Cheapest electric cars you can grab

The Nissan Leaf is a 5 seater vehicle that comes with an 80 kilowatt engine. The engine runs off of a 24 kilowatt lithium ion battery. Fully charged Leaf has a range of 60 to 110 miles. With a top speed of 90 mph, this car is quite fast. In addition, it comes with features like Vehicle Dynamic stability control, electronic brake distribution, electronic traction control, brake assist, ventilated four wheel disc brakes, and antilock brakes.

Price: $32,780

The Chevrolet Volt is the hybrid flagship of GM. It is outfitted with a four cylinder 1.4 L engine that has an output of 84HP. Its electric motor is a 111 kilowatt variant running off of a 16 kilowatt lithium ion battery. In gas mode, the engine charges the battery. At 100 mph, the Volt is faster than Nissan Leaf. However, the range of the electric motor is slightly lesser at only 25 to 50 miles on a full charge.

Price: $41,000

The Smart ForTwo Electric Drive was called the best of the cheapest electric cars in 2011. It has a 30 kilowatt peak power motor coupled with a 16.5 kilowatt lithium ion battery. The fully charged battery can run for 80 miles. It is a very compact car and suitable for the urban scenario.

Price: $16,990

Always trust the Chinese to come up with something innovative! The Coda Sedan is perhaps the safest electric car till date. Its sturdy frame houses a powerful 100 kilowatt electric motor which is run by a 33.8 kilowatt battery. The engine can churn out 134 HP and can go as fast as 80 mph. Due to the thermal battery management feature, its range is quite high at 90 to 120 miles.

Price: $45,000

The Think City was primarily designed for Europe alone, but now it’s being offered on a global scale. Designed in Norway, the Think City is made specifically for urban roads. At a range of 125 miles this car is perhaps one of the most efficient electric cars on the road right now. The car comes with a 30 kilowatt electric motor with a special 27 kilowatt Enerdel battery (which is made with manganese and lithium ion components). It is, however, not the fastest at a top speed of only 60 mph.

Price: $35,000

The Triac is one of the few electric cars that is versatile enough to take on both city roads and highways. It is a three wheeler with a range of 100 miles on a charge of just 2 hours. It has a 20 kilowatt water cooled engine that churns out 27 HP. It is quite fast for a three wheeler at about 80 mph. The USP of the Triac is that it has a very heavy duty and long lasting battery.

Price: $22,995

The E’mo EV is the result of the marriage of two of the unlikeliest of organizations-- Stauffacherbenz, a furniture making company and Rapperswill Technical University, Switzerland. Weighing in at only 350 kg, this is also the lightest electric car till date. On a full charge the E’mo EV has a range of 100 miles. For a small two-seater, its main USP is that it looks great and you can drive with the top down!

Price: $13,550

Say hello to one of the most balanced electric cars (in terms of performance), the Tata Indica Vista EV. It is also perhaps the cheapest and the quietest electric cars around—in fact, it’s so quiet that you probably won’t even hear it coming till the driver honks at you and flashes a smile! It is powered by a 55 kilowatt motor that runs off of a super polymer lithium ion 26.5 kilowatt battery. It has a top speed of 71 mph. the engine touts features like regenerative braking and permanent magnet technology.

Price: $9,000

This jazzy two-seater from Renault is all about the tight turns and bends of urban roads. It looks like a cute insect on wheels. It has been named the “Twizy”. Not only is it exceptionally compact, but it is also the most charge efficient EVs around. It has a 4 kilowatt motor engine which runs on a 7 kilowatt battery, yet it somehow manages to give a range of 100 kms! The only turn off about the car is that the batteries need to be hired from Renault.

Price: $9,700

Saved the best for the last! This car from Renault is a monster. With a 66 kilowatt synchronous electric motor that runs on a 22 kw lithium ion battery, this car gives a whopping range of 210 kms. It was introduced as a concept car and went into mass production in 2010. The car features a special battery charging system called the “Caméléon” charger that allows it to be charged on any power level.

Price: $21,142