Best Used EVs For Less Than £10,000 (2026)

Electric cars are expensive, right? Not if you buy used, they’re not. And can you believe that you can actually get a really good second-hand electric vehicle (EV) for less than £10,000? That’s right – all the goodness of zero-emissions driving, for a four-figure outlay. Bear in mind when we’re talking about older EVs, though, they tended to have smaller battery packs and not as much one-shot driving range. Still, all of the following will have enough battery range to make a great everyday car.
Here are our favourite super-affordable EVs.

Amazing to think something so futuristic looking, so forward-thinking and so downright brilliant is available for less than ten grand, but the earlier BMW i3 models are falling into that realm now. Early i3s could do around 100 miles to a charge, which is more than enough for most people’s daily commute. And what you get for your money here will typically be a 2015 or 2016 car with an average number of miles on the clock – newer, higher mileage examples are available too. Then you can enjoy a top-notch interior, roomy enough for four adults, plus BMW’s typically brilliant driving characteristics, thanks to the i3’s rear-wheel-drive set-up.
Find your BMW i3 on Autotrader

The Mazda MX-30 is a quirky compact crossover, great for city driving. It’s more distinctive than the Renault Zoe and more practical than the Honda E or Mini Electric. It’s equipped with a cool cork interior and rear hinge doors – typical Mazda doing things its own way. It has an official range of 124 mile which is likely to be closer to 100 miles in the real world, so it may not be suitable for longer commutes. However, if you love the styling but need to trave further, there is a range extender version available with a small petrol engine to top up the battery. Find your Mazda MX-30 on Autotrader

Hard to believe that such a big, practical, electric car is available for such little cash, but the Hyundai Ioniq is now a four-figure second-hand proposition. You need to search carefully to find the sub-£10k Ioniq, and avoid the mega-milers with 100,000 miles-plus on the clock, but you can find cars with under 60,000-miles which can go up to 174 miles to a single charge – and which is large enough and accommodating enough to work as your only family car. That the Ioniq is refined and impressive to drive is merely the icing on the EV cake.
find your Hyundai Ioniq on Autotrader

The car which democratised EVs is thick on the ground for less than £10,000 – in fact, more than four-in-ten used electrics within our budget will be Nissan Leaf’s. For this sort of cash, you will even find second generation cars, providing a real-world range of around 150 miles. Just check the battery is owned outright before buying – some early ‘Flex’ models came with leased batteries, so steer clear of any with an ongoing lease to avoid extra monthly bills. The Leaf makes a brilliant everyday usable EV hatchback. All Leafs get Nissan’s famous e-Pedal driving mode, harvesting as much energy as possible back into the battery and allowing you to control the car using the accelerator pedal alone. Higher grade models come with 360-degree camera and lots of other great features. However, it doesn’t matter what Nissan Leaf you find on the used market for this cash – what you end up with is a simply fantastic, practical hatchback… which just so happens to be fully electric. Win-win. Find your Nissan Leaf on Autotrader

The Peugeot E-208 is a small hatchback with plenty of French flair. It has distinctive styling, it’s lovely to drive and we believe it’s a winner out of the it’s our favourite version of the 208 line-up. In terms of its electric range, the battery capacity increased in 2019 from 217 miles to 248 miles which is worth knowing when searching for used model’s. If you are considering an E-208 it’s worth taking one for a test drive. Peugeot’s unique ‘i-Cockpit’ layout looks cool, but it won’t suit everyone’s driving position, especially if you have long legs as the steering wheel might feel like its resting on your knees. Definitely something to try before you buy. Find your Peugeot E-208 on Autotrader​

The Vauxhall Corsa is the Peugeot E208's more conventional cousin with a more traditional layout making it easier to find a comfortable driving position. It’s not the flashiest choice, but sometimes you just want a car that gets the job done without making a fuss. A used Corsa will already have lost a sizeable chunk of its original value to depreciation, so you can enjoy it without a costly new car price tag. If you’re not quite ready to make the switch to electric the updated Vauxhall line-up still includes petrol and hybrid models. Find your Vauxhall Corsa on Autotrader​

The Golf wasn’t designed to be an EV from the outset, and so Volkswagen had to shoehorn an electric drivetrain into a car designed for petrol and diesel. It did a good job – the e-Golf is lovely to drive and has a decent enough battery range at 180-odd miles – but boot space is compromised a little, and it’s not as quick as you might expect. All that said, as a used buy it’s looking fantastic value these days. It’s still a Golf, after all, so the quality and refinement are outstanding. For a shade under £10,000 there’s plenty of choice and this zero-emissions Golf feels like a very good deal. However, if you are’re looking for something a little bigger and your budget can stretch slightly over £10,000, the ID.3 is well worth a look. Find your Volkswagen e-Golf on Autotrader

The Renault Zoe arrived on the scene at a similar time to the Nissan Leaf, right at the beginning of today’s electric car era, so there’s plenty to choose from. We’d recommend avoiding cars with leased batteries when you can pick up an early car with battery ownership included for around £6,000. If your budget stretches closer to £10,000 you will find post-2019 cars with improved LED headlights, nicer interior and an increased range of over 200 miles. However, these cars grabbed headlines with their shocking zero-star NCAP safety rating, so if you like to err on the side of caution the Zoe might not be for you.
Find your Renault Zoe on Autotrader

The Fiat 500e brings everything you love about 500 with all its Italian flair but electrified. It’s cute as a button and small enough to park in tight spaces. It’s one of the very few electric vehicles available with a convertible roof, so you can really enjoying living la t dolce vita. There aren’t too many examples available for this budget, so it’s worth keeping an eye out to bag a bargain. Find your Fiat 500e on Autotrader

For a more luxurious option, the Tesla Model S combines performance with everyday practicality. It was the first electric car to offer a sizeable range and compared to a Renault Zoe, it looks like something from outer space – which is no surprise given Elon’s contributions to the aerospace industry. In many ways it was well ahead of its time, and it offers a lot of car for the money. For £10,000 you’ll find some very high mileage examples, but this shouldn’t be a major concern, just take a look at Rory Reid’s experience with a Model S that has covered more than 400,000 miles, it should give you some added confidence for the vehicle’s longevity. Find your Tesla Model S on Autotrader