What are the best family electric cars?

If you’re looking for a great electric family car you have lots to choose from. In fact, electric cars (EVs) are well suited to families because their batteries and electric motors tend to take up less space than a petrol or diesel car’s engine and gearbox, making them roomier inside. Electric cars are also quiet, which can help to promote a sense of peace and calm on family trips. And many electric cars now have a battery range long enough for you to get to that holiday cottage in Cornwall/the Lake District without having to stop to charge.

Using our expertise and experience we’ve put together a list of the best electric family cars you can buy. Each one is practical and has a good battery range and although our focus is on new cars, many of them are also available to buy used. For each one we’ve listed its maximum battery range, but bear in mind that these are the official figures – you might not get that much in real-world conditions, depending on where and how you drive.

1. Renault Scenic E-Tech

Maximum range: 379 miles

While it might have a familiar name, the Renault Scenic E-Tech that was launched in 2024 is quite different to the models that have previously worn the badge. There’s a clue in the ‘E-Tech’ part, because this time around it’s a pure-electric model. It’s also an SUV, whereas its predecessors were all MPVs. 

It’s a great-looking car that’s about the same size as a Nissan Qashqai. And it’s very practical. Okay, it doesn’t have MPV-syle removable seats but it’s very spacious and has a huge boot. It’s as stylish inside as it is on the outside, and even the cheapest version is ludicrously well-equipped, with features such as heated front seats and steering wheel, front and rear parking sensors, a rear-view camera and an electrically powered bootlid as standard. It has all the latest safety features, too, and battery range is among the best in the class.

2. Kia EV9

Maximum range: 349 miles

Space is luxury, so the saying goes. In that case the Kia EV9 is one of the most luxurious electric family cars around because its interior is simply vast, with enough headroom and legroom for seven adults to stretch out. Plush materials add to the upmarket feel, while those in the second row can set their preferred temperature thanks to standard three-zone climate control and have window blinds to keep the sun out if it’s too bright. This really is a car that has the ability to make long trips with the family a treat rather than a chore. 

A starting price of more than £65,000 makes this the most expensive Kia ever, but like all of its models it’s great value considering how much space and equipment you get for the money, and that cheapest version of its nearest rival – the Volvo EX90 – costs almost £18,000 more.

3. Hyundai Kona Electric

Maximum range: 319 miles

The first version of the Hyundai Kona Electric was a great little electric car offering a longer-than average battery range, smart looks and keen pricing. It’s the second-generation model – introduced in 2023 – that gets our vote here, however. 

All of the above applies but the newer model is larger and more spacious, with a boot that’s big enough for a baby buggy and plenty more parenting paraphernalia besides. It’s also, as you may have noticed, a real looker. Wondering where you’ve seen that ‘face’ before? Many people think it looks like the main character from classic 80s sci-fi movie Robocop!

4.Skoda Enyaq

Maximum range: 359 miles

The Skoda Enyaq has been one of the best electric family cars since it was introduced in 2021. We can’t guarantee that it’ll make family trips all sweetness and light but few cars do such a good job of creating a sense of calm and comfort on the move.

Much of that comes down to the interior, which is spacious and has lots of useful storage arrears to clear away clutter. The boot is massive, too, which means you’re less likely to clog up the passenger area with luggage. It also gives a very smooth and quiet ride, while battery range is excellent so there should be less need to stop. An update for 2025 has made the Enyaq better than ever – it has a smart new look on the outside, improved battery range and even the entry-level model now comes with lots of luxury features.

5. MG 5

Maximum range: 250 miles

The MG 5 may well be the best-value electric family car out there. It was – for a long time – the only electric estate car you could buy. There are more available now, but they all cost more (in some cases a lot more) than the MG. 

There’s more than just a low price to recommend the MG 5, too. Although it’s quite compact for an estate car, it has a lot more boot space than most family hatchbacks and there’s loads of legroom in the back. It’s been on sale since 2020 but even the earliest models – available for less than £10,000 – have a good level of features and a battery range of just over 200 miles. You pay a bit more for a newer, high-spec model with a range of 250 miles but even then the MG 5 is a real bargain.

6. Tesla Model Y

Maximum range: 387 miles

Look familiar? It ought to because the Tesla Model Y was the best-selling new electric car in the UK (and the world) in 2024. It’s closely related to Tesla’s other big-seller, the Model 3, but the Model Y’s higher roofline makes it even more roomy inside and it has a larger boot with a more versatile hatchback opening (the Model 3 is a saloon). 

The standard Tesla characteristics are present and correct, so you get a futuristic interior with a huge touchscreen, lots of equipment as standard and a longer battery range than most similar cars. You also get either very fast or ‘ludicrous’ acceleration, depending on which version you go for, as well as access to Tesla’s network of powerful ‘Supercharger’ chargers.

7. Volkswagen ID.Buzz

Maximum range: 293 miles

If you want instant ‘cool parent’ creds then you should probably sign up for a Volkswagen ID.Buzz right now. Even the most surly of teenagers would probably concede that this car has ‘rizz’ – or whatever the current buzzword is. They might not even mind being seen with you in public as a result. You can but dream. 

Image aside, the ID.Buzz is an excellent family car because it’s an MPV. There’s loads of space inside, and it’s light and airy thanks to large side windows. Sliding back doors make getting in and out easy and ‘Long’ models bump the seat count up from five to seven so you can bring more people along for the ride. It’s certainly not cheap, and that must-have two-tone paint job adds thousands to the price tag, but the ID.Buzz has a feelgood factor that few other family cars – electric or otherwise – can match.

8. Kia Niro EV

Maximum range: 285 miles

Kia offers a wider range of pure-electric cars than many other brands and while the Niro EV has been on sale longer than any of the others, it remains one of the best. It’s a brilliant family car, offering a good amount of space yet being compact enough to fit through a tight gap in traffic, or into a standard parking space. 

On sale since 2022, it still looks bang up to date thanks to its bold exterior and cutting-edge interior. All versions are competitive for range, with a maximum of 285 miles regardless of which trim level you choose. Speaking of which, even the least expensive ‘2’ version has a reversing camera and a wealth of safety features. It’s worth paying a bit more for the ‘3’ trim level, though, since it adds LED headlights, heated and electrically adjustable front seats, a wireless phone charger and more.

9. Skoda Elroq

Maximum range: 360 miles

What’s this, another Skoda? And doesn’t it look almost exactly like the Enyaq we already mentioned? Well, yes – the Elroq is essentially a shorter version of the Enyaq. As a result it’s not quite as practical but it’s still roomy enough for most families. There’s ample headroom and legroom in the back and, with a 470-litre capacity, the boot offers 100 litres more space than a Ford Focus.

Because it shares many parts with the Enyaq, the Elroq is similarly good to drive and has an almost-identical battery range. The cheapest versions offer a maximum of 232 miles, whereas higher-spec cars can manage 360 miles. All versions are well-equipped and prices (which are quite a bit lower than the Enyaq’s) are extremely competitive.

10. Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer

Maximum range: 424 miles

Volkswagen has been making spacious, solid family estate cars for decades and in addition to its long-running Golf and Passat estate models you can now buy this, the ID.7 Tourer. In many ways it’s an estate car for a new era, with electric-only power, and futuristic looks. It still has the qualities we’ve come to expect of a big Volkswagen estate, however, with a super-smooth ride and a comfortable interior that feels built to withstand family life.

It’s pricey (all versions cost more than £50,000 new), but even the entry-level model has masses of luxury features, including massaging front seats, an augmented-reality head-up display and an electrically powered bootlid. Maximum battery range is exceptional, too, with even the least expensive model capable of 371 miles when fully charged.