One of the big arguments against buying EVs has traditionally been the lack of driving range that they offer. Indeed, the whole electric car market has been tarnished somewhat by early models that could barely manage 100 miles before needed to be plugged in. The goalposts have moved significantly since those fledgling days, and we’re getting to a stage now where many of the very best EVs are able to exceed 300, 400, even 500 miles between charges. They’re getting better each and every year, but here are ten EVs with the longest range.
10 EVs with the longest range
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10. BMW iX (382 miles)
The BMW iX follows what's fast becoming a blueprint for modern BMWs – challenging looks that hide a decent car underneath. Its gopher-tooth grille, complete with gold inlays and chevron-style lower bumper, means you'll not forget the iX in a hurry – no matter how hard you try – but the featureless sides and neat rear are mercifully inoffensive.
At 2.5 tonnes, the iX has no right to handle as well as it does – it dances through bends like a German ballerina on helium – and searing acceleration is available long after the needle passes into triple-digit speeds. Equally impressive is the 382 miles you can squeeze out of a charge with a restrained right foot. Factor in the spacious – and beautifully built – cabin and this is one of the more acceptable ways you'll find to shuttle the family around under electric power.
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9. Hyundai Ioniq 6 (382 miles)
The Hyundai Ioniq 6 is hard proof of how far the South Koreans have come – a statement car starkly contrasting the featureless boxes it produced just a few decades ago. This self-declared steamliner has the aerodynamic cape of a Mallard locomotive with a cigar-shaped roofline perfect for smoothing out the air passing over it. And it's effective; the 6's 382-mile range is 67 miles further than the boxy Ioniq 5 can go despite it using the same 77.4kWh battery.
EVs are a South Korean speciality and you can tell from inside the Ioniq 6. Hyundai takes advantage of the car's neat EV packaging to give it a flat cabin floor that makes it feel incredibly roomy up front, while glitz comes in the form of a pair of large infotainment screens. Sadly, on the back seat, where the aero-friendly design doesn't do wonders for headroom, it isn’t quite so impressive.
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8. BMW i7 (387 miles)
Yes, it's another BMW with a brash front end, which is even more painful to look at when, just over two decades ago, the Bavarians used to build handsome limos like the E38 7 Series (it’s probably best not to mention its glorious straight-six, V8 and V12 power plants). In relative terms, the i7's powertrain is just as impressive, offering hammer-blow performance – with refinement even a turbine-smooth V12 can’t match – and a continent-clouting 387-mile range.
Electric power goes with the i7 like a pipe goes with slippers. Its effortless performance is delivered silently (or with a backing tone composed by Hans Zimmer) and its wonderfully wafty air suspension, makes it hard to imagine a better EV to lay down hard miles in. Did we mention the optional rear-seat entertainment system with a 31.3-inch 8K resolution display that drops down from the headlining?
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7. Tesla Model 3 (391 miles)
You can say what you like about Tesla's fanatical fan base and self-styled 'Technoking' leader, but it's fair to say if the company didn't exist, many of the cars on this list wouldn’t either. Tesla got the Model 3 so right the first time around; the latest model feels more like a sizable update than an all-new car. Revised looks make it sleeker, while inside material quality is on the up-and-up, allowing this mid-sized saloon to compete toe-to-toe with German rivals like BMW's i4. The vast centre screen remains (and takes brand virgins time to get used to), but the new talking point is indicators now operated (unintuitively) via buttons on the steering wheel.
Straightline performance is as impressive as ever, with the Long Range model whisking from 0-62mph in 4.4 seconds onto a 125mph top speed. Charging is as drama-free as the silent performance because, as well as having a 391-mile range, the 3 also gets access to the company's excellent Supercharger network.
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6. Mercedes EQE (394 miles)
Mercedes may as well have invented the executive saloon genre, so when it makes its first mid-sized EV, you expect it to be good. Gloopy looks aside; on initial contact, not much will disappoint you about the EQE. Inside, it has sculpted shapes and pretty details that make a Tesla look stylistically baron, which helps you get over the cramped back seat and, in places, chintzy build quality.
Out on the road, the EQE's heritage is evident from its cosseting ride quality and supreme refinement, making it an ideal long-distance cruiser, particularly when the 90kWh battery found in the 350+ gets it 394 miles between charges. With 0-62mph taking 6.4 seconds, the Mercedes is as fast as a luxury saloon needs to be, and its dull handling means you're unlikely to feel the need to push harder. More relevant is its 170kWh charging speed, which means a 10-80 per cent charge can be done in just over 30 minutes.
