New electric cars 2023: what's coming when
We take a look at some of the best new electric cars that will hit the streets over the next year and beyond
Electric cars have never been more popular: over the first six months of 2023, more EVs were sold in the UK than hybrids, plug-in hybrids or diesel cars.
If you’re looking to join those making the switch to an EV, the good news is that there’s much more selection available than ever before, from cut-price hatchbacks like the MG 4 to continent-crushing limousines such as the BMW i7.
And that variety is only growing by the day, with new brands and industrial giants alike setting their sights on a slice of the electric pie.
Here’s our comprehensive list of every electric car coming to the UK before the end of the year, as well as when we expect them to arrive.
*Electric cars arriving in August*
-*BYD Dolphin*-
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It might not have the most fashionable name, but many buyers are sure to overlook that triviality when they find out the BYD Dolphin is the cheapest full-size electric car in town. Priced from £25,490, it undercuts the MG 4 by £1500, yet it still provides a competitive 211-mile range in entry specification. Bar its Chinese-built rival, there’s no EV that can rival the Dolphin in the value-for-money stakes.
*BYD Dolphin review*
-*Lotus Eletre*-
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The Eletre heralds the dawn of a new Lotus under Geely ownership, and it’s a promising sign of things to come from the Chinese giant. The top-of-the-line Eletre R receives a dual-motor powertrain that outputs a whopping 905bhp, allowing it to dispatch the 0-62mph sprint in 4.5sec. And it’s not a one-trick pony: the handling is secure and stable when the Eletre is pushed through corners at speed, despite it being a 2.5-tonne luxury SUV.
*Lotus Eletre review*
-*Vauxhall Astra Electric*-
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If you’re looking for a comfortable, energy-efficient electric car, this new variant of the venerable Vauxhall Astra is worth a look. We recorded an impressive energy usage figure of 4.3 miles per kWh in our test drive of the hatchback, equating to a real-world range of around 220 miles. Prices start at £39,995.
*Vauxhall Astra Electric review*
*Electric cars arriving in September*
-*Volkswagen ID 3 facelift*-
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VW didn’t quite get it right the first time with the ID 3. It arrived with numerous software glitches and the interior wasn’t quite up to the standard you would expect of an equivalent Golf, sullying what could have been a class-leader. The German giant has listened to criticism, though, accelerating the car’s facelift in order to address those criticisms and boost its appeal against an ever-larger list of rivals.
*Volkswagen ID 3 2023 first drive*
*Electric cars arriving in October*
-*Abarth 500e Convertible*-
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The Abarth 500e Convertible isn’t a drop-top in the conventional sense: it has a landaulet-style roof that retains the hatchback’s pillars, meaning there’s no discernible penalty to rigidity. That means it’s just as fun to throw down a good country road as its tin-top sibling, if not more so, thanks to the additional airiness you get with the roof folded down. Sure, it’s £3000 more to buy, but it also has stronger predicted residual values, so it’s not as costly an upgrade as you might think.
*Abarth 500e Convertible review*
-*BMW i5*-
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Munich’s beloved 5 Series premium saloon is set to become even more refined in next-generation guise, thanks to the addition of electric powertrains. Two versions of the i5 will be offered: the rear-wheel drive eDrive40, with 335bhp, and the four-wheel drive M60 xDrive, with 593bhp. Each receives an 81.2kWh lithium-ion battery, allowing the more efficient eDrive40 to deliver a claimed range of 296-362 miles per charge.
*2024 BMW i5: electric saloon arrives with up to 593bhp*
-*Hyundai Kona Electric*-
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Much like its sibling, the Kia Niro EV, the Kona Electric is a solid all-rounder at a competitive price. There’s a lot to like, including the notable increase in interior quality compared with the old Kona Electric, as well as the improved practicality. It isn’t exactly an inspiring car to drive, but we would challenge you to name a circa-£35k electric crossover that is.
*Hyundai Kona** **Electric review*
-*Vauxhall Corsa Electric*-
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More efficient motors and a larger 51kWh battery mean the facelifted Corsa Electric (née Corsa-e) is now capable of driving up to 246 miles between charges. Prices for a 134bhp version start from £32,445, while the 154bhp variant costs £38,585 – significantly more than the rival Renault Zoe.
*New 2023 Vauxhall Corsa range topped by £38,585 EV*
*Electric cars arriving in November*
-*Kia EV9*-
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Kia’s most expensive and luxurious car to date is a flexible family hauler, available with a six- or seven-seat interior layout. Prices start from £64,955, which gets you a seven-seater with a 336-mile range and a 200bhp motor driving the rear axle. Early signs point to it being a highly credible rival to Germany’s best.
