Little-known car brand to release new £15,000 EV in the UK this year to rival Britain’s favourite budget electric motor
A MICRO EV is coming to a showroom near you with a £15,000 price tag that could shake up the cheap electric car market.
The little-known Hong Kong brand XEV is introducing its compact Yoyo Pro to the UK, poised to compete with models such as the Citroen Ami.
Technically classed as a quadricycle – the same as other L7e vehicles such as buggies and quad-bikes – the Yoyo Pro is all electric with a stonking 50 mph top speed and a range of 93 miles.
Created in Italy and made of just 57 components, the Yoyo Pro makes extensive use of 3D-printing for its bodywork and cabin.
Inside, it features a large window area that’s designed to give the impression of spaciousness, with their website highlighting it as their “Tesla-style roof” that allows in plenty of light.
Electric windows and mirrors, as well as air conditioning, all come as standard, along with keyless entry and start, and a stylish 10-inch touchscreen.
It’s powered by a rear-mounted electric motor that provides a mere 20bhp, but that’s compensated for by its feathery 836kg weight.
Its 10.4kWh battery can take on a 2.3kW charge rate, meaning it can go from zero to 100 per cent battery power in just over three hours.
Savvy drivers will probably prefer the Spring, with its 140–mile range and practicality – it is a car, after all – or even the Leapmotor T03 which comes in at £15,995.
Indeed, the Yoyo Pro’s closer rival, the Citroen Ami, is cheaper at £10,495 but much more basic, with a mere 28mph top speed and less space inside.
Indeed, the Yoyo Pro is a mere metre shorter than the Spring and Leapmotor, with 140 litres of boot space.
2025 is already shaping up to be a good year for budget EVs, and we looked at five options hitting showrooms near you in the coming 12 months or so.
That includes the new Renault 5, which will start from £25,000 and boasts adorable ‘retro-futuristic’ good looks, 255 miles of range and 148 bhp.
Drivers looking for something with a lot more oomph might fancy the new Alpine A290 – a souped-up version of the Renault 5 which even boasts an F1-style overtake button.
Our man Rob Gill took the nippy EV for a test drive back in November, describing it as a fast, grippy, playful electric hot hatch that could easily handle more power.
Elsewhere, British muscle car fans will be intrigued to know an iconic nameplate is coming to Europe in 2025.
The new all-American Dodge Charger is crossing the pond and coming to a showroom near you in the second half of the year and could even make its way to the UK through importers.
Unveiled last March, the new Charger comes in two-door coupe and four-door saloon versions, but controversially without a V8 engine.
Instead, the famous motor will feature a twin-turbo straight-six petrol engine or pure-electric power.