With the cost of living and now the cost of fuel on the rise, more parents are thinking this is a good time to switch to an electric vehicle (EV) for their family car. But where do you start?
Some cars cater for family life better than others, and EVs are no different.
When looking for a family car, we want all the same things from an EV as any other car: enough room in the back for bulky child seats, a spacious boot that fits the pram while they’re young and sports gear as they grow up, and for those with smaller kids, having enough legroom for front occupants when rear-facing child seats and infant capsules are installed.
EVs have other benefits beyond lower running costs and the quiet, smooth driving experience.
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Families with infants can relax! EVs have the added benefit that you can drive round the block as many times as you need to get your baby to sleep, or sit while your baby sleeps with the air-con running without burning through fuel or contributing to local air and noise pollution.
EVs are also great for school-run parents who get there 30 minutes early in the hope of a place at the front of the car conga line at pick-up and drop-off time, or the closest parking spot to the school gate. You can listen to your music, check your emails and keep the air-con running without all the downsides of idling a petrol or diesel engine.
That’s why I’ve put together this list of the best electric vehicles for families, having driven hundreds of cars with my family onboard over the last 10 years.
Small EVs
The four-seat Hyundai Inster is a surprisingly spacious tiny SUV for families who only need two rear seats. Child seats fit comfortably and legroom is excellent for tall front passengers, with room for a 186cm driver in front of rear-facing child seats.
Individually sliding rear seats provide both flexible legroom and boot space distribution when needed, and kick plates on the back of both front seats protect upholstery from flailing feet.
A double pram fits nicely in the boot and the removable boot floor adds roughly 10cm of extra boot depth if you need it.
Sounds of Nature white noise and Quiet Mode for rear speakers make the cabin the perfect environment for dozing infants.
A battery range of 293-360km is the shortest in this list but enough for a few days between charging, and you’re not likely to take a car this small on family road trips.
The Inster also has a household power outlet in the front footwell, so you can plug in your laptop if, like me, you sit working when you get stuck in the car while the little one is having their day nap.
For families who need to fit three child seats in the back of their small electric SUV, the five-seat Jaecoo J5 is a great-looking small SUV.
It has room for a 180cm driver in front of a rear-facing child seat, or a 186cm driver with a forward-facing child seat behind them.
Those with two infants can fit a double pram in the boot, with extra boot depth available underneath.
A battery range of 400km is good for family life and occasional road trips.
The GAC Aion UT blends an affordable minimalist and modern electric hatch with good space and practicality for families.
Three child seats fit across in the back and there’s good legroom in front of rear-facing child seats. Like the Jaecoo, a 180cm driver can fit in front of them, or a 186cm driver in front of forward-facing child seats.
The spacious boot has 10cm of extra depth available if you drop the floor.
A 430km range is ample for school runs, commutes and occasional longer journeys.
The Kia EV3 can fit three forward-facing child seats or a combination of rear- and forward-facing child seats across the back row.
A slide-out table up front and household power socket in the rear footwell make the Kia EV3 a mobile office for working parents.
Depending on the variant, a range of 436-604km means the EV3 can be a flexible electric family car for parents not keen on going up a size.
Mid-size EVs
It’s easy to see why the BYD Sealion 7 is a popular electric SUV for families. It is spacious and modern with a big boot that fits 13 shopping bags or easily accommodates a twin pram.
The roomy cabin fits three child seats across the rear seat, with enormous legroom for a 186cm driver in front of rear-facing child seats, or even taller folk with forward-facing child seats in the back.
A range of 450-480km is ample for family life and longer trips between charging.
The Leapmotor C10 is another modern and spacious mid-size electric SUV for families to consider.
Its seats are very comfortable and upholstered with an “OEKO-TEX” silicone which has been tested for harmful substances as well as being really soft, squishy and easily cleaned.
Its slightly smaller boot holds 10 shopping bags, which is still enough for a full family shop or a twin pram for those with multiple infants.
Three child seats fit across in the back with room for a 186cm driver in front of rear-facing child seats, or even taller drivers with forward-facing child seats installed.
A range of 420-485km is ample for the weekly school runs and occasional road trips.
The Aion V excels in cabin space, fitting three child seats across in the back and a 186cm-plus driver in front of rear-facing child seats, or a 190cm driver with forward-facing child seats behind.