*Kia EV9 review*
-*Volkswagen ID 7*-
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Volkswagen’s latest electric car sits in a class almost of its own: it’s set to be significantly cheaper than the BMW i5 mentioned earlier, at roughly £50,000, yet offer similar proportions and a significantly greater range of 382 miles. Deliveries are expected to begin in November, following production delays as VW scales back EV production. A high-performance GTX version will follow next year.
*Volkswagen ID 7 GTX to be revealed in September*
*Electric cars arriving in December*
-*Volkswagen ID Buzz LWB*-
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VW's modern iteration of the Samba Bus comes as a seven-seat MPV powered by a newly upgraded 282bhp rear electric motor, as well as a larger 85kWh battery. It has the largest panoramic glass sunroof yet produced by the German firm, with a retro-inspired appearance similar to the standard ID Buzz. It's due on sale in the UK by the end of 2023, with a Cargo commercial van derivative also planned.
*New Volkswagen ID Buzz LWB gets 7 seats, 355bhp GTX variant*
-*Rolls-Royce Spectre*-
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With this 577bhp EV, Rolls-Royce has attracted new customers with a level of interest that even CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös was "surprised” by. Series production will begin in September and first deliveries are set to start before the end of 2023.
*Rolls-Royce Spectre review*
*Electric cars worth waiting for in 2024*
-*Dacia Spring*-
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The Spring will become the UK’s cheapest full-size electric car when it goes on sale next summer, arriving from China with significant design and technology upgrades to help it fend off competition from newer, European-designed EVs.
*Dacia Spring review*
-*Fiat Topolino*-
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Take a Citroën Ami, inject a dose of ‘la dolce vita’ and you get the new Topolino. Created to “make young people fall in love with the cars again”, it’s available in only one colour and can be purchased with nightclub-style ropes in place of traditional doors. Prices will start north of £8000.
*2024 Fiat Topolino to launch in UK as Citroën Ami twin*
-*Fisker Ocean*-
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Suffer from range anxiety? The Fisker Ocean is the car for you, thanks to its 113kWh Hyper Range battery pack, which allows you to drive a whopping 440 miles between charges – more than any other electric SUV on sale. It’s priced at a hair under £61,000 in launch-spec Extreme guise.
*Fisker Ocean brings 557bhp and 440 miles for £61,000*
-*Hyundai Ioniq 5 N*-
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Hyundai's track-honed, 641bhp mega-hatch is the first production EV to be breathed on by its N division, the team behind the acclaimed i20 N and i30 N petrol hot hatches. Revealed at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, it promises to "electrify the passion of driving" with a bespoke four-wheel-drive powertrain that can simulate a highly strung combustion engine – with all the noises to boot.
*Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is 641bhp electric hot hatch*
*Hyundai Ioniq 5 N review*
-*Mini Cooper Electric*-
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Mini is going back to its roots with this one, optimising the popular hatchback’s interior packaging with shorter overhangs, a longer wheelbase and a wider track. The retro inspiration continues inside the new Mini, with a large central touchscreen positioned in place of the 1959 original’s rev counter.
*New 2024 Mini Cooper Electric interior revealed*
-*Polestar 5*-
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The Swedish firm's new-fangled 872bhp electric GT debuted in prototype form at the 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed with a striking, aero-optimised exterior design and minimalist interior. A full unveiling is expected in early 2024 and deliveries later in the year.
*First ride: 2024 Polestar 5 prototype review*
-*Porsche Macan EV*-
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Powered by a 100kWh battery or an optional 93kWh unit (providing 314 miles of range), the electric Macan’s 800V architecture allows maximum charging rates exceeding 270kW. It receives a pair of permanently excited electric motors, one per axle, yielding power outputs of up to 603bhp and 738lb ft. Expect deliveries in 2024, followed by a slew of Porsche EVs scheduled over the following years.
*2024 Porsche Macan EV to bring 603bhp and 100kWh battery*
-*Range Rover EV*-
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Land Rover's first battery-electric car will become available to order later this year and arrive by the end of 2024. Billed as "the world's first electric luxury SUV", it promises to be recognisable as a Range Rover in its approach to luxury, usability and refinement.
*Orders to open for battery-electric Range Rover later this year*
-*Renault 5*-
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Renault's smallest electric car is being developed with enjoyment at its core, from that charming retro design to a chassis aimed at maximising handling enjoyment. It will also spawn a performance variant from sibling brand Alpine, dubbed the A290, which will receive a series of bespoke tweaks aimed at further improving handling.
*Renault 5 platform targets keen dynamics, low cost*
*Alpine A290 on sale in 2024 as feisty electric hot hatch*
-*Volvo EX30*-
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Volvo's entry-level compact crossover will be a “cornerstone” of its reinvention as an electric-only manufacturer by helping to attract new, younger customers. The Jeep Avenger and Smart #1 rival is available to order in the UK now, priced from £33,795. Subscription packages will start at £579 per month, with customer deliveries due to start early 2024.
*New Volvo EX30 Cross Country will be coming to UK*
