Cast your mind back to October 2009 – maybe even dig out Issue 1,087 from the loft, if you’re as much of a hoarder as I am – and you’ll find our early prototype drive of the then-new Mk1 Nissan Leaf.
Almost 17 years ago, we heralded the world’s first mass-produced EV as a “realistic alternative” to combustion cars, claiming that buyers apparently “[wouldn’t] have to compromise on comfort or performance” if they wanted a zero-emissions successor to their trusty family hatch.
We were so impressed, we acknowledged the Leaf at the 2010 Auto Express New Car Awards – alongside category winners including the Skoda Yeti and Land Rover Freelander 2 – six months before it went on sale. If only we knew then what we know now…
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The original Leaf had just 100 miles of range on a good day, and took about eight hours to charge from a domestic plug socket. Fast charging was possible, but 50kW connectors were yet to appear in meaningful numbers.
Fast forward to today, and here we are, compiling our encyclopaedic list of every EV on sale: 161 distinct cars spanning superminis, SUVs, hot hatchbacks and luxury limos, as well as everything between. Ranges now extend to 500 miles or more, and the most hi-tech models can replenish their batteries in minutes. You want a “realistic alternative” to your petrol crossover, with no compromise to comfort or performance? You’ve never had it so good.
This isn’t an attempt at greenwashing, either. In the six months to the end of June, more than one in four new cars sold was pure electric.
Reflecting the rapid shifts in today’s market, we’re rounding things off with perhaps our most important group test of the year. We’ve taken the BMW iX3, which narrowly missed out on being named Car of the Year at our 2026 awards in July, and pitted it against its latest rivals from Mercedes and Volvo. The goal? To crown the UK’s best premium SUV – EV or otherwise.
Nearly two decades on from the launch of the original Leaf, the question is no longer whether EVs work in the real world, but which one deserves a spot on your driveway. If you’re looking for evidence of how far electric cars have come, this is it.
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