Top 10 most searched for EVs – Tesla Model Y tops list
Today (March 1st) is the official release date of the latest official number plate. As well as the shiny ’23’ plates highlighting the newest vehicles on the block, it also puts us another year closer to the UK ban on petrol and diesel cars by 2030.
As we approach the nationwide switch to electric, many drivers will use the latest plate change as their golden opportunity to go green, getting behind the wheel of a zero-emissions vehicle.
To determine which electric vehicles are the most in-demand, electric vehicle charging and leasing company, GRIDSERVE, has analysed the latest Google search data, as well as its own model enquiry data for the past six months to reveal the top 10 EVs that drivers are likely to buy in 2023.
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Tesla Model Y
The Tesla Model Y was the UK’s best-selling electric car of 2022 and is already the most searched-for electric car of 2023. This is echoed by GRIDSERVE’s internal data in which the Tesla Model Y was the most enquired about EV to lease in the past six months, with 12.4% of all leasing enquiries being about this electric car.
“What makes the Tesla Model Y so special is that it fuses practicality with bleeding-edge technology,” says GRIDSERVE. “This well-deserved popularity also supports stronger resale values and that means we can reduce the monthly repayments on a lease. It means that Teslas are more affordable than you may think.”
The Tesla Model Y is a slightly taller, more practical version of the Model 3, which was the UK’s best-selling electric car of 2021. It still has five seats – although a seven-seat version is now on sale in the USA – but befits from a bigger boot and more useful hatchback tailgate.
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Tesla Model 3
The second most in-demand electric car, according to Google search data, is the Tesla Model 3 which is the entry-level ticket to the Tesla show. And that show is dominated by a large touchscreen interface that controls pretty much everything from your heating controls to your reversing camera. Although visually similar to the Model Y, it is a slightly smaller, sleeker offering and that translates into marginally more range. Despite the same battery packs, the Model 3 Long Range has an official range (WLTP) of up to 374 miles compared to the 331-mile range of the Tesla Model Y Long Range.
However, GRIDSERVE’s most recent internal model enquiries have seen the Model 3’s popularity drop to eighth position with only 3.7% of total leasing enquiries, which demonstrates the continued rollout of exciting new models in the sector from multiple new brands.
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Hyundai IONIQ 5
In third place is the Hyundai IONIQ 5 which looks like an electric family car from the future. Its crisp concept car lines have made customers reach for the order book, while its surprisingly large stature – seriously, it’s bigger than it looks – translates into loads of practical cabin space.
With 220kW-capable charging, it’s also one of few family cars that can take advantage of the industry-leading High Power EV chargers now cropping up along the GRIDSERVE Electric Highway. Think 100 miles of range in 10 minutes, or a 10-80% recharge in 20 minutes.
This electric car didn’t make it into GRIDSERVE’s top 10 most enquired-about cars, totaling 2.9% of leasing enquiries in the past six months.
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Kia EV6
The fourth most searched-for electric car in the past six months, and 10th most enquired about car with GRIDSERVE with 3% of total leasing enquiries in the past six months, is a relative of the Hyundai IONIQ 5 – the Kia EV6. Although both family cars take different design directions, they share the same advanced battery technology and ultra-rapid charging capability.
However, it’s fair to say the EV6 boasts an even sportier edge. The range-topping EV6 GT is a 162mph, 577bhp dual-motor family car that can embarrass Ferraris.
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Polestar 2
The EV market has spawned several new brands and Polestar is one of them. The Swedish start-up counts Volvo as a major shareholder and its first, fully-electric EV, the Polestar 2, is already the fifth most popular electric car of 2023 according to Google search data, and the fourth most popular car in GRIDSERVE’s internal model enquiry data, 5.9% of total leasing enquiries in the past six months.
Newly updated for 2023, all versions have benefited from more power, performance and tweaked looks. The entry-level 69kWh Polestar 2 has an official range of 322 miles, while the Long Range rear-wheel drive version manages a class-leading 395 miles. Take that, Tesla.
Tesla Model Y is predicted to keep its title as the UK’s most popular electric vehicle in 2023
| Most searched for EVs in the last six months | |
| # | Model |
| 1 | Tesla Model Y |
| 2 | Tesla Model 3 |
| 3 | Hyundai IONIQ 5 |
| 4 | Kia EV6 |
| 5 | Polestar 2 |
| 6 | Porsche Taycan |
| 7 | Cupra Born |
| 8 | BMW i4 |
| 9 | BMW i7 |
| 10 | BMW iX |
