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What does the UK actually want from its next electric car? The most honest answer doesn’t come from press releases or analyst forecasts – it comes from the data. First Vehicle Leasing has analysed every customer enquiry made across 2026 to date. These are the ten EVs in its database that UK drivers have asked about most.
First Vehicle Leasing tracks every customer enquiry, whether through its website, its online configurators, its phone lines or its business leasing team. Across 2026 to date the company has aggregated all of that activity and ranked every EV in its database by total enquiry volume. The ten cars below are the result.
This isn’t an editor’s pick or a magazine round-up. It’s the order customers chose, ranked by demand.
Three points stand out before we get into the individual cars. First, the compact electric SUV now dominates – six of the top ten sit in that segment. Second, three of the ten wear Chinese badges, which would have been unthinkable as recently as two years ago. And third, one of the most in-demand EVs of the year is also one of the cheapest currently on sale in the UK.
Article sponsored by First Vehicle Leasing
160 kW / 214 PS · 81.4 kWh battery · 313 mile WLTP range · 0-62 mph in 8.4 seconds
Kia’s mid-sized electric SUV is the most enquired-about EV in First Vehicle Leasing’s database in 2026, and it’s not hard to see why. The EV5 slots between the smaller EV3 and the seven-seat EV9, giving Kia a five-seat family SUV at exactly the size point most British buyers are now looking for.
The GT-Line S model drawing the bulk of enquiries combines a front-mounted 214 PS motor with a 81.4 kWh battery. WLTP range is 313 miles. 0-62 mph takes 8.4 seconds. DC charging is rated at up to 141 kW, giving a 10-80% top-up in around 30 minutes – not class-leading, because Kia chose a 400V rather than 800V architecture for the EV5, but acceptable.
A key reason the EV5 is leading the 2026 rankings is the equipment list. GT-Line S is the range-topping trim and includes adaptive cruise control, a 360-degree camera, full ADAS, heated and ventilated front seats and a panoramic dual-screen dashboard. Add Kia’s seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty and the value proposition is genuinely difficult to fault.
160kW GT-Line S 81.4kWh 5dr Auto
Lease length 48 months
Annual mileage 5,000 miles
Initial rental 12 months
View Kia EV5 deal on First Vehicle Leasing →
83 kW / 113 PS · 44 kWh battery · 199 mile WLTP range · 0-62 mph in 11.0 seconds
If the Kia EV5 represents the well-equipped family EV moving mainstream, the Citroën Ë-C3 represents the other half of the same story – the affordable EV finally arriving in earnest. Throughout 2026 the 83 kW Max with the 44 kWh battery has been the lowest monthly lease deal on any electric car in the First Vehicle Leasing database.
The headline numbers are modest. 199 miles of WLTP range from the 44 kWh battery. 113 PS from the front motor. 0-62 mph in 11.0 seconds. DC charging tops out at 100 kW, giving a 20-80% top-up in around 26 minutes.
These figures are not class-leading and they don’t need to be. The Ë-C3 isn’t competing with a Volkswagen ID.4 or a Tesla Model Y; it’s trying to bring EV motoring within reach of buyers who would otherwise be looking at a Vauxhall Corsa or a Ford Fiesta on PCP. Standard equipment is decent for the money – a 10.25-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a reversing camera and Citroën’s Advanced Comfort suspension. For drivers crossing over from a small petrol hatch, this is the bridge they’ve been waiting for.
83kW Max 44kWh 5dr Auto
Lease length 36 months
Annual mileage 5,000 miles
Initial rental 12 months
View Citroen E-C3 deal on First Vehicle Leasing →
210 kW / 286 PS · 77 kWh battery · 374 mile WLTP range · 0-62 mph in 6.4 seconds
The Ford Explorer is built on Volkswagen Group’s MEB platform – the same architecture that underpins the ID.4 further down this list. But Ford has spent a reported $2 billion converting its Cologne plant to build the car and it genuinely drives like a Ford, not like a rebadged ID.4.