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5. Tesla Model S (405 miles)
The Tesla Model S feels like the car that cast us off on our EV journey. It busted the myth that EVs should be milk-float slow with the range of an X Factor reject. The Supercharger network also makes charging much less of a headache. It's a surprise that such inspired innovation is hobbled by the fact that Tesla now only builds the car in left-hand drive.
That significant hurdle aside, there's plenty to like about the Tesla Model S. Even Long Range models that, unsurprisingly, covet miles over performance get from 0-62mph in just 3.3 seconds. And, if you behave yourself, it's possible to get more than 400 miles from a charge. A big boot, comfortable ride and decent Autopilot make this an ideal car for long journeys, but it heaves and lumbers where a Porsche Taycan points and squirts.
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4. Polestar 2 (406 miles)
Polestar has pulled off a masterstroke by capturing the wholesome image of its Volvo sister company, combined with a striking design that makes the 2 – with its angular shape and light bar LED tail lights – one of the coolest-looking EVs on sale. The same magic diffuses through to the interior, where you'll find a warm and simple design without the sterile simplicity of a Tesla's cabin. An update in 2023 means basic Polestars have changed from front to rear-wheel drive, while the range has increased from 341 to 406 miles.
Performance has also improved with new motors and inverters, meaning the Polestar goes from 0-62mph in 6.2 seconds, more than a second quicker than it used to. Ponderous in corners, the Polestar can't match the dynamics of a BMW i4. However, the terrible ride is more of a problem, it's jittery over bumps, which is unexpected given its sophisticated appearance.
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3. Fisker Ocean (440 miles)
You might remember Fisker Automotive. Founded by Henrik Fisker back in the early 2010s, the company's Karma hybrid wowed us with its gorgeous looks. Other features, sadly, weren't quite so remarkable. Features like a side-exit exhaust that pumped fumes through the driver's window, oh, and the car's famed propensity to spontaneously combust for no apparent reason.
Unperturbed, Fisker is back for a second bite of the apple – now called Fisker Inc.– with the Ocean, which, as a pure EV, at least solves the Karma's exhaust issues. With an SUV body, the Ocean is practical enough for families and gets an infotainment screen that can swivel from portrait to landscape mode on demand. Its 440-mile range is impressive, as is 0-62mph acceleration in 3.7 seconds.
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2. Mercedes EQS (484 miles)
The Mercedes S-Class has long had a reputation for being a testbed for new technology that eventually filters down to less luxurious cars, so you can expect a lot from the EQS – the electric S-Class. Things get off to a strong start with the pamperingly luxurious cabin, complete with optional Hyperscreen – three infotainment screens that mould into one, sweeping across most of the dashboard. It looks excellent, and Merc's decent voice activation makes up for the fact that the screen is tricky to use on the move. What's less pleasing is a back seat that feels far too cramped to be luxurious.
As you'd expect, the EQS, with its throne-like seats and impressive refinement, is exceptionally comfortable over long distances. It is handy because it has a claimed range of 484 miles thanks to its massive 108kWh battery. It takes around 30 minutes to recharge from 10-80% using a rapid charger. Sadly, the vast battery makes the EQS feel barge-like in bends. A ride quality that's harsher than the smaller EQE's may be a bitterer pill to swallow for EQS buyers.
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1. Lucid Air (520 miles)
The brainchild of Peter Rawlinson, the man who led the design of the Tesla Model S, the Lucid Air is an EV that wants to take on conventional luxury saloons like the Mercedes S-Class – something its headline, anxiety-busting 520-mile range (in Grand Touring trim) should make it more than capable of doing. Want more performance? There's always the 1,234PS (908kW) Sapphire version, which goes from 0 to 62mph in a mind-boggling 1.89 seconds.
Whichever version you go for, the Lucid has a classy interior – filled with leather, wool and wood – that feels airy thanks to the car's large windows and wrap-around windscreen. Two large touch screens provide the infotainment and help the vehicle strike a balance between the simplicity of a Tesla cabin and the premium feel of a German rival. The same can be said for the drive, which walks a tightrope between the performance of Model S Plaid and the dynamics of a BMW i7. Recharge speeds of up to 300kW mean even the massive 112kWh battery is quick to charge. The only major problem is that the price for a top-end model is likely to exceed £200,000.
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