Electric vehicles with the most misleading ranges

New study reveals electric car ranges could be up to 37% shorter than advertised, while separate data suggests used car dealers are increasingly reluctant to buy EVs.

Electric car drivers have been warned their vehicles may have much shorter ranges than they were led to believe.

A study by What Car? magazine revealed the battery life of some models is nowhere near the figures published by manufacturers.

It found none of the cars tested could get within 20% of the official figures, while the worst performers suffered shortfalls of almost 40%.

That equates to 100 miles less than the anticipated range.

This makes depressing reading for drivers going on longer trips and planning how many recharging stops will be required on the way. 

Test results

The What Car? winter range test compared 12 new fully electric vehicles by driving them repeatedly around a private track. 

It discovered the cars ran out of charge more quickly when being driven in real-world conditions – and particularly in colder temperatures. 

According to Steve Huntingford, the magazine’s editor, its official tests subject EVs to “unrealistically gentle acceleration” at an ambient temperature of 23 degrees Celsius.

“What Car? is calling for a new testing regime which provides drivers with realistic range estimates for both summer and winter conditions, to ensure buyers aren’t left disappointed and put off electric cars,” he said.

Best and worst performers

Here's how the 12 different models stacked up compared to their advertised ranges.

Source: What Car?

The £74,000 Lexus RZ won the unenviable accolade of being the first to stop. It showed a remaining range of zero after just 136 miles, although it kept going for more than another 20 miles.

The £38,700 Jeep Avenger was the next to bow out after 163 miles, followed by the £57,095 Lexus UX 300e, which managed 170 miles.

However, it was also the vehicle with the largest shortfall of 37.9% as the official range expected was 273 miles.  

At the other end of the scale, the Mercedes EQE 300 Sport Edition lasted the longest at 300 miles, while also having the lowest shortfall. 

However, it still achieved 21% less than the 380 miles the official figures suggested it would cover.

Resale warning for EV owners?

If running out of charge wasn’t enough of a gloomy prospect, a separate survey has even more bad news for the owners of electric cars. 

Research by trading platform HonkHonk has revealed that used car dealers are increasingly reluctant to buy EVs. 

The study found that more than one in three second-hand vehicle garages were “much less interested” in buying an EV than a year ago.

It blamed the lack of enthusiasm on last year’s price falls that wiped off almost half the value of some battery car models.

In contrast, there is currently a huge appetite for more traditional vehicles, according to Sebastien Duval, HonkHonk’s chief executive.

“Dealers can’t get enough small or medium petrol cars, medium diesels and even hybrids, since the market began recovering in 2024,” he said.

The key for dealers, he pointed out, was finding vehicles that could be turned around for a quick sale.

“We warn anyone wanting to sell their older EV not to expect much enthusiasm from dealers,” he added. “They are probably better advised to trade their older EV into the dealer who is selling them another new EV.”