New electric cars 2023: what's coming when

We take a look at some of the best new electric cars that will hit the streets over the next year and beyond

With the UK’s shift to electric moving ever closer, the choice for anyone considering an electric car is growing all the time. 

We’ve compiled all of the biggest electric car launches planned this year, from Abarth to Volkswagen. 

Here’s our comprehensive A-Z to the year’s biggest electric car launches.

*New electric cars arriving in July*

*Abarth 500e*

Abarth’s first electric hot hatchback arrives as a 152bhp, £38,195 trailblazer in the Italian firm’s history. Underneath, you’ll find a 42.2kWh battery pack propelling this 1410kg supermini to 62mph in 7.0sec and on to a top speed of 96mph. It comes with character-enhancing trinkets, such as a speaker under the rear bumper that amplifies an Abarth 595-esque sound on idle and when it’s revved. Superficial as that may be, we reckon this is ​​the best-driving everyday small electric car yet.

*Lexus UX 300e*

Deliveries of Lexus’s recently revised BMW iX1 rival will start this month. The facelifted car receives a battery that's 18.5kWh larger than before for a WLTP range of 280 miles. With revisions to the steering and shock absorbers promising to “sharpen dynamic performance”, the Japanese firm’s first EV remains a quirky, left-field choice for buyers who want a comfortable and refined crossover at a cheaper price than many rivals.

*Lotus Eletre*

Costing £121,305 and producing 905bhp, this circa 2.4-tonne 4x4 gets from 0-62mph in 2.9sec and will do 165mph. Understandably, you might think the Eletre is just another electric SUV, but it’s as radical as they come. It ushers in a new era for Lotus, which hopes to shift 150,000 of them by 2028. Sitting atop Lotus’s Electric Premium Architecture, which will underpin at least two more cars in future, it's a sharply styled off-roader that puts the Geely-owned firm ahead of the electric SUV game. 

*Peugeot e-308*

This, or a Volkswagen ID 3? That's a decision you can now make, starting this month. A front-mounted motor endows the new French hatchback with 156bhp, 22bhp more than the technically similar Peugeot e-208 supermini and e-2008 crossover, and 192lb ft. Power is supplied by a 51kWh (usable) battery, which is only slightly larger than that used by more compact EVs from Peugeot parent Stellantis. The e-308 will join pure-combustion petrol and diesel options and a pair of plug-in hybrids in the 308 line-up.

*Peugeot e-2008*

The e-2008 starts at £36,350 for basic Active trim, while the Allure and GT models that most buyers will want come in at £38,350 and £40,550 respectively. The facelift brings a wider, more aggressive, new Peugeot badge and updated lights inspired by the Peugeot 508. It also gains a larger, 54kWh battery and a more powerful electric motor, with output boosted by 18% over the previous e-2008, at 153bhp.

*Citroën ë-C4 X*

To coax customers away from niche-driven SUVs, Citroën has developed the ë-C4 X as a lower, sleeker alternative to the regular ë-C4. Starting from £31,995, it features a 134bhp electric motor and a 50kWh battery, giving a range of 222 miles. 

*Smart #1*

This is a Smart but not as we know it: the brand’s first SUV is much larger than its historic models, but remains a cleverly-packaged and well-designed machine. There are a few minor snagging points, but it’s a solid first effort for the Mercedes-Geely joint venture. 

*New electric cars arriving in August*

*Vauxhall Astra Electric*

The Astra Electric represents “almost the last piece in the jigsaw” as Vauxhall gears up to go EV-only from 2028. Available as a traditional hatchback or as an estate, it gets the 54kWh battery from the smaller Mokka Electric, giving a range of up to 258 miles. It’s priced from £39,995.

*New electric cars arriving in September*

*Peugeot 508*

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Peugeot’s strapping saloon has been given a makeover, bringing with it a redesigned interior featuring a new 10.0in infotainment touchscreen. Prices start from £34,020 and climb to £53,825 for a range-topping Peugeot Sport Engineered model.

