The Most Stylish Electric And Hybrid Cars

We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. Any products or services put forward appear in no particular order. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation.

Depending on whom you believe, there’s about 50 years’ worth of oil left on the planet. And, when the wells run dry, the internal combustion engine will, probably, become extinct too. So carmakers are looking at other ways of adding the ‘power’ to ‘horsepower’. Here are our favourite hybrid and electric cars on the market – grab yourself some future-proof wheels.

BMW i8

The i8 is a proper sports car, with one exception. Under the bonnet, there’s no huge, gurgling V8. Just a 1.5 litre, petrol engine. However, it’s coupled to a 129bhp electric motor, which propels it from 0-62mph in 4.4 seconds, and onto a top speed of 155mph. Aesthetically, the i8’s a masterpiece. You can see the DNA from BMW’s legendary M1 coursing through its veins, but this is no nod to the past. The gullwing doors, LED lights and preparing-to-pounce stance make it resemble a spaceship, with an interior just as breathtaking. It also generates just 49g/km of CO2, meaning you won’t have to pay road tax. Yours for around £100,000.

BMW i8

BMW i3

Perhaps we’re stanning a touch over BMW. But that’s what you get for turning out hybrid cars this beautiful. The shared DNA with the i8 is clear, even if the i3 is a little more Le Mall than Le Mans. Design details, both inside and out, make this a car that stands out from the crowd. Our favourite touches are the suicide-style rear doors, offering those of us without Lord Sugar’s bank balance to get similar styling to a Rolls Royce Phantom. The i3’s available as a pure electric or petrol/electric hybrid, with prices starting from just under £30,000.

BMW i3

Tesla Model S

Want a luxury saloon that you can plug in? The sleek, all-electric Tesla is possibly all you’ll ever need from a car, electric or otherwise. It seats five, will hit 155mph in some guises, and can travel around 300 miles between charges. It’s also rather pretty. From a distance, there’s something of the Aston Martin Rapide about it – remove the rear doors and it could quite easily pass for a grand tourer. Inside, as you’d expect from a car so achingly futuristic, everything’s controlled using a giant touchscreen. It’s like an iPad on steroids, managing the Bluetooth, WiFi, two different types of sat nav and more. If you’re the sort of person who manages everything using an app on your phone, this is the car for you. Prices start from £55,000.

Tesla Model S

Kia Soul EV

Ignore the badge snobbery. Kia’s come a long way since the dreadful cars they produced in the 1990s and 2000s. Indeed, it now produces some rather fine rides. Chief amongst these is the Soul. It’s a funky looking thing, all chunky and two-toned. Inside’s no bad place to be either, with a healthy amount of standard kit, including a heated steering wheel. It’ll get about 100 miles before needing a charge, and costs from £25,000.

Kia Soul EV

Volkswagen e-Golf

Much like a pair of Nudie jeans, or a Longines watch, the VW Golf is timeless. And the electric version is as smart and understated as it’s petrol-powered siblings. It might not look quite as impressive as the Golf R, but it’s still handsome in the way only the Golf is. It has a conservative yet refined cabin, where everything feels a cut above other cars in this price bracket. With a range of 118 miles, you can get (nearly) everywhere you need to. Prices start at a shade over £26,000.

Volkswagen e-Golf

Similar Articles

TRENDING ARTICLES

TRENDING ARTICLES

Subscribe successfully!!