Electric vehicles 'smash it out the park' at 2024 Car of the Year Awards

A new electric vehicle has been crowned Carwow’s 2024 Car of the Year, with judges saying the brand “smashed it out of the park”.

The Car of the Year Award winners have been announced with a number of new electric vehicles ranking in higher positions as the market shifts to cleaner fuel options.

Volvo has taken the Car of the Year title with its EX30 model, with the fully electric SUV starting from £33,795 – a relatively modest price tag for a new EV.

The EV comes packed with a 298-mile electric range, a 0-62mph acceleration speed of just 3.6 seconds and an estimated fast charging time from 10 to 80 per cent in 26 minutes.

The Volvo EX30 electric car

VOLVO

It has been described as the “best all-around” vehicle by Mat Watson, chief content officer at Carwow, adding that the Swedish brand has “smashed it out of the park”, with the EX30 also winning the Urban Living Award.

He continued, saying: “It’s got such charm and character, and is another persuasive argument for anyone thinking about going electric.

“To help buyers make the best choice for them, we’ve looked at everything from price and performance, to efficiency, comfort, and practicality – things that really matter to car buyers.

“We’ve also picked out the cars we think lead the field and offer something different, innovative and valuable to buyers paying out their hard-earned money.”

The EX30 was one of the most anticipated cars of the year, with Volvo being ranked as “highly commended” for the Brand of the Year award, narrowly losing out to Lotus.

The brand’s Emira model has been called “light, responsive and fun”, with the British brand embracing electric, with big plans for its upcoming 905hp fully electric Lotus Emeya Hyper-GT.

Lotus was crowned Brand of the Year

LOTUS

The Most Anticipated New Car of 2024 was awarded to the all-electric MG Cyberster, which is set to hit the UK market next year.

The slick sports car is the latest model from MG’s growing list of popular electric cars following the enormous popularity of the MG ZS EV.

While very little has been confirmed about the convertible Cyberster, it is believed the dual-motor vehicle could have around 530hp, accelerate from 0-60 in under three seconds and is expected to cost around £50,000.

Mat Watson said: “The Cyberster is exactly the car we’ve all hoped for from MG – a brand riding the crest of the EV wave like almost no other.

The MG Cyberster

“The electric two-seater sports car looks fantastic. We’re all very excited to get behind the wheel in 2024.”

A number of hybrid vehicles were also praised during the Car of the Year Awards, with the Volkswagen Multivan winning the Adventurer’s Choice Award and the Citroen C5 Aircross winning the Family Values category.

Ford’s BlueCruise feature was handed the Tech Trailblazer Award after it was granted the green light by the Government with its “hands-off, eyes-on” technology for use on certain motorways.

The technology is only available for 2023 models of Ford’s electric Mustang Mach-E and can control steering, acceleration and braking, with a camera monitoring the driver to ensure they are paying attention to the road.

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The Ford BlueCruise technology in action

FORD