2025 marks the debut of models that could make big numbers, from the Fiat Grande Panda to the Renault 4, via the VW ID.1
It is not an easy time for the electric car. Demand is sluggish for many reasons, starting with the fact that zero-emission cars are generally more expensive than conventionally powered alternatives. But that could change in 2025. Some low-cost battery models have already been around for years, but now more are on the way.
These include models with strong appeal, at least on paper. These are cars that have the name, pedigree and looks to sell well and shake up the industry. Furthermore, according to analysts, sales of electric cars are set to take off in the next 12 to 18 months. But let’s stick to the basics. Here is a list of the most eagerly awaited cheap electric cars in 2025.
We have to start with the Panda: the tricolour bestseller par excellence. On the one hand, it remains the classic Panda we have known for years; on the other, it dresses up as a city SUV and transforms itself into the Grande Panda, with a different platform (the Smart Car of the Citroën e-C3, e-C3 Aircross and Opel-Vauxhall Frontera) and a look that winks at the Panda of yesteryear: the one that arrived in 1980.
Fiat Grande Panda
The electric Fiat Grande Panda will have the same powertrain as the Citroën and Opel-Vauxhall models mentioned above, given the common base. At 3.99 metres long, it will use a 44 kWh battery with lithium-iron-phosphate chemistry to power a 113 PS electric motor. The car promises a range of 320 km on a full tank of electrons. It will be available in Italy in two versions: the RED will cost €24,900 (about £21,000), while the La Prima, a special edition available at launch, will cost €27,900 (£23,200).
A few days after the publication of the official price lists for the Fiat Grande Panda, we have news of another very interesting electric car: the Volkswagen ID.1. The car will be officially unveiled on 5 March, still in concept form, as the production model is not expected until 2027. The car is based on the MEB ‘Entry’ platform, the one with the electric motor at the front, and marks Volkswagen’s return to the A-segment, which was abandoned after the up!
The Volkswagen ID.1 is expected to have a length of around 3.6 metres and a starting price of around £17,000.
To ease the wait, Volkswagen will unveil the ID.2 later this year. The car uses the technology of the other ID. cars on the market, based on a version of the MEB platform specifically designed for compact cars (the shortened one with the engine at the front), but closely resembles the Polo.
Volkswagen ID.2all
The German manufacturer’s new battery-powered model has been widely anticipated by the ID.2all concept. The car will be produced using advanced methods that will enable the company to keep costs down. Better economies of scale (Cupra and Skoda models will also be built on this basis) will allow more efficient management of resources. As far as the mechanics are concerned, all we have to go on at the moment is the concept’s data: 226 PS and a range of 280 miles. And the price? From £21,000.
After the Renault 5, which is already on sale and which will also be available in a “basic” version next spring at a price of £21,000, the Lausanne carmaker will launch another electric car with strong links to the past in 2025: the Renault 4. The car takes the shape and looks of the famous model produced from ’62 to ’91, dressed up as a crossover and, thanks to the AmpR Small platform (the same as the Renault 5), will be offered in two mechanical variants.
Renault 4 E-Tech elettrica
The base version will have a 40 kWh battery and a 122 PS engine, while the top version will have a 52 kWh battery and a 150 PS engine. The range will be 186 miles and 249 miles respectively. Prices are expected to be around £21,000, at least for the entry-level versions.
In its race towards electrification, Hyundai has recently concentrated its efforts on the top end of the range. That is, the Ioniq family models based on the 800-volt E-GMP platform. Now it is going for volume with the Inster, a compact crossover (3.82 metres long) with a personal style inspired by the Casper sold in eastern markets.
Hyundai Inster
The car is already on sale in the UK with either a 42 kWh or 49 kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery. The smaller version will be powered by a 97 PS electric motor, while the larger version will deliver 115 PS. Prices for the Hyundai Inster begin at £23,495.
Speaking of affordable electrics, MG has reportedly been working for some time on a zero-emissions city car to be unveiled by the end of 2025. It will be called the MG 2 – the name has already been registered – and the car is already at an advanced stage of development.
According to official statements from the Chinese manufacturer (MG is a historic British brand reborn under the ownership of SAIC), the production model could even have a starting price of around £17,000.
One of the most eagerly awaited electric cars of 2025 is the mysterious new Tesla Model Q. It is a car derived from the Model 3, but will be smaller, with a smaller battery and probably less power.
Tesla Model 2 rendered by Motor1.com
According to the limited information available, the car is expected to be 15 per cent shorter than the Model 3 and weigh 30 per cent less. It will have two battery sizes, 53 kWh and 75 kWh, both lithium-iron-phosphate type. It will not exactly be cheap (we are not talking about the famous 25,000 euro Model 2), but it should have a starting price of around 30,000 euro.
According to the limited information available, the car is expected to be 15 per cent shorter than the Model 3 and 30 per cent lighter. It will have two battery sizes, 53 kWh and 75 kWh, both lithium iron phosphate. It won’t be cheap (we’re not talking about the famous £21,000 Model 2), but it should have a starting price of around £25,000.
More car buying tips for 2025: