If you’ve been paying attention to our Instagram page, you’ll have noticed that we’ve been showcasing our favourite car reviews of the year. For us, 2022 was a bumper year for reviews with more models coming to market, meaning we put a whole host of electric cars to the test. 

From the amazingly affordable MG4, to the clever concept Citroen Oli, we’ve driven them all to make your switching decision that bit easier. So, without further ado, we’ve rounded up our favourite videos - and cars - of the year:

The Volkswagen ID Buzz 

Back in March, the wraps were finally peeled off one of the most exciting, interesting and practical electric vehicles ever created – the Volkswagen ID.Buzz and ID.Buzz Cargo. 

The ID.Buzz is Volkswagen's most anticipated remake since the Beetle. Combining retro looks with a vast five-seater cabin and a big 77kWh battery, does Volkswagen's reborn bus deliver on its promise? 

It would appear so. The ID.Buzz looks fantastic and is certain to convert a new demographic of drivers to electric. Volkswagen has clearly done a decent job with the driving dynamics and while the range and efficiency is a little disappointing, the ID.Buzz feels more than the sum of its parts. This isn’t necessarily a car you buy based on the numbers; it’s a lot of fun to drive and we’re not surprised that it already has a huge waiting list.

The Fisker Ocean 

The name may be unfamiliar, but the Fisker Ocean could create some serious waves in the electric car world when it lands in the UK next year. The project has attracted huge interest during its development (700 UK customers have already reserved one) and all the early signs suggest that the Ocean could well be one to watch in 2023. 

While Fisker has dabbled in the world of electrified cars before with the Fisker Karma, the Ocean is the company’s first fully-electric car to reach production. 

This is a car we are very excited about. With a predicted range of between 275 and 390 miles, it’s set to be up there with the best. It's great to have newcomers enter the market and Fisker will be one to watch. Not only this, Fisker also has a strong sustainability story, which we think will be a big deal in 2023. It's a good size for UK buyers, the design and advanced safety will make it appealing to family drivers - and who can resist dog windows!

Smart #1 

In September, we said hello to the Smart #. Should you have the #1 on your shortlist? Or is it just another compact SUV that offers the same fare as its competitors? 

The #1 (officially pronounced the Smart Hashtag One - yes really) is Smart’s first purpose-built electric car. Developed as part of a joint venture between Mercedes and Chinese electric car giant Geely, the #1 will be the first of a range of all-electric cars that will be sold both in China and Europe. 

Although Smart has traditionally been associated with small cars, the #1 has a tall stance for a five-seat hatchback that’s shorter than something like a Nissan Leaf, but wider and taller - more square - and kind of soft-looking. It means the #1 comes with a single 66kWh battery option and has a WLTP figure of between 260 and 273 miles. It will launch with 150kW DC fast charging capability and AC charging at a maximum of 22kW. Smart says the car is aimed at younger, tech-savvy buyers, so it plays host to a raft of connectivity features. 

Smart has yet to make any announcements relating to price, but given the specification and size, Electrifying.com would expect it to sell for between £32,000 and £38,000 when order books open. Nearly £40,000 for a Smart will be a big ask for many buyers. But this feels like a car that’s really hit the ground running.

MINI Aceman 

In summer, MINI unwrapped its Aceman concept car. Designed to be a larger, funkier five-door stablemate to the all-new electric MINI that arrives in 2024, it will sit between the three-door model and the range-topping Countryman (due in 2023) which will share its underpinnings with the new BMW iX1. 

Still with us? Good.The Aceman may officially be a MINI concept, but as design boss Oliver Heilmer explained to us, a surprisingly high number of features are already signed off for the production version.

MINI is being very tight-lipped about what lies beneath the funky, faux-rugged exterior but our best guess is a battery capacity of around 60kWh and a WLTP range in the region of 250 miles. Inside, it’s hard to tell which of the touted tech features will make it to the production model but we love the look of the circular OLED touchscreen (MINI says this is a world first) that controls all the infotainment features. 

One of the features we love and are assured will make production, is the unbelievably tactile velour steering wheel cover, included as part of a brand-wide cull of all things leather and chrome to reduce the environmental issues associated with their production.

