure electric Niro EV. All are competent, comforable cars, while the latest version of the Niro is far more distinctive than its slightly anonymous predecessor. Go for the Niro EV and you'll get a decent 64.9kWh battery, which is officially good for 285 miles between charges.

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10. Citroen e-C4 (4.38 miles per kWh

7/10

Battery range up to 219 miles

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£373^* / month (£29,032)

With distinctive looks, a comfortable suspension setup that absobs bumps in the road well and a modern, high-quality interior, the Citroen e-C4 does a lot of things right, while also offering good efficiency. The 50kWh battery can manage 219 miles before it needs recharging, giving an efficiency figure of 4.38 miles per kWh.

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Efficient electric cars FAQs

Are electric cars cheaper to run?

Generally speaking, yes. An electric motor tends to have an efficiency rate of 85% or so, which means only 15% of the energy it consumes is wasted. Compare that to a petrol car, which might waste 30% of its energy through heat, noise and frictional losses, and it's easy to understand where the savings come in. Rising energy prices will be an understandable concern, as this pushes up the cost of running an EV, but they still remain cheaper to fuel (if not buy) than a petrol or diesel car. Servicing tends to be cheaper, too, as there are fewer moving parts, but insurance can be more expensive for electric cars.

Check out our guide on the cost of running an electric car to find out more.

How much electricity does an electric car use?

Well, the efficiency figures above should give you some indication. An efficient electric car will be pushing five miles per kWh, while a less efficient one might manage three miles for the same unit of energy.

How far can an electric car go?

How long is a piece of string? The highest range EVs can officially cover close to 400 miles between charges, but most electric cars have a range closer to 250 miles or so. How you drive, how hilly your route is and how cold it is outside will all impact how far you can actually go, but it's reasonable to expect 200 miles from a 250-mile EV.

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