The Select 77 kWh model in our top ten uses a 286 PS rear-mounted motor and the larger extended-range battery. WLTP range is 374 miles, which is one of the highest figures in our top ten. 0-62 mph takes 6.4 seconds. DC charging is rated at up to 185 kW, giving a 10-80% top-up in 26 minutes.
The interior is where the Explorer separates itself from its German cousin. The tilting 14.6-inch SYNC Move touchscreen is the largest display Ford has ever fitted to a passenger car, and the lockable ‘My Private Locker’ compartment hidden behind it is a genuinely useful original touch. Cargo space is 470 litres with the rear seats up. Heat pump is, disappointingly, an extra-cost option.
210kW Select 77kWh 5dr Auto
Lease length 48 months
Annual mileage 5,000 miles
Initial rental 12 months
View Ford Explorer deal on First Vehicle Leasing →
150 kW / 201 PS · 81.4 kWh battery · 347 mile WLTP range · 0-62 mph in 7.7 seconds
The Kia EV3 is one of two Kias in our top four – which gives you some sense of how strongly the brand has performed in our database in 2026. Where the EV5 above it targets the family SUV mainstream, the EV3 is smaller and pitched lower. Rivals include the Volvo EX30, Ford Puma Gen-E and Vauxhall Frontera Electric.
The GT-Line variant First Vehicle Leasing’s customers are enquiring about uses the larger 81.4 kWh battery, delivering a WLTP range of 347 miles. That’s significantly more than the Volvo EX30 Single Motor (214 miles) and the Skoda Elroq 60 (264 miles), and is one of the standout figures in the compact SUV class. 0-62 mph takes 7.7 seconds from the 201 PS front motor. DC charging is up to 128 kW.
Cabin space is genuinely impressive for the footprint. The i-Pedal one-pedal driving mode is one of the most refined in the segment. And the styling – a deliberate echo of the EV9’s boxy stance – has been one of the surprise hits of the year. As with all Kia EVs, the seven-year warranty is standard.
148kW GT-Line 81.4kWh 5dr Auto
Lease length 24 months
Annual mileage 5,000 miles
Initial rental 12 months
View Kia EV3 deal on First Vehicle Leasing →
390 kW / 530 PS · 83 kWh battery · 323 mile WLTP range · 0-62 mph in 3.8 seconds
The most expensive and the most powerful car in our top ten. The BYD Seal Excellence AWD pairs two electric motors – delivering 530 PS combined and all-wheel drive – with BYD’s own 83 kWh Blade battery. 0-62 mph in 3.8 seconds. WLTP range is 323 miles. DC charging is rated at 150 kW.
The acceleration figure is the headline. It puts the Seal Excellence on the same sheet of paper as a BMW i4 M50 and a Tesla Model 3 Performance, both of which cost considerably more.
The Blade battery is worth flagging separately. It’s a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) design built around BYD’s own cell architecture, and is one of the safest battery formats currently in production. Inside the cabin, the rotating 15.6-inch touchscreen, quilted faux-leather seats and ambient lighting wouldn’t look out of place in a car costing twice as much. Many UK buyers still won’t have heard of BYD, but with sustained presence in our top ten through 2026, that’s changing fast.
390kW Excellence AWD 83kWh 4dr Auto
Lease length 24 months
Annual mileage 5,000 miles
Initial rental 12 months
View BYD Seal deal on First Vehicle Leasing →
155 kW / 204 PS · 61.1 kWh battery · 248 mile WLTP range · 0-62 mph in 7.5 seconds
Jaecoo is one of three Chery-owned brands now targeting the UK market – Omoda further down this list is another. The Jaecoo 5 is sold here as the E5 in its electric form and is the brand’s compact SUV. At 4.38 metres long it sits in the same footprint as a Hyundai Kona Electric or Kia EV3, but it undercuts both on price.
The Luxury 61 kWh model in our top ten uses a 204 PS front motor and a 61.1 kWh LFP battery, delivering 248 miles of WLTP range and 0-62 mph in 7.5 seconds. The headline limitation is DC charging speed, which tops out at 80 kW. That means a 10-80% top-up takes around 40 minutes – noticeably slower than rivals like the Kia EV3 or the Skoda Elroq. For drivers who do most of their charging at home overnight, this matters less than it sounds.
