Most Affordable EVs in 2020!

We’re all familiar with fossil fueled cars. Hybrids have become commonplace too. If you’re not quite ready to switch to a full EV, PHEVs are a good way to get started. But if you’re tempted by the massive savings in running costs, as well as the immediate power delivery of an EV, and also the feel-good factor that you’re doing the environment a favour, then consider any of the 5 most affordable EVs of 2020 in the list below!

We review the Leaf here!

The 2nd generation Nissan Leaf is probably the best looking EV that isn’t built by Tesla. It has sharper and more distinct features than its predecessor, and the new shell is finished off by a two tone paint job. Like the original Leaf, the charging flap is located in the nose of the car. Lift that flap, and you’ll find the Japanese standard CHAdeMO type socket. DC fast charging will top the battery off in an hour, whilst Type 2 AC current charging will fill the 40 kWh battery in 6 hours, and that battery pack translates into 260km of range.

As with most EVs, acceleration, thanks to its 320Nm available on a whim, is brisk, completing the century sprint in just 7.9 seconds. It does so in almost complete silence too. Its rapid off the line pace betrays the car’s otherwise more comfort-oriented characteristics. Suspension is soft, biased towards soaking up bumps on the road, and the car is well insulated from road noise. Nissan has also made the Leaf more comfortable to drive; it will feature Nissan’s e-Pedal, which allows you to operate the Leaf with just the throttle pedal. The car goes into an aggressive regenerative setting when you lift off, with the brakes cutting in automatically afterwards. Autonomous emergency braking is standard on the car as well, so should the e-Pedal malfunction, the AEB should be able to kick on and save you from a costly fender bender.

We reviewed the long-range variant here!

The Kona is a compelling value proposition. It combines a fairly reputable marque, especially in the last decade or so, with excellent practicality and performance. It doesn’t hurt that the Kona electric is a really good looking car as well, and that makes it one of the overall most bang-for-buck mainstream EV offerings today, which is probably the reason why it is the most common electric vehicle on our roads today.

For starters, it feels better put together than other Asian marques with models assembled in another South-East Asian country. The Kona also seats 4 adults comfortably, and even comes with ventilated seats for those upfront. Drive comes from an electric motor that pulsates 395Nm of torque through its front wheels. This can make for a huge, but safe, bit of fun when the roads get a tad slick. 0-100 km/h is taken care of in 9.7 seconds, and it does all of this with minimal cabin noise; intrusion from bumps on the road and the air conditioning are the noises you’d most commonly hear, as well as the occasional hum from the electric motors. Range is advertised as 312Km, and battery take 9.5 hours for a full charge.

MG’s back! Well, sort of anyways. The only thing British about the new ZS is the name; the company is now Chinese-owned, and the ZS SUV is their second foray into the electric SUV market. So, a Chinese-made and designed SUV, coupled with a brand not famed for its reliability may seem like quite a financially ruinous combination for any potential owner.

Thankfully, the ZS seems to not have inherited any of the stereotypes. Propulsion is provided by a front-mounted electric motor that puts out 353Nm of torque, which is available the instant you press on the loud pedal. It won’t win any design awards that’s for sure, but it definitely isn’t a bad looking car. There’s no visual element on the outside that would give it away as an EV, and that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. You get the bare basics of modern amenities in the ZS, with smartphone connectivity and extra screens for readouts, but really not much else. In terms of battery and the range, the car will do an advertised 335km, and achieve 80% charge in about 40 minutes on a DC fast charger. If you plugged the car into a 7kW home charger, a full charge will take 7.5 hours.

Zoe Review!

The Zoe is the smallest EV you can buy on the market today. It is also the 2nd offering in our list of EVs from the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance. It is definitely the quirkest car here externally, and makes no bones about its drivetrain; various blue elements dot both the inside and outside of the car. It has reason to be proud of its drivetrain too.

The Zoe has Renault’s Z.E. 40 battery, promising a real-world range of up to 315km. Impressively, that’s right on par with more modern EV offerings from rival brands costing significantly more, and doubly astounding if you consider the fact that the ZOE was launched a few years back. A full charge, thanks to its built-in Caméléon™ smart-charger, can be achieved in just 2 hours and 40 minutes. Type 2 charging will take up to 9 hours. Its 225Nm is also impressive, especially for a car of its size. It will do the century sprint in 13.2 seconds, though the instantaneous torque fools you into believing it is way more rapid. The low centre of gravity and firm suspension also means the car can carry that pace into corners very nicely too!

e6 Review!

The cheapest EV you can buy brand new in Singapore today is Chinese, and whilst they’ve made great strides in terms of the engineering of their vehicles, design-wise, the e6 still lacks some flair. The e6 is probably about as close to the definition of a “generic” car that you can buy - it is roughly the shape of a box, has 4 wheels and 4 doors.

Thankfully, if you ignore the outer shell, there are some goodies under the bonnet. Firstly, it has an impressive 400km of range on a single charge. It will achieve 100% battery charge on any of the most common chargers in Singapore in just 2 hours. It’s electric motor churns out 450Nm of torque, hurling you and the car towards the horizon at a rapid and silent pace until it tops out at 140km/h. Braking and handling is adequate, having lesser body roll than its tall stance would suggest.

#Nissan #Leaf #SG #Cars #BYDe6 #EVs #EV #ElectricCar #ElectricVehicle #HyundaiKona #Hyundai #Feature #MG #MGZS #Renault #RenaultZoe

Credits: Jek Ray Low