*Volkswagen ID 3*

Just three and a half years into its life, the Volkswagen ID 3 has been updated to take "a significant and noticeable leap forward in terms of quality”, VW brand boss Thomas Schäfer told Autocar in October 2022. Prices start from £37,115 for the standard ID 3 Pro.

*Fisker Ocean*

The long-awaited Fisker Ocean will soon arrive in the UK, bringing novel technologies including a solar roof – said to add 1500 miles of range annually – and a 113kWh battery pack giving a range of 440 miles per charge.

*Maserati Gran Turismo Folgore*

Back for a second generation, Bologna’s iconic luxury GT returns with an EV Folgore edition that packs 745bhp and 997lb ft - propelling this 2260kg super-coupé to 62mph in 2.7sec and to a top speed of, as near as makes no difference, 200mph. For this performance, you’ll pay around £190,000 and a considerable draining of the car’s 280-mile range. Expect it in UK showrooms in September this year.

*New electric cars arriving in October*

*Vauxhall Corsa Electric*

The Vauxhall Corsa has been adapted to wear the brand’s new ‘Vizor’ signature front end, but that’s not all that’s changed. The electric model receives an upgraded 154bhp front motor and a 51kWh battery, giving it a range of 255 miles. Prices for the EV are expected to start north of £32,000.

*BMW i5*

The first electric BMW 5 Series arrives later this year, packing an 81.2kWh battery for a range of 283-362 miles between charges, depending on which model you opt for. The M60 version – fettled by BMW’s performance division – receives a dual-motor set-up producing 593bhp and 605lb ft, surging the i5 from 0-62mph in 3.8sec.

*New electric cars arriving in November*

*Volkswagen ID 7*

Volkswagen’s answer to the Tesla Model S arrives later this year priced from around £50,000. That nets you a 77kWh battery pack that – combined with an efficient new rear motor producing 282bhp – gives a range of 382 miles. Deliveries are expected to begin in November, following production delays as Volkswagen scaled back EV production.

*Polestar 3*

Polestar’s first SUV is set to push the brand even further upmarket, putting a sportier twist on a host of technologies shared with the Volvo EX90. With the Performance Pack, it dispatches the 0-62mph sprint in 4.7sec – impressive, given it’s hauling a whopping 2584kg of mass. Long Range cars get a 111kWh battery enabling a 379-mile range between charges.

*MG 4 XPower*

We’ve yet to drive an electric car that’s truly convincing as a hot hatch, but the MG 4 XPower could be the car to do it. It takes the standard car’s well-resolved chassis and ups the power to 429bhp, for which you’ll pay £36,495 – around £8000 less than a Volkswagen Golf R. A UK delivery date has yet to be announced, but we expect the XPower to arrive later this year, given a large UK dealer group already has it listed for sale.

*New electric cars arriving in December*

*Rolls-Royce Spectre*

There’s no underestimating the importance of the Spectre for Rolls-Royce: as an electric car, it has the potential to take refinement and power to unthinkably high levels for the brand. Yet it also bears the responsibility of proving the technology to Rolls’ discerning clientele – a critical mission as the Goodwood firm looks to phase out its V12 by 2030.

*Volkswagen ID Buzz LWB*

The Volkswagen bus revival is completed at last by the seven-seat long-wheelbase model, with the first deliveries anticipated to take place before the end of the year. Some 250mm longer than the regular Buzz, it’s also available as a five- or six-seater, and a faster GTX variant is also on the cards.

*Ford Explorer*

Ford killed off the Fiesta to free factory space for the Explorer, its first high-volume electric car. Based on Volkswagen’s MEB platform, it’s set to push the Blue Oval upmarket, rivalling the likes of the BMW iX1 and Mercedes-Benz EQA. A delivery date has yet to be announced, but it’s expected to arrive before the end of the year.

*BYD Dolphin*

Deliveries of BYD’s family hatchback are set to begin before the year’s close, with prices starting at a competitive £25,490. That makes it the cheapest full-sized electric car you can currently buy in the UK, undercutting the MG 4 (priced from £26,995).

*By Jonathan Bryce and Charlie Martin*