Total luggage capacity: 971 / 2,158 litres
Price: From £44,990
Availability: Now
Based on the Model 3 saloon, the Model Y SUV takes that car's practicality to new levels. There’s a decently sized frunk of 117 litres up front, but it’s elsewhere that the Model Y really impresses, maximising its 4.7-metre footprint. The boot measures up at 854 litres as standard. Fold the rear bench flat, and there’s over 2,000 litres of space.
Total luggage capacity: 423 / 918 litres
Price: From £64,995
Availability: Now
Kia’s most expensive and most ambitious model yet is its most practical too. The striking SUV brings a bold new interior with six- or seven-seat configurations and one of the biggest boots in the business. In regular four/five-seat mode there’s a huge 828 litres of storage space, and even with the third row of seats upright, there’s still 333 litres of room. Rear-drive versions have a handy 90 litres of frunk space, while even all-wheel-drive variants have 52 litres of storage under the bonnet.
Total luggage capacity: 310 655 / 1,1915 litres
Price: From £96,255
Availability: Q3 2024
It’s arriving next year as the most expensive Volvo ever, but the new all-electric EX90 SUV hasn’t deviated from the Swedish brand’s practicality driven roots. The five-metre long model is essentially an electric alternative for the popular XC90, and it sports a boot space of 665 litres behind the second row. Even with the third row of seats in place there’s a supermini rivalling 310 litres.
Total luggage capacity: 569 / 1,637 litres
Price: From £70,195
Availability: Now
The Audi e-tron is no more - it’s been given an extensive update and now wears a new badge: Q8 e-tron. However, alongside the updated looks, new tech, and extended range of up to 330 miles (343 if you opt for the swoopier, but less practical Sportback version) it’s just as practical as before. 569 litres of luggage space is found in the boot, expanding to 1,6,37 litres with the rear bench folded.
Total luggage capacity:195 / 645 / 1,710 litres
Price: From £129,470
Availability: Now
The largest electric SUV in the rapidly expanding Mercedes EQ stable is the EQS, and it’s a mightily practical electric car too. In its standard seating configuration, 645 litres of space is afforded behind the second row. But the entire bench slides - push it as far forward as it will go, and you can carry 880 litres of luggage while carrying five passengers, provided they don’t mind the compromised legroom. Even with seven seats in place, there’s still 195 litres of space to be found.
Total luggage capacity: 610 litres
Price: From £105,610
Availability: Now
Confusingly, Mercedes now has two models named EQS in its line-up. Beneath the EQS SUV is the plain old EQS - a large, limo-like saloon that’s an electric alternative to the S-Class. Technically it’s a giant hatchback though, with its vast boot serving up a large SUV-rivalling 610 litres of space.
Total luggage capacity: 585 / 1,710 litres
Price: From £38,970
Availability: Now
Skoda’s all-electric option, the Enyaq iV, boasts the distinction of being the most practical of the Volkswagen Group MEB platform SUVs. Its boxier, more traditional rear end makes it better for carrying items than the likes of the Volkswagen ID.4 or Audi A4 e-tron, with a sizeable 585 litres of boot space with the rear seats in place and more than 1,700 with them folded.
Total luggage capacity: 543 / 1,734 litres
Price: From £46,035
Availability: Now
Despite being based on the same platform as the Skoda Enyaq, VW’s large family SUV offers slightly less room for your luggage. With a 543-litre capacity, there’s still a decent amount of space for the endless detritus of daily life and, if you can ditch the rear seat passengers, that expands to 1,734 litres, which is actually slightly more than the Enyaq.
Total luggage capacity: 1,233 / 2,410 litres
Price: From £95,965
Availability: Now (LHD only, from Tesla stock)
The Tesla Model X is still the outright champ when it comes to all-electric carrying capacity this side of an electric van but there’s a catch. Tesla has given up on building right-hand-drive versions of the X, so your only option is to buy a left-hand-drive model from Tesla’s existing inventory. If that’s a price you’re happy to pay then nothing rivals the X for luggage capacity. Space behind the second row of seats is a vast 1,050 litres. And with the 183-litre ‘frunk’ accounted for, there’s space for carrying 1,233 litres of things all while having five people on-board. Folding the second row down unlocks a vast, van-like 2,410 litres of room.
Total luggage capacity: 798 / 1,828 litres
Price: From £80,085
Availability: Now (LHD only, from Tesla stock)
The Model S saloon has been around for a while now, but it’s still the most spacious non-SUV electric car you can buy, and the most practical to boot. The boot with all seats in place is a cavernous 709 litres. Folding the second row flat opens up 1,739 litres, while there’s also a useful frunk of 89 litres under the bonnet. However, just like the X, you can’t buy a new right-hand-drive version and UK buyers are limited to whatever LHD inventory Tesla has available.
Worth a mention
Want something smaller or cheaper that can still carry? Or something sportier perhaps? Or you want to maximise your load carrying capabilities?
The MG 5 EV stands out as one of only two electric estate cars on sale right now, offering up 479 litres of space with the rear seats up, expanding to an almost SUV rivalling 1,367 litres with the bench folded. The other option in this small electric estate class is the Porsche Taycan Cross/Sport Turismo, with a standard 405 litre loading area.
These two cars were joined by all-electric versions of the new Vauxhall Astra and Peugeot 308 estates in 2023, along with the Volkswagen ID.7 estate, which will launch later in 2024.
There’s also a wide range of van-based MPVs that are fully electric and offer huge practicality. Panel van conversions like the Peugeot e-Rifter and Fiat e-Doblo offer carrying capacity in a small footprint, while full size electric minivans like the Mercedes EQV and Citroen e-Spacetourer offer huge people and luggage carrying capacity while delivering zero emission motoring. There’s also Volkswagen’s new ID. Buzz minivan to consider, offering up funky looks, 1,121 litres of space, as well as the benefits of being built on Volkswagen’s MEB platform instead of being based on a normal diesel van.
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