We like electric cars at Parkers, but we recognise that many of them simply cost too much for the kind of car they are. At a time when household incomes are being squeezed, the cost of EVs is putting many people off buying one. But dealers have cottoned onto that fact and are offering some stonking discounts on brand-new electric cars they have in stock.
There are plenty of EVs that are very good but quite hard to recommend because of their price. A heavy discount can make those cars a whole lot more tempting, though. Indeed, the discount might make them the same price as a petrol or diesel equivalent, so the EV’s reduced running costs start paying off immediately.
We’ve searched high and low to find the best discounts that are available on right now on new EVs. They’re not necessarily the biggest discounts, but they make a lot more financial sense of the car in question. But first, let’s have a quick look at why these discounts are available in the first place.
Why are there so many discounted electric cars available?
We found thousands of brand-new EVs available at discounted prices. There are many reasons why that’s the case. Principally, it’s because dealers generally sell the cars they have in stock on their premises to private retail buyers, rather than businesses. And sales of electric cars to retail buyers are pretty low at the moment.
Figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders showed that retail EV sales fell by a whopping 25% in January 2024, compared with the same month in 2023. Throughout 2023, EV sales showed steady growth, but it was driven entirely by large companies taking advantage of the tax incentives that are in place to buy EVs.
There are no such incentives for private buyers. Add to that a lack of confidence in the public charging network, uncertainty about the long-term reliability of EVs and their higher cost, and it’s understandable that people can be reluctant to commit their own cash to a purchase.
But dealers have new EVs in stock that they must sell, especially as they now have the government’s zero emissions sale mandate hanging over them, and discounting is the easiest way to entice a private buyer to get a car they might not otherwise have considered.
The best EV discounts
The cars highlighted here are available to buy at the time of writing, however they mostly serve to illustrate the kinds of discounts that can be found on that particular model. The discounts may only be available for a limited time, the car may have found an owner by the time you ring the dealer.
We should note that there are discounted new electric cars for sale on the Parkers website, and these are also changing daily.
Stylish small SUV that's very tempting with a big discount
Its eye-catching style is key to the Vauxhall Mokka-e’s appeal, but it’s also a very easy car to use without the off-putting gimmicks you find in some other electric cars. It’s also very comfortable and drives neatly, but it’s cramped back seat and small boot count it out as a family car. It’s 209-mile WLTP range is sub-par, too.
The top-of-the-range Ultimate model is hard to swallow at its £40,000-plus list price. But it makes a whole lot more sense when £13,000 is knocked off the price. It’s not hard to find a discount of similar size, either.
Read our full Vauxhall Mokka-e review
Pros
- Stylish inside and out
- Comfortable ride
- Drives like a petrol car
Cons
- Not especially practical
- Short range
Peugeot e-208 – £11,750 discount
Highly competitive small hatch discounted to bargain prices
The Peugeot e-208 shares its battery and electric motor with the Vauxhall Mokka-e highlighted above. But, because it’s smaller and lower, the Peugeot ekes out a bit more range – 217 miles WLTP. It’s a stylish thing with space for four adults in a comfortable, tech-filled interior. It’s not quite as sharp to drive as petrol 208 models, but it does weigh an extra 200kg or so.
So it’s a pretty good car overall, but hard to recommend at over £30,000 for a mid-range model. At less than £20,000, though, the one we found is a whole lot more tempting – indeed, it’s the cheapest brand-new EV we found. It is an older model and we suspect the dealer is clearing old stock ready for the updated version coming on stream.
Read our full Peugeot e-208 review
Pros
- Premium interior
- Neat handling
- Seats four adults
Cons
- Biggest discounts on old model
- Range not great
Porsche's saloon shows EVs can be fun
We suspect the bright orange Porshe Taycan we found discounted by a massive £27,000 is a cancelled order – maybe the original buyer decided they didn’t like the colour. It’s still a very expensive car, of course, but slightly less eye-watering now.
The Taycan was the first indication that it’s possible for an EV to be as much fun to drive as a petrol car. The 671hp Turbo model is ridiculously fast, too, taking just 3.2 seconds to sprint from 0-62mph. Driven more sensibly, the official range is a respectable 315 miles. It’s surprisingly spacious inside and very luxurious, though the saloon-format boot limits practicality.
