The 10 fastest-depreciating electric cars

Model Acenta 39kWh | List price £28,995| 36k/3yr resale value £6425 | Price drop £22,570 | Retained value 22.16%

The Nissan Leaf was one of the founding fathers of the electric car class, and it's still worth considering if you want to go green.

There are two versions to choose from, with 39kWh models offering a range of up to 168 miles, and 59kwh models managing 239 miles between charges. It's the former version we're looking at here, which managed 128 miles from a full charge in our real-world range test – less than the Fiat 500.

Neither version of the Leaf does well in terms of depreciation, but it's the former which will have the bigger drop in value over three years of ownership – especially if you also choose entry-level Acenta trim.

At least the Leaf's precise steering allows you to place the car exactly where you want it on the road, and there's a decent amount of space in the boot for your luggage.

Read our full Nissan Leaf review

Model Design 50kWh | List price £32,445 | 36k/3yr resale value £7700 | Price drop £24,745 | Retained value 23.73%

The combustion-engined Vauxhall Corsa is consistently among the best-selling new cars in the UK, but while this electric version shares many of the charms of that car – including being competitively priced and coming loaded with standard kit – it also sheds pounds and pence at an alarming rate.

To drive, the Corsa Electric is mediocre, offering a competitive range of up to 222 miles and peppy performance from its 134bhp electric motor, but its handling doesn't inspire you to push on. Plus, the ride is on the firm side, which makes the Corsa Electric fidget more over broken surfaces than, say, a Peugeot e-208 would.

Larger adults won't want to spend much time in the Corsa's rear seats – the MG4 EV would be a better bet if you regularly carry tall passengers – and there's not a lot of space in the Vauxhall's boot.

Read our full Vauxhall Corsa Electric review

Model Performance Line | List price £38,465 | 36k/3yr resale value £9150 | Price drop £29,315 | Retained value 23.79%

If you're the kind of person who would eschew mainstream electric SUV choices like the Hyundai Kona Electric or Kia Niro EV in favour of something with a little more style, then we can understand why you might end up at the driver's door of the DS 3 E-Tense.

It's certainly striking to look at, and its interior design will be a constant conversation starter for your passengers, with its diamond-themed layout and tessellated pattern of touch-sensitive controls. The thing is, though, it's mostly style over substance, because the touch-sensitive buttons aren't easy to get along with and the 7.0in infotainment screen is on the small side.

The DS 3 E-Tense is lacking in performance, too, with its 154bhp motor not being able to match its Hyundai and Kia rivals in a 0-62mph sprint. It can't go as far as those cars on a charge, either, with an official range of 250 miles.

Read our full DS 3 E-Tense review

Model You 50kwh | List price £31,960 | 36k/3yr resale value £8500 | Price drop £23,460 | Retained value 26.60%

This electric coupé-SUV from Citroën is competitively priced against similarly sized electric cars such as the Kia Niro EV and Volkswagen ID 3, but it loses more value than both after three years of ownership.

We like that it offers a comfortable ride, and is quiet at speed, but plenty of electric SUV rivals have longer ranges – the e-C4 will officially do 219-221 miles between charges, depending on what trim you choose. It's not very fast, either, with a 0-62mph sprint time of 10 seconds, and acceleration which tails off once you're up to motorway speeds.

At least the e-C4 is comfortable, with its deliberately soft suspension doing a good job of cushioning you from larger ruts and speed bumps. You can fit a decent amount into its boot – we managed to squeeze in five carry-on suitcases – but it's worth noting that the Kia Niro EV can carry more.

Read our full Citroën ë-C4 review

Model GS 115kWh | List price £31,960 | 36k/3yr resale value £10,775 | Price drop £39,735 | Retained value 27.12%

While some car makers shout about their SUVs being electric, the Vauxhall Mokka Electric is purposefully designed to fly under the radar – it looks, to most eyes, like just another version of the regular Vauxhall Mokka. It is indeed electric, though, with power being drawn from a 46.3kWh (usable capacity) battery and sent to the front wheels via a 134bhp electric motor.

The Mokka Electric isn't the last word in performance – even in its sport driving mode both the Kia Niro EV and Volkswagen ID 3 could show it a clean pair of heels – and nor can it travel very far on a charge. Indeed, its official range of 209 miles is less than most versions of the Niro EV can manage.

We wish the interior didn't feel so cheap in places, but at least every Mokka comes loaded with kit. There really isn't much need to look beyond the entry-level GS models, because these get adaptive cruise control, keyless start and heated front seats as standard.

