The Best Eco Cars Priced £15K and Under

It’s hard to quantify the actual size of the eco car market, particularly with a number of different vehicle types represented within.

However, the market is undoubtedly growing at a considerable rate, with more than 395,000 pure-electric cars now on UK roads and a further 740,000 hybrid models in use   as of December 2021.

This market will only become more popular as greater attention is drawn to climate change and the damage caused by emissions, with diesel and petrol vehicles a key contributor to this.

Of course, electric cars are renowned for being more expensive options, but there are some cheaper models available for less than £15k. These include:

#1. The Citroen DS5

Let’s start with the Citroen DS5, which is a diesel-electric hybrid that will cost you approximately £13,500 or even less if you buy second hand).

Boasting a 2.0-litre engine that’s powered by electricity, the model provides ample power without burning too much fuel. It’s also well-designed and offers exceptionally high fuel economy, alongside low emissions that are among the most competitive on the market.

During testing, the vehicle has an official combined fuel economy figure of 68.9mpg, with emissions of 107 g/km, while there’s now a DS5 model available that can achieve up to 80.7mpg and 91 g/km.

#2. The Smart Forfour

Equipped with a fully electric engine, the innovative Smart Forfour is one of the cheapest such vehicles on the market with a retail price of £13,600.

Interestingly, the car also features a defined ‘Eco’ mode, which intuitively limit s maximum speed to reduce fuel consumption in real-time.

Make no mistake; this range and its vehicles represents a significant step forward in fourth-generation electric cars, boasting an incredibly capacious battery and one that can be charged twice as quickly as the option in the previous model.

#3. The Nissan Leaf

We close with the excellent Nissan Leaf, which is another fully electric vehicle that will cost interested buyers around £14,700 on average.

According to independent testing, the car can travel uninterrupted for up to 239 miles on a fully-charged battery. This allows for extended travel while minimising emissions, which is the whole purpose of such cars in the marketplace.

The Leaf is now a key part of Nissan’s EV range, with the model’s innovative e-Pedal taking care of acceleration and braking in most cases. When you press down on the ePedal, speed will increase, while easing off will access ‘regenerative’ braking and ensure that charge is sent back to the battery as the vehicle slows down.

This is a great feature, and one that offers huge value to drivers who want to optimise their charge.