Driving electric cars and vehicles in the fleet world is continuing to grow at a rapid rate and to celebrate this the Great British Fleet Awards have named the best zero-emissions fleet cars of 2021. Electric vehicles (EVs) are so important in this world that there are seven categories for non-polluting vehicles.
In the Best EV City Car category it was Fiat’s neat looking electric 500 that took the top honours. This is a great reproduction of the classic 1950s four-seater vehicle that had the engine mounted at the rear. The cleaner modern version, which keeps many of the original ideas, offers up to 277 miles (446km) of range (in urban cycle mode) with prices starting from £26,995. The quirky yet cool looking Honda e was highly commended.
In the Best EV Supermini it was the Peugeot e-208 that beat the competition. The small city e-208 is neat looking with its curved lines and sporty looks. It offers up to 217 miles (349km) of range and can be charged up to 80 percent in 30 minutes making a great around town car. It has a top speed of 81mph (130kph) and prices start from £25,050. Vauxhall’s Corsa-e was highly commended.
The Best EV Small SUV was awarded to the Kia e-Niro. This family-size electric sports utility vehicle (SUV) offers great value with prices starting at £29,845. It’s available with either 39kWh or 64kWh batteries that offer ranges of up to 180 miles (290km) and 282 miles (454km) respectively. It has become the best selling electric car in the UK in 2021. Volkswagen’s much-acclaimed ID.3 was highly commended.
Jaguar’s I-Pace impressed the judges to take the win in the Best EV Medium SUV category. The I-Pace crossover style SUV, which features regenerative braking to help increase range, features a 90kWh battery that offers an impressive range of 292 miles (470km). We expect the popularity of the I-Pace to continue, especially since Jaguar launched the cheaper I-Pace EV400 version. Audi’s e-Tron was highly commended in this category.
When it comes to the Best EV Compact Executive Car the Polestar 2 outshone its competition to take the win. Polestar, who are owned by China’s Geely Holdings that also own Volvo and Lotus, are one of the most sustainable carmakers in the business. The award-winning Polestar 2 has a 78kWh battery that provides a reassuring 292 miles (470km) of range and accelerates from 0-62mph (0-100kph) in under five seconds. The Tesla Model 3 was highly commended.
It was Porsche’s Taycan that won the Best EV Executive Car category. The all-electric Taycan has gone on to be Porsche’s best selling car. It has a range of up to 300 miles (483km) and can accelerate from 0-62 mph (0-100kph) in just 5.4 seconds, with a top speed of 143mph (230kph). The Tesla Model S, which now has a longer range version, was highly commended, while the judges said the Ford Mustang Mach-E was one to watch.
When it comes to vans the Citroën e-Dispatch/Peugeot e-Expert/Vauxhall Vivaro-e was given the title of Best EV Van. This van, which was crowned International Van of the Year at the end of 2020, uses the same platform across all three is offered in two battery sizes to suit all needs.
The 50kWh battery version offers up to 143 miles (230km) of range, while the 75kWh battery model delivers up to 205 miles (330km). Using a 100kWh fast charger it can be charged up to 80 percent in just 30 minutes. This model also won Van of the Year overall beating many internal combustion engine models. London Electric Vehicle Company’s LEVC VN5, which is now being exported to Austria, was highly commended.