The cabin is the real story. A Range Rover Evoque-inspired interior treatment. A portrait-orientated 13.2-inch touchscreen. Standard Sony audio, a panoramic glass roof and genuine soft-touch materials throughout. For a brand that didn’t exist in the UK at the start of 2025, a top-ten finish in our enquiry data is a notable achievement.
155kW Luxury 61kWh 5dr Auto
Lease length 48 months
Annual mileage 5,000 miles
Initial rental 12 months
View Jaecoo E5 deal on First Vehicle Leasing →
210 kW / 286 PS · 77 kWh battery · 351 mile WLTP range · 0-62 mph in 6.7 seconds
The ID.4 has been in production since 2020 and remains the foundational car in Volkswagen’s electric line-up. The Match Pro 77 kWh model drawing enquiries throughout 2026 is the rear-wheel-drive single-motor version with the larger of the two batteries on offer.
The numbers are middle-of-the-road in 2026 terms. 286 PS, 351 miles of WLTP range, 0-62 mph in 6.7 seconds. DC charging is rated at 175 kW. None of these figures will set any benchmark records.
What the ID.4 does well is the sum of its parts. The chassis is properly engineered. Motorway refinement is excellent. The boot is 543 litres. And – critically – the on-board software has improved meaningfully through repeated updates, addressing the criticism the car received at launch. Match Pro adds a heat pump, 19-inch wheels, matrix LED headlights, adaptive cruise control and a heated steering wheel as standard. It’s the safe, sensible, sane choice in our top ten, and the consistent flow of enquiries through 2026 suggests UK drivers still want exactly that.
210kW Match Pro 77kWh 5dr Auto
Lease length 48 months
Annual mileage 5,000 miles
Initial rental 12 months
View Volkswagen ID.4 deal on First Vehicle Leasing →
150 kW / 204 PS · 63 kWh battery · 264 mile WLTP range · 0-62 mph in 8.0 seconds
The Elroq is Škoda’s smallest EV, sitting below the Enyaq in the brand’s electric range. It shares its MEB-platform mechanicals with the VW ID.3, but Škoda’s typically more pragmatic packaging has produced a car that feels like better value than either.
The 60 SE L variant in our top ten uses a 63 kWh battery (59 kWh usable) paired with a 204 PS rear motor. WLTP range is 264 miles. 0-62 mph takes 8.0 seconds. DC charging is up to 165 kW – a respectable figure that comfortably beats the Citroën Ë-C3, Jaecoo 5 and Omoda 5 listed elsewhere on this page.
SE L is the mid-spec trim and brings 19-inch wheels, three-zone climate control, adaptive cruise control and a 13-inch touchscreen as standard. The Elroq also benefits from Škoda’s well-established ‘Simply Clever’ touches – boot dividers, umbrella storage in the door, an ice scraper in the fuel-flap recess. The combination of well-judged range, capacious interior and Škoda’s reputation for build quality has made this the default rational choice for buyers who would previously have taken a diesel Karoq.
150kW 60 SE L 63kWh 5dr Auto
Lease length 48 months
Annual mileage 5,000 miles
Initial rental 12 months
View Skoda Elroq deal on First Vehicle Leasing →
210 kW / 286 PS · 77 kWh battery · 383 mile WLTP range · 0-62 mph in 6.7 seconds
The ID.7 is the largest Volkswagen on sale in the UK and the brand’s electric replacement for the Passat saloon. The Match Pro Plus 77 kWh model in our top ten uses a 286 PS rear-mounted motor and the larger of the available batteries to deliver a WLTP range of 383 miles – one of the longest range figures of any car in this list.
This is fundamentally a long-distance car. 0-62 mph in 6.7 seconds is rapid enough. What matters more is what happens at motorway speeds, where the ID.7’s aerodynamic shape, refined chassis and big battery combine to deliver a genuinely uncompromised electric grand tourer. DC charging is rated at up to 200 kW, giving a 10-80% top-up in 28 minutes.
