Top Gear presenters reveal their favourite electric cars of the year

Top Gear presenters Paddy McGuinness, Freddie Flintoff and Chris Harris have revealed their favourite electric cars of the year.

At a virtual ceremony for the TopGear.com Electric Awards, the VW electric ID BUZZ – Volkswagen’s modern take on its classic campervan design – was awarded the top accolade after impressing the judges with its smooth and silent style while remaining spacious.

The hosts of the popular BBC car show also unveiled their personal top picks for 2022, which included nods to Land Rover, Rivian and Polestar.

McGuinness opted for the Land Rover Defender as his top choice as he said he enjoyed driving it more than any other car he has ever driven on Top Gear.

He said: “So, I got in and I thought, OK, it’s electric… here we go… it will be what it will be.

“And then I put my foot down. I’ve gotta say, the first five seconds of being in that electric Defender, when I stabbed my foot right to the floor, is the most fun I’ve had in any car ever on Top Gear, and I’ve driven some epic cars over the years.”

Flintoff’s favourite was the Rivian R1T pick-up truck as he felt it ticked so many of his boxes.

He explained: “It’s a pick-up truck. It’s big. It’s got a load of gadgets. It’s also got 800bhp, goes from 0-60mph in three seconds, has a battery range of 300 miles with the small pack, 400 miles with the big one.”

The former cricketer and presenter added that it also had features which he had never seen on a car before, including a built-in air compressor and detachable Bluetooth speaker.

Harris voted for The Polestar 1, which he liked so much that he bought one for himself.

“The Polestar 1 is for me, one of the most interesting cars I’ve driven in the last 10 years”, he said.

“I always suspected that a hybrid would be the solution for me on the road, but I’ve never driven a hybrid that was a hybrid.”

The top picks featured among the 18 awards which were given out on the night and voted for by the Top Gear team.