Read our full Porsche Taycan review
Pros
- Hugely fast
- Lots of fun
- Surprisingly spacious
Cons
- Still expensive when discounted
- Impractical boot
Comfortable and distinctive mid-size hatch
The entry-level Citroen e-C4 Sense model comes pretty well equipped and, with a discount of nearly £10,000, it costs about the same as the petrol equivalent. You can actually find bigger discounts on other e-C4 models, but you’re starting from a higher price-point.
It’s another Stellantis Group EV that shares its electric bones with the Peugeot and Vauxhall we saw earlier. The e-C4 is the most family friendly of the bunch, being Ford Focus sized, and it’s tallish stance gives it a hint of SUV. It’s spacious, practical, extremely comfortable, and looks and feels appealingly different from the norm. Shame about the barely adequate 220-mile range, though.
Read our full Citroen e-C4 review
Pros
- Very comfortable
- Family-friendly space
- Stand-out styling
Cons
- 220-mile range
- Banging heads on sloping roofline
Sharp-suited saloon that's fast and fun
The enormous discount on this probable cancelled order is the biggest we found on any electric car. It’s still well out of reach for most people, but the current price could tip someone’s decision.
The Audi e-tron GT is basically the same car as the Porsche Taycan seen earlier but it wears a more distinctive, sharply-creased body. And its suitably luxurious interior shows Audi’s knack for user-friendly minimalism. It’s great to drive and, with 590hp in high-performance RS guise, very fast. Range is quoted as 298 miles. There’s plenty of space for four but the boot is compromised by the car’s shape.
Read our full Audi RS e-tron GT review
Pros
- Great long-distance cruiser
- Sharp handling
- User-friendly tech
Cons
- Range a bit low
- Awkward boot access
Award-winner is even better value at a discount
The MG4 is Parkers’ reigning Car of The Year. One of the things we like is that it’s already much better value than comparable EVs, so we were a bit surprised to discover you can get one at a discount. Especially a discount as chunky as £6,000.
The SE Long Range is the sweet spot in the MG4 range. It comes very well-equipped and the 64kWh battery can provide a WLTP range of 281 miles. It’s a spacious and practical family car that takes up less space than you might expect, plus it’s comfortable and rather pleasant to drive.
Read our full MG4 EV review
Pros
- Great value even without discount
- Sufficient range for most journeys
- Usefully practical
Cons
- Interior quality lacking
- Fiddly touchscreen
Tech-laden saloon with long range
The BMW i5 was only launched towards the end of 2023, so we’re slightly surprised to see examples available at such a large discount. It’s still not cheap, but at £9,000 off it’s about the same price as a plug-in hybrid model.
The i5 is the electric version of the latest BMW 5 Series and it’s a very fine car. It’s fabulous to drive, very spacious, hugely comfortable and built with incredible precision. The eDrive40 model has a usefully long range of 352 miles. Some will love the ultra-high-tech interior, some won’t; it’s also a very big car that feels its size.
Read our full BMW i5 review
Pros
- Long range
- Superbly refined
- Loads of tech
Cons
- Perhaps too much tech
- It’s a very big car
Nippy little thing that's ideal for cities
With an all-new electric MINI Electric arriving in showrooms soon, dealers are clearing out their stocks of the old model and there are some real bargains available. £6,000 off makes a car that seems a bit expensive at its list price look like much better value.
The main issue with the MINI Electric is its 144-mile range which essentially confines the car to life in the city. But that’s fine because it’s nippy and nimble in traffic, and quite good fun with it. You get plenty of standard kit thrown in, but back seat and boot space is compromised. Though that’s true of any other MINI Hatch.
Read our full MINI Electric Hatch review
Pros
- Ideal size for cities
- Well-equipped
- Fun to drive
Cons
- Very short range
- Consider it a two-seater
Upmarket SUV that still appeals after all these years
The Jaguar I-Pace was the first electric luxury SUV on the market back in 2018. Since then, Jaguar has tweaked and honed it a bit but, without much marketing, it’s easy to forget about it. A discount of £20,000 makes you take notice, though, turning what was quite an expensive car into one that’s decidedly tempting.
The I-Pace still looks good and feels great to drive. It’s a good family car, too, with lots of passenger space and a big boot. A range of 292 miles should be sufficient for most journeys, as well.
