Mazda MX-30

Running costs for a Mazda MX-30

As the small electric car market gets more competitive prices are becoming increasingly attractive and Mazda has taken a bold punt with its MX-30 by reducing the battery size, which it says makes it cheaper to buy than its immediate rivals. These include the Honda E and Mini Electric, both of which have similar appeal for trendy urbanites, and the likes of the Peugeot e-2008 and Renault Zoe, which the MX-30 matches for practicality. If you’re lucky enough to have off-street parking where you can install a home charging point the MX-30 is going to cost peanuts to run, the smaller battery also meaning it’s quicker and cheaper to charge. Tax incentives like VED and Benefit In Kind will also make an electric car like the MX-30 very appealing to both private and company drivers. That short range does, however, mean you’ll need to rely on public charging more than some rivals. That’s still cheaper than petrol or diesel but not always by as much as you might think.