Owning an EV can save you thousands in running costs over equivalent petrol and diesel counterparts, but some electric cars are still more expensive to insure. So, with everything else in the world getting more expensive, we decided to compile a list of the cheapest used EVs to insure.
We've also thrown in an average insurance quote for each car, based on Carol Jones. Carol is 40 years old and lives in a house with a driveway in Didcot. Don't blame Caron for anything, she's just our imaginary average lady driver who's looking for a great used EV that's cheap to insure. Obviously, your no claims, location, age and much more can affect your insurance premium, so always get a quote in advance.
But you knew that, right! Now, let’s get into it, shall we?
Best for: Being fun to drive, yet ideal for new drivers
The VW e-Up was built from the start to be cheap, cheerful and accessible. It’s no surprise to see it at the top of our cheapest to insure list. Not only that, but it's light weight and small size make it incredibly efficient for a car of its age! A 32.3kWh usable battery (if you go for the later, facelifted version) gives it a WLTP range of 159 miles, which is over 5.0 m/kWh.
It’s not fast, and it doesn’t feel very expensive, but the e-Up is fun to drive, well put together and has stood the test of time remarkably well. Plus, if you want to get into an e-Up for even cheaper, its cousins - the Seat Mii and Skoda Citigo - both have electric versions which are mechanically identical to the e-Up, and can often be bought for much less money. We still love this practical, cheeky little EV, and it’s definitely worth seeking them out on the Electrifying used car marketplace.
Thanks to its stylish looks and affordable running costs, the Fiat 500 has been one of the most popular options for young and first-time drivers since its revival back in 2007. When Fiat released the electric version back in 2020, they had aimed to replicate that success for the driver who was both environmentally and fashion-conscious.
The electric 500e is still available to buy new with a couple of batteries. The smaller battery offering range of up to 118 miles while the bigger 42kWh battery has a WLTP range of 199 miles, and is much more popular so you'll see loads more of them in the used listings. The big problem with the Fiat 500e is that it's really pricey as a new car, but it's great value if you buy used. And it really does look fantastic in any colour or spec. Just avoid the fabric roof if you want to keep insurance costs down.
The ultimate city car wasn't fully realised until the Smart ForTwo went electric. When it did back in 2009, we finally got a car that was small enough to thread down even the tightest city streets, could be parked on a dime, and now harnessed electric power to zip about in near-silence and charge on tiny city driveways for pennies on the pound.
The EQ ForTwo, in its most recent incarnation, went out of production in 2024. But even then, it was managing to extract 83 miles of range from a tiny 17.6kWh battery. With the new and improved Smart #2 making its return in October 2026, we think it will carry the city speeder torch well into the future.
Best for: Being affordable but still under warranty
The Dacia Spring is the cheapest new EV money can buy, starting at £11,995 in the UK. However, it's about to be replaced with the new Spring, which we don't yet have confirmed insurance costs for. Not to worry, because the outgoing Spring is perky to drive and is in plentiful supply as a used buy. Surprisingly, the Spring is one of the biggest cars on this list, and is also the most expensive to insure. Mind you, £402 per year is still very affordable (ask any driver under the age of 25).
As for this new car, we expect that o start at or around £18,000 with insurance costs probably being about the same as today’s Spring. Keep an eye on our YouTube channel to be the first to see us drive it!
The Volkswagen ID.3 is another one that’s been around for quite a while, having launched in 2020 (the same time as Electrifying did!) Of course, we had our fair share of gripes with the original car, from silly haptic controls to software glitches. However, in the time since, the ID.3 has matured into a very capable family hatchback indeed.
Even today, the ID.3 Neo is around the corner with updated looks, interior, and tech. However, with used options frequently available for under £10,000, we would understand if you decided to deal with some odd interior choices for the sake of a massive saving.
If you’re looking for something more SUV-ish (you’re not the only one!) give the Citroen e-C4 a look. It brings excellent comfort and value to the table, even if range is only middling at up to 261 miles on the WLTP scale. Regardless, it gets that from a 54kWh battery so the theoretical efficiency figure is an impressive 4.83m/kWh.
Even new, the Citroen e-C4 is still cheap to buy, starting at just £27,215 with the £1,500 electric car grant applied. Used examples are set to be even cheaper and with the e-C4 having been on sale since 2021, there are loads of options available.
For something a little more spacious, the Peugeot E-5008 is our choice for seven-seaters. It hits a much lower insurance group than any of its rivals from Mercedes or Volkswagen and recently beat the Mercedes-Benz GLB in our twin test!
That’s not to mention it’s great value for money, starting from under £42,000 as a new buy and is also widely available in our used listings, it has excellent range of up to 413 miles (WLTP), and we gave it 9/10 in our review. It’s a pretty tough one to ignore in any case.