Read our full Jaguar I-Pace review
Pros
- Lots of space
- Still looks good
- Lovely to drive
Cons
- Reliability concerns
- Rivals have more range
Quirky SUV that appeals to both head and heart
Kia dealers generally only offer fairly modest discounts, so it’s a real rarity to find such a substantial amount taken off the price of a Soul EV. Maybe the dealer in question just needs to clear the space in its showroom. Anyway, at a whisker over £30,000 post-discount, the example here is cheaper than many brand-new petrol VW Golfs.
The quirky Soul is a very appealing car with its chunky, SUV-alike styling. It’s also a thoroughly sensible family car – smallish boot notwithstanding – that’s lovely to drive and offers 280 miles of range.
Read our full Kia Soul EV review
Pros
- Genuinely characterful
- User-friendly interior
- Family-size space
Cons
- Love-or-hate styling
- Boot a bit small
Smooth coupe SUV with long journey capability
The Volkswagen ID.5 is yet another car that’s quite hard to make a case for at its full list price, but starts making more sense with a big chunk of money lopped off. The coupe version of the ID.4, it’s a usefully practical family car with space for four adults and a big boot, despite its cut-down roof line.
The infotainment system is a bit irritating and interior material quality is lacking somewhat. But it’s a quiet and relaxing car to drive, and the 327-mile range unlocks the potential for doing longer journeys, as well.
Read our full Volkswagen ID.5 review
Pros
- Long range
- Relaxing to travel in
- Very practical
Cons
- Infotainment isn’t intuitive
- Low-quality interior materials
Switch from petrol Astra and you won't notice the difference
The Vauxhall Astra Electric has been on sale less than a year, so we weren’t expecting to find a £10,000 discount available. It’s actually a very good deal, reducing the price of this top-spec model below that of an equivalent petrol Ford Focus or Audi A3.
As with other electric Vauxhalls, the Astra Electric looks and feels exactly the same as its petrol-powered siblings. The only notable difference in the driving experience is that it’s a lot quieter. Switching to electric has compromised practicality a bit, but it should still serve most families well enough. The 260-mile range is a bit short.
Read our full Vauxhall Astra Electric review
Pros
- Drives exactly like the petrol model
- Lots of standard equipment
- Looks good
Cons
- Range should be longer
- Battery reduces boot space markedly
Deeply refined and comfortable executive saloon
With the popularity of SUVs rising inexorably, launching a new electric executive saloon in the shape of the Hyundai Ioniq 6 seemed like a brave move. That discounts of £10,000 are readily available might suggest it hasn’t quite hit the mark with buyers, though we suspect the, err, distinctive shade of blue the example we found is in may have something to do with its price.
The Ioniq 6 is a very fine car in many ways. It’s full of tech and neat design touches, it seats five in comfort, it’s supremely comfortable and refined. A range of 322 miles is pretty long, too.
Read our full Hyundai Ioniq 6 review
Pros
- Super quiet and comfy
- Seats five adults
- 320-mile range
Cons
- Divisive styling
- Boot access compromised
Family SUV that drives as good as it looks
Virtually every brand-new Ford Mustang Mach-E we found was available with a substantial discount, but this one was the outright cheapest. At a smidge under £40,000, it comes within reach of a much bigger pool of potential buyers.
It’s a likeable car with styling aping the iconic Mustang Coupe and a comprehensive suite of tech housed in a massive touchscreen. The interior feels pleasingly premium and there’s space for five, but the boot should be bigger in a car this size. It’s great to drive, even if the ride can be a bit unsettled. The 75kWh battery only gives a range of 273 miles, too.
Read our full Ford Mustang Mach-E review
Pros
- Style to spare
- Impressive tech
- Five-adult space
Cons
- Small boot
- Should be more efficient
Spacious and practical hatchback that's great value
A price in the mid £30,000 range is perfectly reasonable for a high-spec mid-size hatchback these days, especially when it’s powered by electricity. That this Renault Megane E-Tech has been discounted £6,0000 to that level is a real bonus.
We really rate the Megane E-Tech at Parkers, naming it Medium Electric Car of The Year for 2023. It’s a really spacious and practical family car that occupies a relatively modest footprint, it’s lovely to drive, the tech is useful and user-friendly and it’s solidly made. But a jiggly ride on the huge wheels marks it down. 280-mile range is decent.
Read our full Renault Megane E-Tech review
Pros
- Space and practicality
- Value with or without discount
- Neat handling
Cons
- Unsettled ride
- Styling won’t appeal to all
