Electrifying.com Awards 2025

Best Value Electric Car of the Year: Renault 5 E-Tech

This year has really been the year when affordable electric cars arrived, so when we all got together and considered the winner for this award, it was a surprisingly long one. Maybe the Citroen e-C3, with its cute styling and roomy cabin? Maybe the dinky Hyundai INSTER, with its novel packaging solutions and quirky looks? Or there’s also the Dacia Spring, which is still about as cheap as an electric car gets?

In truth, there was one car that got mentioned more than any other, and that’s the Renault 5. It has to be our winner, doesn’t it? I mean, just look at it! The new Renault 5 E-Tech is a rare thing; a modest, everyday electric car that has aspiration appeal. It’s a car that we all want, as well as one that just makes sense on all of the financial and practical levels.

When it goes on sale in January, the Renault 5 will cost from £23,000 for the 40kWh Evolution, with its 194-mile WLTP range, or £27,000 for the more generously equipped and longer range 52kWh Techno model with a WLTP range of 255 miles. That’s a brilliant list price, but of course we expect most buyers to go for monthly PCP or leasing. While Renault hasn’t confirmed these costs yet, we do know that the 5 will be available from around £250 per month with a fairly low deposit, making it one of the most affordable electric cars out there.

But low cost isn’t enough on its own to justify this award; affordability is only worth shouting about when it’s in regard to a great product, after all, and the Renault 5 is definitely that.

Bar a couple of niggles we loved the way it drove, almost as much as we liked the way it looked, you can get the kids in it, and it’s brimming with tech including bi-directional charging so that you can power your devices, and even your home.

When we sat down to discuss this one there wasn’t a single member of the Electrifying team who didn’t reckon that the Renault 5 is the best value electric car of 2024.

Like we said: It’s not just about pricing, it’s about being an all-round brilliant car at a price that makes it attainable to a lot of people. With the Renault 5, you’re getting that. It’s a car that makes you happy and saves you money.

Ginny Buckley, founder of Electrifying.com, said:

“Renault is on a roll, and the new Renault 5 E-Tech is leading the charge. This 21st-century reboot of a much-loved classic combines retro charm with modern tech and has nailed its comeback. It’s a car guaranteed to make you smile, it’s fun to drive, turns heads, and comes at a competitive price. We think it’s the one to beat in the compact electric car class. Small but mighty, the Renault 5 packs a punch proving that affordable can also be aspirational.”