Which electric motors can travel the furthest distance without having to recharge? And how can you boost your own EV's range?
Electric cars are clearly winning many motorists over, but there remain some practical concerns which can cause issues for would-be EV owners.
Chief among them is charging.
It’s not just the question of where they will be able to charge up their motor ‒ not every home has space for its own chargepoint, for example ‒ but also how far they will be able to travel based on each charge.
The electric cars with the furthest range
In the table below, we’ve broken down the 10 electric cars which boast the furthest range, based on their official figures as well as what you’re likely to pay for one.
They are ranked in ascending order.
|
Car |
Model |
Range |
RRP |
|
BMW i4 |
eDrive 40 |
365 miles |
£57,890 |
|
Mercedes EQS |
450 4Matic |
366 miles |
£129,170 |
|
Ford Mustang Mach E |
Premium RWD |
372 miles |
£59,380 |
|
Tesla Model 3 |
Long Range |
374 miles |
£50,990 |
|
Polestar 3 |
Long Range Dual Motor |
379 miles |
£79,900 |
|
BMW iX |
xDrive50 M Sport |
382 miles |
£102,755 |
|
BMW i7 |
xDrive60 Excellence |
387 miles |
£113,970 |
|
Mercedes EQE |
EQE300 AMG Line |
388 miles |
£74,345 |
|
Tesla Model S |
Dual Motor All Wheel Drive |
405 miles |
TBC (not yet available) |
|
Merces EQS |
EQS 450+ AMG Line |
464 miles |
£105,610 |
There are a few glaring stats that jump out from this table.
The first is the variance in the differences on offer.
Don’t get me wrong, 365 miles is an incredible distance to be able to travel from a single charge, yet the car with the very best range can do almost 100 extra miles.
That’s extraordinary.
What’s also extraordinary are the price tags.
Obviously, you’re always going to pay a premium for top-of-the-line cars, but these motors are seriously expensive.
It’s also important to view the figures with a little bit of caution.
These are the distances that the motors can manage according to the manufacturers themselves, which means they should be taken with a slight pinch of salt.
Sure, you might theoretically be able to travel that distance if you don’t use the air con or the radio at all, but how likely is that really?
How to get the best range from your electric car
No matter what electric car you have, you will want to get the best possible range out of it so that you aren’t constantly fretting about charging up. But how do you go about maximising your car’s range?
Thankfully there are plenty of steps you can follow.
The first is to be kind to your battery. Batteries will inevitably deteriorate over time, cutting the maximum driving range, but you have some say over how quickly that process happens.
Cars parked outside in hot weather tend to see their battery deteriorate more quickly than those which are kept in more reasonable temperatures.
Your driving technique will play a part too. Gradually accelerating and braking is far better for the car, and for the range you’ll achieve, than if you are particularly hard on either.
On braking in particular, it’s worth familiarising yourself with the regenerative braking system that you tend to find in electric vehicles.
This essentially takes the ‘wasted’ energy from when you brake, and puts it to use by charging the battery. Obviously, the better you’re able to use this, the further the range you’ll enjoy from your vehicle.
Similarly, going easy on things like the air conditioning will get more out of your charge, as will thinking carefully about your route.
Electric vehicles preserve the most range when travelling at steady, lower speeds, so sticking to routes that fit that profile will help.
What you do between journeys will also make a difference. Loading your car up with items you don’t need for that specific trip will make the car heavier, and therefore need more energy to complete the trip, reducing the range.
What’s more, simple maintenance like checking the tyre pressure, fluid levels and replacing air filters will all help you get a little more from each charge.