Octopus Electric Vehicles has revealed the most popular electric vehicles for Q2 2025, as voted for by its EV leasing customers.

Top of the list was the E5 electric SUV, launched last autumn from new car brand Omoda; one of the latest Chinese marques to enter the UK.

Crowned the most popular electric car among Octopus EV customers, the electric crossover was followed by the Cupra Born, Tesla Model Y, Ford Puma Gen-E and Škoda Elroq.

Alvin Castillo, procurement director at Octopus Electric Vehicles, said the Omoda E5’s rise to the number one spot signals a shift in the electric car world as drivers migrate to high-spec, great-value models from newer, EV-first brands and no longer rely solely on the traditional heavyweights.

Speaking at Octopus EV’s annual customer drive day – with more than 150 electric cars to test drive – Castillo commented: “We’ve hit a tipping point. The early adopters have paved the way, and now we’re seeing everyday drivers make the switch because it just adds up – from cost and convenience to cutting carbon. The Omoda E5 topping the charts is proof that if a car delivers on style, spec and savings, drivers are all in.

“During the early years of the EV journey, innovators such as Tesla took market share from some of the better-known European brands. However, newer brands are increasingly bringing great value for customers, and the numbers show just how popular they are.”

Chris Clayton, head of fleet for Omoda and Jaecoo UK, commented: “Seeing the Omoda E5 become the top-performing EV through Octopus Electric Vehicles is a real milestone for us. It proves that UK drivers are ready to embrace something new – and they’re responding to the E5’s combination of bold design, advanced technology and ethos of premium without the price premium.”

Octopus Electric Vehicles’ Top Five Most Popular EVs – April to June 2025

1. Omoda E5
2. Cupra Born
3. Tesla Model Y
4. Ford Puma Gen-E
5. Škoda Elroq

Alvin Castillo added that the growing range of EV choice is helping drivers make the shift to electric vehicles.

“The combination of lower prices, longer ranges and higher specs is reshaping the market. The arrival of compelling new entrants – such as the upcoming Jaecoo J5 and Geely EX5 – shows how rapidly things are moving. With salary sacrifice making EVs more financially accessible than ever, we expect demand to stay strong into the second half of 2025.”

Salary sacrifice has been a huge incentive for EV drivers, allowing drivers to lease EVs through their employer with payments deducted from their gross salary, cutting income tax and National Insurance costs.

Octopus EV has also launched a scheme that offers drivers savings of up to 40% on public EV charging through salary sacrifice with the Octopus Electroverse public charging network.

And Octopus has partnered with BYD to make vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology more accessible to drivers in the UK for the first time.

Drivers can access a bundle package that gives them completely free charging on a leased BYD Dolphin, along with an installed home charger and access to a smart tariff that unlocks the power of V2G.

V2G transforms EVs into ‘batteries on wheels’, allowing them to charge when electricity is cheap and send it back to the grid at peak times when electricity is expensive, reducing the grid’s reliance on fossil fuel plants.