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The second-generation Kia Soul EV faces the value-for-money MG ZS EV in an SUV shootout

The age of the electric car is already here. Every month buyers are being presented with more and more choice when it comes to EV alternatives to petrol, diesel and even plug-in cars. Kia has pioneered electric tech from the outset, with models like the e-Niro that won our Affordable Electric Car award last summer. And the brand is continuing its push with this, the all-new Soul EV. It’s a quirky-looking compact SUV that’s powered by a pure-electric powertrain, and given the range and kit on offer, the price is relatively affordable.

But if you’re looking at affordable electric SUVs then you have to consider what is currently Britain’s best when it comes to value, the MG ZS EV. Look at the headline figures and the price gap will draw your attention, but if you analyse the lease costs, the cars occupy similar territory. Are you still better spending the extra on the Kia, though? We’ll find out.

Electric car running costs
In his recent budget statement the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, cut the government plug-in car grant for electric cars from £3,500 to £3,000. But MG is topping this back up for the rest of March with an extra £500 customer saving. Still, the big area where you’ll save money with these models is on running costs, as we’ve already seen – and that’s all to do with energy costs and charging.

Home wallboxes cost around £1,000 to install on average, but a grant from the Office for Low Emissions Vehicles (OLEV) means you can potentially get up to 75 per cent of this back. Just bear in mind that from 1 April the maximum OLEV contribution dropped from £500 to £350. Check our sister title DrivingElectric.com for more information.

Keep your charging regime in mind when you’re picking a home energy tariff, too. If you think you’ll need to top up the car on the go at least as much as at home, there are many different firms that provide charging infrastructure across the UK. A lot of them also accept contactless payment for the odd charge here and there.

If you really do need to use the public network, consider using something such as BP Chargemaster’s POLAR Plus scheme. For £7.85 a month you get access to more than 70,000 charging points across the UK, a lot of which are free, while you don’t pay a penny for the first three months of membership.

From our experience, this is the most reliable network, although there are many other charging companies to choose from, such as Instavolt, Source London, GeniePoint, Ionity, Ecotricity and many more.

It pays to do your research on charging points, though. DrivingElectric.com, Zap-map.com and Goultralow.com are  all great sources of information and electric vehicle resources.

Kia Soul EV

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-group-tests/352006/kia-soul-ev-vs-mg-zs-ev

 

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[martino]

having to choice soul or mg …  i dont know what id pick i dont like the charging of the mg think it would be awkward to do ,, iv watched reviews on the MG I dont really know

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