Kia Niro EV 

One of the UK’s best-selling electric cars was given a new look this year, and a new name too when the all-new Kia e-Niro, now called the Kia Niro EV, was finally unveiled. 

The Tesla Model 3 may grab the sales chart headlines every few months, but the UK’s second best-selling electric car has been a huge seller for Kia since its launch and has a devoted following in the UK.

Fabled for its efficiency and loved for its affordable price, the Niro remains one of the best all-rounders you can buy.And now, four years after the original arrived, Kia has introduced a new version with a host of detail and engineering updates, the biggest of which is a new larger bodyshell. 

At first, the spec sheet didn’t look too impressive, but after spending some time on the road, we think the reborn Niro EV is a car which will slot perfectly into the lives of many families. The name might have changed, but the Kia Niro EV remains an Electrifying favourite.

MG4 

The all-new MG4 finally landed in the UK in the autumn. 

To many casual observers, MG is one of the least likely names to be leading the electric car revolution. Yet MG is outselling big names like ŠKODA and Land Rover, and has gone from being an outsider in the business to being one of the hottest properties. 

The MG4 is a five-seat hatchback with a surprising price. It ranges between £25,995 for the 51kWh standard range model with up to 217 miles of WLTP ability, up to the £31,495 Trophy with a bigger 64kWh battery. Our first test car - an SE with the big battery - can manage 281 miles on a full charge. 

We think this is going to be a huge hit with British buyers. There's a big, untapped market for a sensibly-priced five-seater hatchback and it looks as though MG will be the first brand to step up. The range looks great, the design is appealing and the price is unbeatable. 

Has MG set a new benchmark for affordable electric cars? We certainly think so.

Citroen Oli 

We’ve said it before, but we think the Citroen Oli could be the most important car of the last decade. 

It is effectively a laboratory on wheels that demonstrates sustainable and affordable alternatives to conventional automotive design. The company’s engineers have focussed on weight saving, efficiency and simplicity of materials. This testbed for new technology is said to show the direction Citroen is heading with its next generation of electric cars and answers many of the criticisms levelled at battery-powered cars. 

The Oli is a 4.2 metre long family car, but weighs about half as much as an equivalent rival and about the same as a petrol-powered city car. This light weight means it's more efficient and can go further with a smaller battery and uses less energy. It also makes it cheaper to buy and run, while using fewer resources to produce and recycle. 

Getting all the Oli’s elements to work has meant that Citroen’s designers quite literally went back to the drawing board. Every component has been analysed to see if weight and cost can be saved in what was a mammoth task of rethinking the car. 

The efficiency of the Oli isn’t just in the driving. In the ‘dull but important’ category is its refurbishment potential. Instead of throwing the whole car away when it is looking a bit tired or becomes too expensive to fix, the Oli will be easy to upgrade, repair and personalise. 

For all our sakes, we really hope the future of the car looks like this.

What could the future hold? 

As we enter 2023, there’s no doubt in our minds that the sustainability of electric vehicles will come under increased scrutiny. Although EVs are zero-emission at the tailpipe, the carbon footprint of a car starts at its inception, during the manufacturing and sourcing of materials stage and at the end of its life. Electrifying.com’s experts believe this is the next area the industry needs to focus on, and that it will become the subject of increased scrutiny by consumers and legislators as electric cars increasingly become ‘the new norm’. 

Although we’re looking forward to the arrival of some exciting and groundbreaking cars next year, we also need to see more affordable cars brought to market to encourage private motorists to make the switch; at the moment there are just three electric cars available costing less than £30,000, and the lack of choice at an affordable price point is having a detrimental effect on mainstream consumers. 

Sadly, what we’d like to see and what we think we’ll actually see are quite different. We’re expecting an increase in larger, premium electric cars with bigger batteries as these command a higher profit margin, making it easier for manufacturers to swallow up the added costs of electric vehicle production. 

We also need a public charging network that people can rely on; this means increasing the numbers of chargers, improving their reliability and making sure that pricing is fair. A first class charging network is key to giving car buyers the confidence to choose a car with a smaller battery. In turn, consumer demand will then encourage car makers to focus their efforts on this end of the market.

Reliable and plentiful chargers are what we need to help consumers have the confidence to choose a smaller battery