Like the Leapmotor, it can fit 10 shopping bags in its boot, the depth of which means there is plenty of room for sports equipment or a twin pram to fit nicely.
Its clean and minimalist interior with a tray table in the back creates an activity zone for children during longer journeys.
A range of 570km makes the Aion V the most road-trip-ready mid-size electric SUV in this list.
Packed full of features families will love, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 is a favourite all-rounder for those with the budget.
Bigger than it looks, the Ioniq 5 has the most boot space of this bunch, swallowing 15 shopping bags which is enough for the weekly family shop. The kids’ scooters or a twin pram fits in the boot with room to spare too.
Three child seats fit comfortably across the second row, with room for a 186cm driver in front of rear-facing child seats, or a taller driver with forward-facing child seats.
Built-in window blinds in the back shade your baby from the sun and Sounds of Nature white noise and Quiet Mode for the rear speakers make the cabin a calm environment for infants.
A range of 448-570km as well as super-fast charging capability make the comfy Ioniq 5 a realistic option for family life and holidays.
Seven-seat EVs
A super-cool and fun seven-seat bus for the school run, the Volkswagen ID. Buzz is available in short-wheelbase (five-seat) and long-wheelbase seven-seat guises (the sporty GTX flagship is a seven-seater only).
Sliding rear doors give great access and mean you can park in tight spaces without the fear of kids damaging other cars when opening their doors.
The centre console can be removed so passengers can walk through the whole cabin, and rear tray tables give little ones activity or snack stations.
Seven-seat models have three seats in the second row, all with top-tether child seat anchors and ISOFIX points for the outer seats. In the third row are two seats, both with top-tether and ISOFIX anchors.
Five child seats fit comfortably in the back of long-wheelbase versions and there’s heaps of legroom in all three rows, so a 186cm-plus driver can sit in front of a rear-facing child seat, with a forward-facing child seat in the third row too.
Passengers can easily access the third-row seats, even with three child seats installed in the second row.
Boot space is excellent, fitting a tandem pram on the shelf, with two baskets of shopping underneath.
The ID. Buzz’s 422km range is less than most models in this list. But Volkswagen says it can charge from 10-80 per cent in 26 minutes at a DC fast-charger, which I’ve found works for my family’s road-trip stops, and its Kombi-like design is a real conversation starter at charging stations.
The Kia EV9 is a great electric car for large families. You can fit five child seats in the back and access the third-row seats with three child seats across the second row.
Legroom is good throughout the EV9. Even with forward-facing child seats in the third row and rear-facing child seats in the second row, you can fit a 180cm driver up front.
Four variants and battery sizes are available, along with a driving range of 443km-512km.
Boot space is generous, with room for nine shopping bags or a tandem pram, even when using all seven seats.
USB-C ports, air vents and great storage in all three rows of seats help to make family driving easier, and there are built-in window blinds for the second row.
The top-spec version’s digital side mirrors took me a bit of getting used to, but the rear-view mirror and parking cameras help with visibility when parking such a big SUV.
The Volvo EX90 has an in-built booster seat in the second-row central seat, and a booster seat accessory with side support is also available. This makes family life a whole lot simpler once your child reaches booster seat age and size.
Five child seats can be fitted in the back of the EX90, with good legroom throughout. With a forward-facing child seat in the third row and a rear-facing seat in the second row, a 180cm driver can sit up front.
However, access to the third row requires two or fewer child seats to be installed in the second row.
The EX90’s 570km of range is ample for our daily school runs and commutes, and Volvo says the large SUV can add 170km of range in 10 minutes at a DC fast-charger, making it one of the more practical seven-seat EVs for family road trips.
Boot space is excellent, with room for a twin pram when using all seven seats, and there is hidden under-floor storage too.
The seven-seat Hyundai Ioniq 9 is a stylish family EV with a battery range of 600km, which is way more than my kids can last between toilet stops, let alone charging station visits.
You can fit five child seats in the back of the Ioniq 9 but, like the Volvo, only four child seats if you need daily access to the third row.
Rear window blinds, cupholders in the doors that kids can reach easily, Sounds of Nature white noise and Quiet Mode for the rear speakers are all great features for families.
For families with young siblings, a twin pram fits in the boot when using all seven seats, although the boot feels shallower than those in the other large SUVs in this list.