Go Ultra Low

*** This is very much a factual piece with ‘death by technical specifications’, but many of these specs have been difficult to find so I’ve done the hard work for you! Only regular road cars are included, no vans or sports/supercars. The goal was to include as many economical cars as possible to help those searching for one. They’re in order of what’s best to what’s worst (which isn’t all that bad when you compare it to a normal petrol / diesel car).

What is ‘Go Ultra Low’?

Basically, it’s a scheme that supports and promotes the purchase of ULEVs (Ultra Low Emission Vehicles). A ULEV is defined quite simply as a car that emits less than 75 g/km of CO2. That’s it! They don’t necessarily have to be hybrids, but at this moment in time, the only cars that do manage to emit less than 75 g/km of CO2 are EVs (Electric Vehicles, sometimes known as BEVs – Battery EVs), PHEVs (Plug In Hybrid Electric Vehicles), E-REVs (Extended-Range Electric Vehicles) and HEVs (Hybrid Electric Vehicles, a.k.a. hybrids).

This is where I get confused… If you look on the Go Ultra Low website, specifically here, it’s suggested that the scheme is supported by Mitsubishi, Audi, BMW, Nissan, Renault, Toyota and Volkswagen. But if you check out Vauxhall’s website, this page suggests that Vauxhall is a supporter too.

So to be perfectly honest, I don’t know who’s in and who’s out! But that’s not really important, because here I will be talking about the economical cars. Go Ultra Low has created a table of price comparisons to be seen here:

Here is a list of what’s available right now:

The Full EVs in order of range

Tesla Model S with the 85kWh battery pack – up to 265 miles – An ultra high-tech aerodynamic cocoon of luxury equipped with the biggest battery.

Tesla Model S P85D with the 85kWh battery pack – up to 253 miles – The performance version capable of flying through the 0-60 mph in 3.2 seconds!

Tesla Model S with the 60kWh battery pack – up to 208 miles – The most affordable Testa Model S starting at £50,880.

Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive – up to 142 miles – A fully electric version of the successful B-Class MPV.

Kia Soul EV – up 132 miles – Again, a fully electric version of one of the company’s best sellers.

Renault ZOE – up to 130 miles – Electric from the start, a charming little car sitting below the Clio in size.

Nissan LEAF – up to 124 miles – Another car that was developed to be electric from the start, this is the car that many of us think of upon hearing the words ‘electric car’, and for good reason too!

Volkswagen e-Golf – up to 118 miles – With an average of 2,000 Golfs sold every day worldwide since 1974, it’s obvious why VW has chosen to offer an electric version.

Nissan e-NV200 Combi – up to 106 miles – A van-based people carrier. A bit dull, but a great alternative for a school minibus!

Volkswagen e-up! – up to 100 miles – Based on the successful up!, it’s a great alternative to the bigger e-Golf.

BMW i3 – up to 100 miles – With more than 10,000 sold globally already and 10% of those here in the UK, it certainly has become a sign of the times.

Mitsubishi i-MiEV / Peugeot iOn / Citroën C-Zero – up to 100 miles, though it’s possible to reach 93 miles in normal driving – A lesser known electric car which is worth considering for its reasonable size and practicality.

Renault Kangoo Z.E. – up to 100 miles – A great van-based people carrier that has been developed into an all-electric vehicle.

Renault Twizy – a real world average of 50 miles – The Twizy is a great two-seater runabout for towns and cities, though I wouldn’t take it on the motorway bearing in mind that the top speed matches the range – 50 mph.

PHEVs in order of fuel efficiency

BMW i3 Range Extender – 470 mpg – With a 9 litre fuel tank supplying a 647cc two-cylinder engine, unlike regular PHEVs and HEVs, the engine never drives the wheels. Instead, it charges the battery on the go. Surprisingly, only 60% of all i3s are R-Ex models, 40% are just EVs. There’s a £3,150 premium for the R-Ex which isn’t much considering it’s a £30k-plus vehicle. I’d go for the R-Ex, definitely.

Vauxhall Ampera / Chevrolet Volt – 235 mpg – An attractive four-seater saloon-style hatchback, definitely a contender for the Prius.

Volkswagen Golf GTE – 188 mpg – We have the GTI and GTD, now the GTE, VW’s performance version of the successful Golf.

Audi A3 e-tron – 177 mpg – Based on the A3 Sportback which is related to the Golf, it has the recipe to be very successful.

Volvo V60 Plug-in – 155 mpg – One of the only estate PHEVs.

Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV – 148 mpg – If you’re in the market for an SUV, the Outlander PHEV is certainly something worth looking at.

Toyota Prius Plug-in – 135 mpg – Love it or hate it, the Prius family has sold 5 million vehicles worldwide accounting for as near as makes no difference 70% of all hybrid sales. Shame the Plug-in model isn’t as efficient as its rivals.

Mercedes-Benz S500L PHEV – 101 mpg – If you have the money for an S-Class, the 3.0 litre V6 petrol-electric combination will get you going in style.

Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid – 91 mpg – Here’s a scenario: You want a car to show off in, you have the money, but you’re not sure if you will be able to afford to run it. Solution: Panamera S E-Hybrid.

Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid – 83 mpg – Up to 4x more efficient than the least efficient Cayenne and twice as efficient as the most efficient, pay exactly the same price as the Cayenne S Diesel. It’s a no-brainer.

HEVs in order of fuel efficiency

Toyota Yaris Hybrid – 85.6 mpg – 1.5 litre petrol.

Citroën DS5 HYbrid4 200 – 85.6 mpg – 2.0 litre diesel.

Peugeot 3008 HYbrid4 – 83.6 mpg – 2.0 litre diesel.

Peugeot 508 HYbrid4 Saloon – 80.7 mpg – 2.0 litre diesel.

Mercedes-Benz C300 BlueTEC Hybrid Saloon – 78.5 mpg – 2.2 litre diesel.

Lexus CT200h – 78.5 mpg – 1.8 litre petrol.

Toyota Auris (hatchback and Touring Sports estate) – 78.5 mpg – 1.8 litre petrol.

Mercedes-Benz C300 BlueTEC Hybrid Estate – 76.4 mpg – 2.2 litre diesel.

Toyota Prius – 72.4 mpg – 1.8 litre petrol.

Peugeot 508 RXH HYbrid4 – 70.6 mpg – 2.0 litre diesel.

Mercedes-Benz E300 BlueTEC Hybrid Saloon – 68.9 mpg – 2.2 litre diesel.

Ford Mondeo – 67.3 mpg – 2.0 litre petrol.

Lexus IS300h – 65.5 mpg – 2.5 litre petrol.

Toyota Prius+ – 64.2 mpg – 1.8 litre petrol.

Mercedes-Benz E300 BlueTEC Hybrid Estate – 64.2 mpg – 2.2 litre diesel.

Honda Jazz – 62.8 mpg – 1.3 litre petrol.

Mercedes-Benz S300L BlueTEC Hybrid – 61.4 mpg – 2.2 litre diesel.

Lexus GS300h – 60.1 mpg – 2.5 litre petrol.

Lexus NX300h – 56.5 mpg – 2.5 litre petrol.

BMW ActiveHybrid 3 – 47.9 mpg – 3.0 straight-six petrol.

Lexus GS450h – 46.3 mpg – 3.5 litre V6 petrol.

Infiniti Q50 – 45.6 mpg – 3.5 litre V6 petrol.

Infiniti Q70 – 45.6 mpg – 3.5 litre V6 petrol.

Audi A8 SWB/LWB – 45.6 mpg – 2.0 litre petrol.

Lexus RX450h – 44.8 mpg – 3.5 litre V6 petrol.

Mercedes-Benz S400L Hybrid – 44.8 mpg – 3.0 litre V6 petrol.

Land Rover Range Rover Hybrid – 44.1 mpg – 3.0 litre SDV6 diesel.

Land Rover Range Rover Sport Hybrid – 44.1 mpg – 3.0 litre SDV6 diesel.

BMW ActiveHybrid 5 – 44.1 mpg – 3.0 litre straight-six petrol.

Infiniti Q50 AWD – 41.5 mpg – 3.5 litre V6 petrol.

BMW ActiveHybrid 7 SWB/LWB – 41.5 mpg – 3.0 litre straight-six petrol.

Lexus LS600h L – 32.8 mpg – 5.0 litre V8 petrol.

Go Ultra Low

So there we have it, a list of all EVs, PHEVs and HEVs on the market. There are tens and tens of them. So it’s beyond me, then, why there are only 15 vehicles in the Go Ultra Low scheme, which are:

1. Nissan LEAF
2. Nissan e-NV200
3. Nissan e-NV200 Combi
4. Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV
5. Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV 4Work
6. Volkswagen e-up!
7. Volkswagen e-Golf
8. Volkswagen Golf GTE
9. BMW i3
10. BMW i3 Range Extender
11. Renault Kangoo Z.E.
12. Renault Twizy
13. Renault ZOE
14. Audi A3 e-tron
15. Toyota Prius Plug-in.

Ok, many of the cars listed under the 3 categories emit a lot more than 75 g/km of CO2, but there are more than 15 in that list that should qualify for the Go Ultra Low scheme.

My Picks Of The Bunch

As a full EV, I would definitely pick the Tesla Model S. There’s no two ways about it. Whether it be the performance model or the entry-level model, the range tops the ranges of other EVs by miles!

The PHEV category is where I become a bit stuck. I love the BMW i3 – who doesn’t? Up to 470 mpg is unbeatable, but if you can get a luxury  S500L or Panamera S, I think that’s what I’d go for.

My favourite HEV is the Citroën DS5 HYbrid4 200. I’ve had a fascination with the DS5 since its launch back in late 2011, and it looks just as good today over 3 years later. Though it is nice to see Land Rover making a hybrid Range Rover, it doesn’t quite get the same figures.