Read our full Vauxhall Mokka Electric review 

Model EV400 R-Dynamic S 90kWh | List price £69,995 | 36k/3yr resale value £20,775 | Price drop £49,220 | Retained value 29.68%

That the Jaguar I-Pace loses the most value of any car on this list by some margin spells excellent news for used car buyers, but is a nightmare for anyone buying new. In fact, the £49,000 in lost value from the I-Pace is enough to buy most of the other cars on this list outright

Still, once you've swallowed the depreciation pill, there's a lot to like about Jaguar's electric SUV. It drives well, offering the kind of eager handling which keen drivers will love, while taking the sting out of ruts and bumps in the road thanks to a smooth ride.

While the material quality inside isn't going to have Audi or BMW worried, there's still plenty of 'wow' factor to the I-Pace's interior, plus lots of clever tech, including a system to turn the rear-view mirror into a camera.

Read our full Jaguar I-Pace review

Model Makoto 35.5kWh | List price £32,395 | 36k/3yr resale value £9750 | Price drop £22,645 | Retained value 30.10%

Mazda's first electric car is already a fairly expensive proposition, so it's bad news that it will also lose value faster than most rivals, shedding more than £20,000 after three years and 36,000 miles of ownership.

The MX-30 doesn't make up for that fact with a fantastic driving experience, either, because it has a short range of just 124 – we suspect that figure would fall to around 115 miles in real-world use – and it feels slow on faster roads. 

Plus, while the interior is smart and the infotainment system is easy to get along with, getting inside the MX-30 using its rear-hinged doors takes a lot of getting used to. The boot isn't large, either, with the rival Kia Niro EV being able to carry substantially more.

Read our full Mazda MX-30 review

Model Trophy 51kWh | List price £35,495 | 36k/3yr resale value £11,075 | Price drop £24,420 | Retained value 31.00%

As a cash purchase the MG ZS EV is cheaper than most of its rivals – but as a PCP finance package, its steep depreciation keeps prices higher than you might like. 

Still, there is a lot to like here. The ZS EV feels pleasantly nippier than its petrol-engined sibling, for example, with a 0-62mph sprint time of just over eight seconds – meaning it'll keep pace with the Kia Niro EV. And while range from the 51.1kWh battery isn't stellar, at an official 198 miles, that might still be enough for most buyers to use as a second car.

There's no masking the ZS EV's budget credentials inside, but it actually offers a better driving position than the Peugeot e-2008 and still comes with most of the kit you're likely to want, including a 10.1in touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring.

Read our full MG ZS EV review

Model 42kWh La Prima | List price £30,995 | 36k/3yr resale value £9775 | Price drop £21,220 | Retained value 31.54%

If you want to match retro looks with modern electric car technology, then the Fiat 500 is worth considering. It offers peppy performance and agile handling, making weaving in and out of city traffic a doddle, and while the range is small at just 115 miles, we think most commuters will find they have enough. 

If you want more range, then there's a version with a 42kWh battery, and this offers a range of up to 199 miles depending on the trim level you choose. That model also performs slightly better in terms of depreciation.

No matter which version of the 500 you choose, the ride can be quite choppy, if not uncomfortably so. The rival Peugeot e-208 and Honda E feel calmer and more settled on faster roads, and are both quieter at speed.

Despite placing you low down inside the car, the 500 is easy to see out of,  and even entry-level models come with all the kit you're likely to need, including air conditioning, a 10.25in infotainment touchscreen, and 16in alloy wheels.

Read our full Fiat 500 Electric review

Model Active 50kWh | List price £28,200 | 36k/3yr resale value £9125 | Price drop £19,075 | Retained value 32.36%

You'll have already read a lot about the Peugeot e-208 in this article, and it's the electric car which, on this list, will cost you the least in depreciation – even if it's not quite as good as the slowest-depreciating electric cars.

This version of the Peugeot e-208 has a 50kWh battery which offers a range of up to 225 miles depending on which trim you choose – that's competitive by the standard of small electric cars, and is more than the Fiat 500 can manage, while the BYD Dolphin can go further still.

The e-208 is impressively quiet, even on faster roads, and even though its regenerative braking system can sometimes make the brakes feel spongy, the Peugeot offers a better ride than its rivals, and does a good job of soaking up the lumps and bumps of battered British roads.

Peugeot's i-cockpit layout takes some getting used to, because it has you looking over a small steering wheel at the instruments rather than through it, but the quality of materials used inside is good and there's all the kit you could want, even on entry-level models.

Read our full Peugeot e-208 review

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