OUR REVIEWS
This section covers cars that we have test driven and aims to cover all EVs currently available on the UK market, where possible we will aim to provide a date.
Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus
Overview
Tesla's latest addition to the collection is the Model 3 which has followed on from the original Model S and Model X.
The Model 3 comes in 3 trims, Standard Plus, Long Range Dual Motor and the Performance.
The drive is slick and quick! Due to the weight of the batteries at the bottom of the car, the Model 3 holds the road and feels firm. The car feels safe and sturdy with a 5* EUROCAP rating.
Design
From the outside, the Model 3 looks compact but is deceptively large and has an equally large interior. It will comfortably seat 5 passengers and have plenty of legroom front and back.
The boots (of which there are 2), are also cavernous in size. The front trunk (frunk) will hold an overnight bag but the rear boot provides a practical amount of storage. All in all there is 425l of space.
The interior is sparse and minimalistic with just the steering wheel and a large iPad looking screen measuring 12", this takes a little getting used to and can be distracting from keeping your eyes on the road, but what with voice control at your fingertips it is easier to turn the windscreen wipers on etc.
Range
The WLTP mileage is rated at 254 miles, which means in ideal condition the Model 3 will deliver 254 miles between charges. This can all depend on a number of factors but during our tests (in the middle of winter) we were able to get around 210 miles. On milder days in optimum driving conditions, 235 miles was achievable.
Features
Probably the best feature is the AutoDrive feature, whereby the Model 3 will keep the car in the middle of the lane, turn bends and keep you within the speed limit, the only caveat is you must keep your hands on the steering wheel, couple this with the self drive option (an extra £6,000 at time of writing) and you are as close to fully autonomous as is legally possible in the UK.
Extras
Starting price for this particular model is £39,500 including the government grant, this comes with Pearl white as the colour and black leather interior and 18" Alloy wheels. Any differences on top of this is extra, colour, interior, tow hitch, self drive etc.
Warranty for the Model 3 is 4 years or 50,000 miles whichever comes sooner, however the batteries carry an 8 year warranty! Go for the Long Range or Performance model and this extends to 12 years.
Conclusion
Verdict - For the money and the drive the Model 3 really has taken the EV to a mass market, bearing in mind the Model S and Model X generally start from around £80k+ the model 3 starts at half the price. Couple this with better build quality than the Model S you have a worthy affordable (ish) EV.
It does come with it's niggles though, customer service is questionable, this is due largely to their success and unable to cope with the demand, if you can cope with the short term pain of the customer service side of things and the odd build quality issue that may crop up (which Tesla will fix) then it's definitely worth taking the plunge if you have the budget.
Overview
Tesla's first model S appeared in the UK back in 2014 and changed the way EV's were looked at, with sporty lines and performance speed and acceleration it changed the stigma of electric cars.
This particular model tested is a 2017 version, they have moved on since the release of the Model 3.
Design
From the outside the Model S looks sleek and sporty, it is a huge car that comfortably seats 5 full size passengers and with bags of space it is surprisingly practical. The drive, similar to the Model 3 is firm and assured, and handles beautifully and is ridiculously quick (at the time of the test drive is covered 0-60 in 4.2s).
Despite criticisms with the build quality of the Model S this particular example felt like it was built to high standard and did not have a 'cheap' feel to it. The interior has a plush feel to it, again with a minimalistic interior, however this model comes with a dashboard and the screen which is placed in a vertical format, which makes the EV feel a bit more like a 'car'.
Range
The range for this Model S is rated at 280 WLTP, there are more batteries and hence a heavier car overall requiring more energy per mile (more of this in another section), that said all Model S's come with 'Free Tesla Supercharging' which is assigned to the car, which means you can take advantage of Tesla's supercharging network at no additional cost, bear in mind that this is assigned to the car so that if you pick up a second hand Model S then it is likely to have Free Tesla Supercharging.
Extras
When the Model S was initially launched there was a big hoo ha when the customer picked up the car (named car plate, uncover ceremony, pictures etc), now it is a more sedate affair.
Since the launch of the Model 3, the Model S has to up its game by offering more features above beyond the older models, this includes longer ranges (up to 379 miles WLTP), faster and more gadgets!
Conclusion
The Model S changed the way electric cars were seen and how they performed and it did not disappoint but it came with a hefty price tag.
Regardless of the cost its a great car with a plethora of features. The Model S is practical and sporty, looks grest, performs extremely well on the road. It is a touch on the long side and won't fit into some garages so worth checking dimensions if you like to keep your car in the garage overnight.
Overview
Keen to get back to reviewing EV's we cheekily went to the BMW garage to have a look at the new Mini e!
Out now, but with limited stock due to the unfortunate timing of the Pandemic we were unable to take a test drive.
However, we did take a good look around the Mini e and it's come a long way from its ICE counterpart.
Design
The interior has a much more quality and less gimmicky feel to it than in previous versions of the Mini. There is more space all round and a slightly larger boot than the ICE version. It doesn't unfortunately have a 'Frunk' (front trunk) and hence for an EV is still limited in luggage space.
Range
The Mini e has a range of 142 WLTP miles powered by a 33KW/h battery pack and will take you to 62mph in 7.3secs.
The Mini e '1' starts at around £24,900 after the £3.5k government discount, this puts the Mini e right in the mix of premiumish EV's on the market today.
Conclusion
If you are a fan of the old Mini then it is highly likely you will fall in love with this one, unfortunately as the salesman said it'll be a bit of a wait before you're able to get one as the disruption to the supply chain to produce the Mini could not have come at a worse time.
We will update this review once we manage to get behind the wheel and take it for a spin!
Mini e
Renault Zoe
Overview
The latest revision of the Renault Zoe (2019 model) comes with a 50KwH battery and we were lucky enough to be given one to review by Renault UK.
Design
At first glance the Zoe is supposed to be the entry level 'small' car but the interior suggests anything but. There is plenty of leg room for 4 passengers and will seat 5 with little discomfort. It comes with a sizeable boot and throw the rear seats down and you can almost turn it into a minivan. The driving position and view from the driver’s side is clear and clutterless and has the usual plethora of storage compartments.
The infotainment display comes in at 7" and is reasonably intuitive, we managed to pair up the phones quickly and the controls were basic but useful. We did find doing some basic controls may take too many 'clicks' for our liking but we are finding this with all the electric vehicles at the moment. One of the key advantages we found was that you can use your phones Navigation system and music streaming apps instead of Renaults (which you can't do on the Tesla!).
Drive/Range
The car arrived with the battery at 99% which equated to 216miles hence 100% would be around 220 real world miles. After a quick spin with the air con on and having done 3 miles the 'tank' dropped to 213miles, so far so good. The real test then comes with a longer-range drive. We took it on a 50-mile round trip and sure enough the remaining miles continue to be relatively accurate, this shows that the Battery Management System on the Renault Zoe is very impressive and also very efficient.
Overall, what struck us the most out of the Zoe is that it is a car that can you can transition from an ICE vehicle to an EV without noticing too many differences (unlike the Tesla). So, for those that don't want the futuristic feel of say a Tesla then the Zoe makes good affordable sense and with an impressive and realistic range it'll chew up the motorway miles.