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What criteria should you take into account when choosing your first electric car?
Depending on the criteria you use to make your choice, one of the most important is your budget.
In this respect, it will be useful for you to know that an ecological bonus will be awarded for any purchase of an electric vehicle with a carbon dioxide emission rate equal to 0 g / km, for both private individuals and companies:
If you are an individual :
| Type of vehicle | Assistance amounts for individuals | |
|---|---|---|
| Car | less than €47,000 | 6 000 € |
| between €47,000 and €60,000 | 2 000 € | |
| over €60,000 (hydrogen vehicles) | 2 000 € | |
| Truck | 7 000 € | |
| New plug-in hybrid vehicle costing less than €50,000 with a range of more than 50 km | 1 000 € | |
If you are a company :
| Type of vehicle | Companies | |
|---|---|---|
| Car | less than €47,000 | 4 000 € |
| between €47,000 and €60,000 | 2 000 € | |
| over €60,000 (hydrogen vehicles) | 2 000 € | |
| Truck | 5 000 € | |
| New plug-in hybrid vehicle costing less than €50,000 with a range of more than 50 km | 1 000 € | |
If you'd like to find out more about the subsidies available, take a look at this file we've put together: Subsidies for the purchase of an electric car.
Other criteria obviously come into play, such as the use you're going to make of it:
- Do you regularly cover long distances?
- Do you need to transport passengers often? Children or others.
- Do you plan to travel by car?
Depending on your answers, we'll move towards :
- With varying degrees of autonomy
- 2-seater models
- More or less spacious 5-seater models
- Luxury models
Now that we've put together our selection criteria, we can get to the heart of the matter: how do you choose your first electric car?
Buying your first electric car on a budget
If you're a student, or simply don't want to spend a fortune on your first electric car, we've got you covered! After all, you don't always have to pay a fortune for an electric car.
There are a whole host of models to suit smaller budgets, starting with licence-free models.
The Citroën Ami
In this category, the Citroën AMI is virtually unbeatable. Quite simply, it's the cheapest electric car without a license on the market, yet the quality of the product is still inferior to that of its competitors. The Citroën Ami is perfectly suited to city life and city use. With its 70 kilometer range, the Citroën AMI will accompany you on all your city trips. It recharges in 3 hours on a slow charge. It's no less comfortable, and you'll feel right at home in it, even if you're a big man. On the other hand, it's inevitably more minimalist, which is necessary to compensate for its low purchase price. You'll find it at a list price of €6,900, excluding the environmental bonus.
If you want a more detailed test, I refer you to our test sheet right here → Citroën Ami test.
The Dacia Spring
When it comes to 5-door cars, it's hard to beat the Dacia Spring.
In fact, it's the only electric car to cost less than €20,000 (excluding the environmental bonus). It allows a more "classic" use of the electric car at a very affordable price.
With a battery range of up to 270 kilometers, it's ideal for journeys around town or on the outskirts of major cities. It's perfect for everyday driving. Since it has a greater range than the Citroën Ami, the Dacia Spring takes longer to recharge, around 4h30 for a full recharge at slow speed, and 56 minutes at fast charge. With its mini SUV look, the Dacia Spring is quite spacious at 1.62m wide, 1.52m high and 3.73m long. Finally, its trunk has a capacity of 290L of cargo volume, which can double to 600L once the rear bench seat is folded down. The rear bench, however, forms a single unit, so either all the seats are folded down or none at all.
All in all, the Dacia Spring is a model that perfectly fulfils the function of the first electric car, capable of accompanying you everywhere, all the time, at a lower cost.
For more information on the Dacia Spring, take a look at the Dacia Spring test drive: Dacia Spring test: is the cheapest electric car on the market worth it?
And the technical data sheet : Dacia Spring technical data
To find out more: The cheapest electric cars on the market
First electric car: the best value for money
Let's focus on the most versatile solutions: elegant, economical, affordable, comfortable, etc... these electric cars are real all-rounders.
For your first electric car, these models guarantee optimum comfort, whatever you use it for.
The Hyundai Ioniq Electric
We can't begin this section without mentioning theHyundai Ionic Electric.
With its sleek, sober styling, 300-kilometer range, not to mention the fact that it's the most efficient car on the market, theHyundai Ionic Electric has some serious arguments in its favor.
Priced at 38,550 euros (excluding environmental bonus), the Hyundai Ioniq Electric features Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, which allow you to connect your smartphones to the car and manage music, phone and navigation functions directly on-screen. The Ioniq also features an induction charging system.
For more information about the Hyundai Ionic Electric → our technical data sheet
The Tesla Model 3
Another model just as satisfying for its versatility, the least expensive Tesla (49,990 euros excluding environmental bonus) also has plenty of arguments to put on the table. Tesla 's sedan offers very elegant styling, with a satin black finish on the door handles and mirror bases. It is also available in pearly white. The Tesla Model 3 offers a total storage volume of 542 liters, distributed as follows:
- 425 liters of trunk space
- 70 liters of underfloor storage
- 50 liters under the front hood
Recharge time is 5 hours 15 minutes at low speed, and only 20 minutes at high speed.
Take a look at our Tesla Model 3 technical specifications below:
Tesla Model 3 technical specifications
To find out more: electric cars with the best value for money.
Why not treat yourself to your first electric car?
To end this article on a high note, let's take a look at some top-of-the-range cars. Be warned, you may burn your retina.
The BMW IX3
Introducing the BMW IX3, the first 100% electric SUV from the German brand BMW.
Aesthetically similar to the BMW X3 (logical, you might say), this model nonetheless stands out thanks to its finish. This model offers a range of 460 kilometers, which will enable its owner to make all the journeys required. On the other hand, you'll have to get up early to fully recharge the car in slow charging mode, so be warned! With this charging mode, the vehicle is fully recharged in 12 hours and 6 minutes. To make up for this, you can always use fast charging, which will recharge the car in just 20 minutes.
Of course, the BMW IX3 isn't cheap, starting at €69,950.
The Mercedes EQC
I'm listing it here for a reason. The Mercedes EQC fully embraces its status as a luxury electric car. It's designed to let you drive in total comfort.
As you can see from its design, it's discreet and elegant, which goes well with its electric motors and soundproofing that will make you feel like you're driving in a bubble. It features 2 motors developing up to 300 kWh for rapid acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.1 seconds, and a top speed of 180 km/h.
It boasts an attractive 505-liter trunk volume, capable of carrying all the family's luggage when you go on vacation.
The Mercedes EQC has a range of up to 414 km, with an average consumption of 22.2 kWh per 100 km.
What about the price?
The Mercedes EQC starts at 82,599 euros.
Find out more about the Mercedes EQC: Mercedes EQC technical specifications
To find out more: Top 7 luxury electric cars
What's next?
We hope this article has helped as many of you as possible. But you should know that buying your first electric car is not an end in itself! In fact, as with a combustion-powered car, there are a number of steps involved in the purchase of your first electric vehicle, such as the charging station to be installed at your home, and the charging cable that goes with it.
But once again, don't panic. That's where we come in!
Once you've made your choice, it's time to let us take care of the rest! That's right, Beev is the platform that centralizes all the steps involved in buying an electric vehicle. We'll help you find the best deal on financing and recharging, free of charge and with complete transparency.
Read our previous articles:
→ Airbnb sets up a charging point filter for electric vehicles
→ Charging stations on company premises: what are the obligations and subsidies for installing them?
→ Targeting 100,000 terminals: where do we stand?
For further information, please contact our experts.
