An electric car that’s less than £6,000 and costs £1 to charge

How much car do you really need? The average car spends 97% of its life parked and when it is being driven, 25 per cent of trips are under 1 mile, and 71% under 5 miles – most of those with only one or two people onboard.

As the world’s cities wake up to the fact they need to dramatically reduce the pollution, road danger and congestion caused by cars, some motor manufacturers are attempting  to reimagine the car. There’s nothing new about tiny vehicles – or quadricycles as they’re referred to officially.

Most people will be familiar with the little G-Wizz EV – one of earliest EVs to gain popularity on UK roads. More recently, Citroën launched the Ami – a quirky electric vehicle that can cost as little as £20 per month to own.

The Citroen Ami is slow and light – perfect for city driving

The latest model of tiny electric car to go on sale here in the UK is the Zero. In common with the Citroen Ami, the Zero tops out at 28mph, but manages to squeeze a slightly better range of 50 miles from its battery – which will cost you £1 to charge.

The Zero EV is 100% electric so is exempt from London’s Congestion Charge and ULEZ and costs £5,995 to buy – see futureofurbanmobility.co for details.

Ethical breakdown cover

The ETA was established in 1990 as an ethical provider of green, reliable travel services. Over 30 years on, we continue to offer cycle insurance , breakdown cover and mobility scooter insurance while putting concern for the environment at the heart of all we do.

The Good Shopping Guide judges us to be the UK’s most ethical provider.

Small is beautiful

Sometimes referred to as micro cars, a quadricycles are four-wheeled vehicles with an unladen mass of not more than 400 kg (excluding batteries if it’s an electric vehicle) and maximum continuous rated power not above 15 kW.

There’s a perception that large, heavy cars such as 4X4s or SUVs are safe, but they pose an increased risk to pedestrians in the event of a collision. Quadricycles on the other hand are designed to operate in urban areas at low speeds.

The fact quadricycles are lighter than conventional cars makes them less of a danger to other road users as well as less damaging to the road surface. In fact, in areas where people live and work, there’s a strong argument that any vehicle heavier and faster than a quadricycle poses an unacceptable risk.