Tesla Model S

from £29,000 to £60,000 PERFECT FOR: angering supercars at the lights

At the other end of the EV scale comes the reliable secondhand redoubt of a used Tesla. No longer the unicorns they once were on UK roads, you can now pick up a used Model S for similar money to a brand new Honda e. That’s a full five-seat (or seven, with the optional bootmounted kids seats) luxury EV with, even at a basic level, twice the range of the little Honda. They’re quiet, rapid, useful and cheap-ish to run.

The scope of choice is somewhat limited, but we found one car listed at £29,895 for a 60kW ’64 reg with 103k on the clock. Although saying that, there appear to be myriad Model S of various stripes for around £30k–£35k.

A 60kW (298bhp) Model S – now discontinued in the UK, by the way – listed at just over £50,000 when new (£50,335 after the government grant), so this isn’t the economic depth charge that it looks like. Similarly, the more common P85s with a 265-mile range, 85kW battery and 0–62mph in just over four seconds for between £30k and £35k with 70k+ on the clock aren’t as scary as they might seem. EVs have far fewer mechanical components than traditional ICE engined cars, and batteries have proved to be capable of far greater longevity than most people thought.

You’ll want to be wary though... with EVs being largely new to the secondhand market, plenty appear to be badly listed and missing quite a few bits of info: little things, such as what motor and battery pack the car actually contains. Not all Model S are the same…