The cabin is dominated by a 15-inch central touchscreen – the largest VW has ever fitted to a car – and the new-generation infotainment is meaningfully better than the much-criticised set-up in the older ID.3 and ID.4. Heated and massaging front seats are standard on Match Pro Plus, as is the augmented reality head-up display. For business drivers regularly covering 400-plus mile days, the ID.7 has been one of the most enquired-about long-range EVs in our database all year.
210kW Match Pro Plus 77kWh 5dr Auto
Lease length 24 months
Annual mileage 5,000 miles
Initial rental 12 months
View Volkswagen ID.7 deal on First Vehicle Leasing →
155 kW / 204 PS · 61 kWh battery · 257 mile WLTP range · 0-62 mph in 7.6 seconds
Closing out the top ten is the Omoda 5 – or E5 in its electric form – the sibling brand to the Jaecoo 5 sitting at number six. Both come from Chinese conglomerate Chery and both are aimed squarely at the British compact SUV buyer who wants to pay less than they would for an established badge.
The Noble 61 kWh trim on enquiry uses the same general powertrain layout as the Jaecoo: a 204 PS front motor, a 61 kWh battery, 0-62 mph in 7.6 seconds. WLTP range is 257 miles (or 267 miles for the most recently updated 2026 model-year cars). DC charging on updated cars is up to 130 kW, addressing one of the original Omoda E5’s biggest weaknesses.
Where the Jaecoo emphasises rugged, outdoorsy styling, the Omoda is the sleeker, urban take on the same underpinnings. Noble is the top spec and adds a 360-degree camera, a panoramic sunroof, an eight-speaker Sony sound system and faux-leather sports seats. The 2026 update also brought a heat pump as standard. A seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty is included on every Omoda – matching Kia, beating most European rivals – and that warranty cover is one of the principal reasons UK buyers are bringing the E5 into their enquiries.
155kW Noble 61kWh 5dr Auto
Lease length 48 months
Annual mileage 5,000 miles
Initial rental 12 months
View Omoda 5 deal on First Vehicle Leasing →
Three patterns emerge from a full year of First Vehicle Leasing enquiry data.
First, the dominance of the compact SUV is now total. Six of the ten most-enquired-about EVs in our database are compact or mid-size SUVs. The only non-SUV body styles on the list – the Citroën hatchback, the BYD saloon and the VW ID.7 saloon – bookend the rankings at the extreme ends of the price spectrum. The middle of the market is, definitively, an SUV market.
Second, the rise of Chinese manufacturing is no longer a story about price alone. The BYD Seal at number five is a genuine performance car priced against German and American rivals. The Jaecoo and Omoda further down the list go head-to-head with the Kia EV3 and Škoda Elroq on equipment levels and warranty cover as well as cost. Three Chinese-built EVs in a single top-ten list would have been unthinkable in our enquiry data as recently as the start of 2024.
Third, and perhaps most encouragingly, one of the most in-demand cars in our entire database is also one of the cheapest. The Citroën Ë-C3 at number two demonstrates that affordability, once it arrives, is met with immediate and sustained demand. That has implications for every manufacturer thinking about where to pitch their next electric car.
The rankings in this article are based exclusively on First Vehicle Leasing’s own performance data. Every customer enquiry received across 2026 to date was aggregated – through the First Vehicle Leasing website, its online configurators, telephone enquiries to its sales teams and direct contact through its business leasing department – and all electric vehicles in its database were ranked by total enquiry volume. The top ten by demand are the cars listed above.
All ten of these vehicles are available to lease today through First Vehicle Leasing on both personal and business contract hire. Its EV specialists are available on 0333 003 3325, Monday to Thursday 9am to 6pm and Friday 9am to 5pm. The live monthly pricing for each car is available on the First Vehicle Leasing website. Every deal includes free UK mainland delivery, full manufacturer warranty and road tax for the duration of the contract.
