Should I buy an electric car in 2026 or wait another year or two?

[RandyOrton04]

I need to replace my car in the next few months. My current car is ten years old and has just failed its MOT in a way that makes repair more expensive than the car is worth. I do about 150 miles a week mostly local driving with one motorway trip of about 180 miles every couple of months. Budget is 20,000 to £28000. Is now a good time to buy electric or should I get a reliable hybrid or petrol and wait for the technology and charging infrastructure to improve?

[Mason0]

For your driving pattern - mostly local with occasional longer trips - electric is genuinely viable right now. 150 miles a week of local driving is trivially manageable on any current electric car. The 180 mile motorway trip requires planning around the fast charging network but that network has improved significantly in 2025 and 2026

[Cobalt Warren]

The home charging question is the most important one before anything else. If you can charge at home overnight your experience of owning an electric car is fundamentally different from someone relying entirely on public charging. If you rent and cannot install a home charger the public charging infrastructure still has enough friction to make EV ownership more stressful than necessary

[Phil80]

At your budget the MG4 at around £22000 is the best value electric car available in the UK right now. The range is over 250 miles on a genuine charge, the quality is acceptable, and the total cost of ownership versus petrol over three years is compelling. It is not glamorous but it is the practical answer at that price point

[HeartbreakKidStinger64]

A used Nissan Leaf or used Volkswagen ID.3 from 2022 or 2023 at the lower end of your budget gives you proven technology at reduced cost. The main risk on used EVs is battery degradation - check the battery health report before buying any used electric car and walk away from anything below 85%

[RandyOrton26]

If the home charging uncertainty is real and the 180 mile trip happens genuinely regularly the Toyota RAV4 PHEV or Skoda Octavia iV at your budget is the honest compromise. The plug-in hybrid does 30-40 miles of electric for daily commuting and then runs as a conventional hybrid on longer trips. Not as clean as full electric but genuinely practical with no charging anxiety

[HighKey15]

The technology improvement argument for waiting has been used for five years and every year the argument for waiting was made the available cars were already good enough for most people's use. They will be better in two years. They are good enough now. The total cost savings on running costs start from the day you buy one

[SortedMate]

or three?