ADAC ranks Europe's most affordable EVs: Hyundai Inster leads

ADAC has compared six of the most affordable electric cars on the European market—from Citroën and FIAT to BYD, Leapmotor, and Dacia. Despite the growing crop of budget EVs, the test winner didn’t come from China. As journalists at 32CARS.RU found when analyzing the organization’s report, the Hyundai Inster earned the highest overall score thanks to the longest range in the test (290 km), good equipment, and balanced on-road behavior.

In second place came the FIAT Grande Panda Electric, noted for intuitive controls and the best dynamic performance in the group, although its base specification proved rather modest.

The Citroën e-C3, built on the same platform, shared third with the BYD Dolphin Surf but fell back because ADAC considered its equipment spartan. BYD, for its part, lost points for slow charging and steering that lacked precision.

The Leapmotor T03 finished next to last: ADAC pointed to weak driver-assistance systems and limits on useful payload.

The outsider was the cheapest EV in the test, the Dacia Spring. Priced at under 25,000 euros, it was assessed as delivering mediocre overall quality, with low range (185 km) and an insufficient level of safety.

ADAC’s main takeaway is clear: the most affordable models demand serious compromises. For now, only some budget EVs manage a reasonable balance of price, safety, and day-to-day usability—price alone doesn’t make a car feel complete.