See all Motoring AdviceWe have been waiting, and waiting, and waiting just a little bit more. The promise has been hanging in the air for some time now — that soon, eventually, at some point, electric cars would not only fall to the same price as their petrol, diesel and hybrid compatriots but that they might even be cheaper.
EVs have been pricier than their combustion counterparts ever since the first Nissan Leaf was introduced way more than a decade ago. Why? Because although the history of electric cars technically dates back to the earliest days of the 20th century, the fact that battery power was shunted aside for a century or more in favour of petrol and diesel meant that most car makers were starting from scratch when the electric revolution arrived.
That meant expensive development costs, and batteries themselves were not cheap either — back in 2013, each kWh of energy that a battery could store had a notional cost of about €700. Today, though, that price as plummeted — to about €120 today, and that cost is continuing to fall as battery production picks up.
Equally, most car makers are now in their second or even third generations of electric vehicles, so the development costs are starting to ease, and it’s becoming easier too to share the cost of development with petrol, diesel and hybrid models, which brings pricing pressures down.
Even so, according to Carzone’s own 2025 Motoring Report, 40 per cent of Irish car buyers reckon that the cost of a new electric car is still a barrier to adoption and never mind the vastly reduced running costs once you have one.
The good news is that this reluctance may now be more down to perception than to reality. The fact is that the prices of electric cars have come down dramatically in the past three years, and now they are not merely approaching parity with their combustion rivals, but they’re now likely as not actually the cheaper car.
In fact, the cheapest car on sale in Ireland right now is electric. It’s the Dacia Spring, and while you have to accept some compromises for its low €16,990 price tag, the fact is that even in this most basic form, the Spring is cheap in every sense, but also rather good fun if you’re in the right frame of mind. Basic transportation has its own charms. You can, for a cost, upgrade to a more powerful 65hp motor and a rapid-charging option too.
Next up is one of the best new cars currently on sale — the €18,995 Hyundai Inster. This compact crossover has awesomely cool looks on its side, and a terrific interior that looks and feels way more high-tech than any sub-€20k car has any right to possess. It’s also sweet to drive, and roomy if you push the adjustable rear seats all the way back on their runners. Basic versions get a mere 300km range, but you can upgrade that to 360km for a bit extra.
If we move into the mid-€20,000s, then there’s a true superstar of the electric car world — the new Renault 5 E-Tech electric. So far, most of the fuss surrounding this battery-powered 5 has been about its retro styling, which takes the shape of the mid-1980s ‘Supercinq’ Renault 5 hatchback and updates them through a 21st century filter. There’s no doubt that it’s a great looking car, and one with a stunning interior too, but the best thing about it is the way it drives. It’s just really good fun, with plenty of urgency from the top-spec 150hp electric motor. The useable range (quoted at 400km for the big-battery version) is around 350km, which is enough for most to get on with, and this car, which looks like it just rolled off a motor show stage, can be yours for as little as €25,990. Bargain of the year? It might just be.
There are also the new Citroen e-C3 hatchback and its close cousin, the new Fiat Grande Panda, which both offer a 300km range for around €24,000 and which, if they aren’t as stylish as the Renault, at least do offer roomy cabins, and a bit of SUV-like ride height for tackling nasty roads.
Looking above the €30,000 barrier, there’s a two-way tussle for the best-in-class between the new Kia EV3 and the Skoda Elroq. The Kia grabs an early advantage because its cheapest €36,790 model has a longer range of 426km than the basic €36,545 Elroq’s 375km. The Kia also has cooler styling on the outside and a really high-tech cabin within, including a handy slide-out table that’s perfect for holding your snacks when charging up.
However, the Skoda hits back with a sharper driving experience, and more room in the back seats, plus a cabin that feels better made overall. Both are excellent, and very affordable, choices.
These are just a quick scratch of the surface of the affordable electric cars coming our way in 2025. Also hitting Irish dealerships soon are the compact BYD Atto2 — with a high-quality cabin and a robust lithium-iron phosphate battery; the Opel Frontera and Citroen e-C3 Aircross, which can be optionally had with seven seats; Renault’s other retro model, the re-invented Renault 4, which is an SUV with some sixties styling on the outside; and the Volkswagen Group trio of the VW ID.2, the Skoda Epiq and the Cupra Raval.
Finally, if you want proof that EVs are now matching their petrol or diesel rivals on price, think of this. If you’re looking to buy a new Peugeot 3008 SUV, then the electric E-3008, with its 500km+ electric range, is €30 cheaper than the 1.2-litre hybrid-engined model. The era of the affordable EV is finally upon us.