DrivingElectric Awards 2025: the winners

Welcome to the 2025 DrivingElectric Awards. This is our chance to celebrate the best electric cars, electric vans, and even charging products available in 2025, and explain why they should matter to you. We’ve tested every one of the cars and chargers below and can give our definitive verdict on which you should be spending your hard-earned money on in 2025.

One of the most welcome trends of the past year has been the increasing affordability of electric cars. It finally seems like manufacturers have got the message, and have begun offering EVs to buyers who were putting off ownership due to the high cost of entry. Brands are really beginning to care about design, too. Even our best home charger this year was rated highly for the way it looks, as well as the way it performs - just like our favourite EVs.

Below, you can discover our 2025 winners in all the usual categories, from the best value EV to the best public charging network, and of course, the overall DrivingElectric Car of the Year.

Best Value Electric Car: Citroen e-C3

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The Citroen e-C3 is one of the most affordable electric cars on sale today, starting at under £22,000. But our value category isn’t simply about being cheap. We look for an EV that actually makes your pounds and pennies go further than the rest, and the e-C3 scores there too.

To bring a car like this to market for such an attractive price, Citroen has been clever with the e-C3’s spec, so the base-model You! has a smartphone cradle rather than an infotainment system – but it hasn’t scrimped on the important stuff, so it also has air conditioning as standard. The e-C3 rides well, ticking off a traditional Citroen strong point, and the boxy shape is practical too. Essentially it’s a proper car, and an electric one at that, at an accessible price point, and we like it for that.

“The Citroen e-C3 isn’t groundbreaking; it’s just a refreshingly simple and well-equipped electric car that won’t cost you a fortune. What’s not to like?”

Best Family Electric Car: Kia EV3

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Kia has brought us some great electric cars in recent years and the EV3 is another take on the winning formula. Families will love the practical and spacious cabin that exudes a level of quality far beyond the car’s price point. A lot of what was great about the bigger Kia EV9 is present in the EV3’s more compact package and that’s a big positive in our book. 

Kia’s latest design philosophy shapes the EV3’s exterior with its sharp lines and chunky proportions, while the car feels safe and predictable on the road. Efficiency is right up with the top family electric cars, whether you choose the more affordable battery with a 267-mile range or the big one for up to 370 miles. We managed 4.6m/kWh on our test which is amongst the best returns we’ve seen from any family-sized EV. 

“The Kia EV3 is a superb package with vanishingly few weak spots when it comes to meeting the needs of family car buyers. It makes a fine introduction to electric cars.”   

Best Premium Electric Car: BMW i5

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We know BMW’s reputation in the executive car space but we were still surprised by how well the BMW i5 manages to update the brand’s familiar qualities for the EV era. It still drives like a BMW but with a whole new level of refinement and no small amount of performance. 

Driving ranges of over 350 miles from the base model mean high mileage drivers can consider the electric option and the cabin environment is one of BMW’s best yet. The high level of build quality is evident wherever you look and the simplified iDrive control system makes the raft of technology features far easier to use.   

“From a best-in-class driving experience to outstanding tech, the BMW i5 ticks all the right boxes for a premium electric car – it’ll take something quite special to beat it next year”

Best Electric Van: Renault Master E-Tech

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Renault makes some fantastic electric passenger cars right now, but it’s got an eye for vans too – and the Master E-Tech is one such vehicle. Renault hasn’t been flashy with the Master E-Tech, there’s no Renault 5-style retro revival with this workhorse. It’s simply turned an already accomplished large panel van into a very usable electric one.

The 126-mile range doesn’t look like much, but the Master has the space, and 1,420kg payload, to make light work of multiple-drop jobs in the city without the need to constantly return to base. There’s enough performance to be useful too, and it’s far more refined, and smooth, than its diesel equivalents.

“The Renault Master E-Tech has more rivals now than when it first arrived but a smooth driving experience and huge cargo volume make it as useful as ever”

Best Universal Charging Network: Tesla

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Tesla was one of the first companies to realise that chargers were as important as the cars you were charging with them, and 13 years after the very first Tesla Superchargers were installed in California, it’s still the best public charging network around.

You voted it as such in the Driver Power 2024 survey, with the Tesla Superchargers receiving the highest scores for pricing, ease of use and charging speed among other factors. Recently the network has opened up to other vehicles too, provided they have CCS charging ports. It’s for a slightly higher price than Tesla owners pay, but still a better charging experience than most other providers.

“Tesla’s fast, easy-to-use chargers still haven’t been topped. We like using them, and judging by Driver Power 2024, you do too”

Best Home Charger: Hypervolt

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Hypervolt’s home charger takes our prize this year following its table-topping performance in the Driver Power 2024 survey. Put simply, it’s the EV charger that electric vehicle owners themselves have had the best experiences with.

It won five of the seven categories, coming first for the installation process, reliability, customer service, and the smartphone app – plus the all-important style factor, which really matters when it’s bolted to the outside of your house. Built quality isn’t the best and some other options are easier to use, but Hypervolt still does enough to be our 2025 favourite.

“Style isn’t everything but it helps the reliable and easy-to-install Hypervolt charger stand out as the best home charger on the market in 2025”

DrivingElectric Car of the Year: Kia EV3

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Last year its big(gest) brother, the Kia EV9, took the top prize, and with the Kia EV3 the Korean brand has another winner on its hands. These siblings really are very similar in everything other than their size, and the great-looking EV3 scores in all the same areas, from offering plenty of range, in part thanks to good real-world efficiency, and a quality interior.

It’s not a sporty car to drive – Kia still has the EV6 if you want a bit more dynamism – but it’s easy to get used to and the spacious, modern cabin is a pleasure to spend time in. With up to 372 miles of range from the 81.4kWh version, you can spend longer driving it than most EVs, while Kia’s excellent seven-year warranty is still present and correct too, so you and subsequent owners will be able to enjoy the EV3 for many years to come.

“Kia has a reputation for shaking up the EV market and the EV3 does it again, for an even wider audience”