Ahead of power and top speed, the ‘range’ a vehicle can offer has become the key metric to look at when shopping for a new electric car. At P+B we're finding that range anxiety and how far an electric vehicle can go on a single charge, is one of the main barriers to making the switch to electric. Although manufacturers must put their cars through lots of tests to get the anticipated range, this can sometimes still be different to the ‘real world range’. This article looks at the top Electric Vehicles who are achieving over 200 miles ‘real world range’.
It's important to note for charge time comparisons below, we’ve used 0-100% on a Home 7kw Charger, and 10-80% on a Rapid Charger (150kw). It is unlikely that you will have to charge the car from totally empty to totally full, but it helps to give a fair comparison between the models.
Volkswagen ID.3 58kwh Life Pro Performance
- Manufacturers official range: 264 miles
- Approximate real-world miles: 215 miles
How long to charge:
-
0-100% Home 7kw Charger 9 hours 15 mins
-
10-80% Rapid Charge 150kw Charger 33 mins
Based on the Volkswagen Golf, the ID.3 is Volkswagen’s family hatchback. It’s easy to drive, practical, with a large amount of interior space with a good range for a more affordable price. There is a 77kWh battery also available in the ID.3 set up which offers 340 miles WLTP range for a bit more money.
Kia Niro 64kw Long Range
- Manufacturers official range: 283
- Approximate real-world miles: 230
How long to charge:
- 0-100% Home 7kw Charger 10 hours and 30 minutes
- 10-80% Rapid Charge 150kw Charger 44 minutes
The Kia E-Niro has also been a favourite of the Pike+Bambridge club for a while. A compact SUV which is at the cheaper end of the Electric vehicle range; it offers great value for money for those wanting to make longer electric journeys. The E-Niro has won Car of the year in 2020.
Skoda Enyaq 82 kWh
- Manufacturers official range: 331
- Approximate real-world miles: 260
How long to charge
- 0-100% Home 7kw Charger 12 hours and 15 minutes
- 10-80% Rapid Charge 150kw Charger 34 minutes
The Skoda Enyaq is Skoda’s first fully electric vehicle. While not as exciting as some of the other electric vehicle options on offer, it does give an extremely practical and comfortable family car which is well-priced compared to similar models.
The 82Kwh battery is the larger of the two options available. There is a 62kWh battery which is a cheaper option and still qualifies for the £2,500 OLEV Grant, along with a 256 mile range.
Volkswagen iD4 77kWh
- Manufacturers official range: 322
- Approximate real-world miles: 252
How long to charge:
- 0-100% Home 7kw Charger 12 hours and 15 minutes
- 10-80% Rapid Charge 150kw Charger 34 minutes
The second entry to Volkswagen’s electric vehicle family is the iD4; it more recently won World Car of the Year in 2021. It is very similar to the iD3 in terms of interior, just with more space. This means it is the better option for larger families. It’s been well rated for space and a good range for the price.
The 77kWh is the larger battery in the range, there is a 52kWh on offer which is slightly cheaper to lease and offers 261 miles range.
Tesla Model 3 Long Range
- Manufacturers official range: 360
- Approximate real-world miles: 295
How long to charge:
- 10-80% Rapid Charge 150kw Charger 31 minutes
- 0-100% Home 7kw Charger 11 hours and 15 minutes
Tesla is leading the way with Electric Vehicle technology. The model 3 is highly rated as one of the best all-round electric cars, winning Premium Electric Car of the year in 2020. The Long Range is the mid-range Tesla Model 3 and the one we would recommend. The Long Range also has all-wheel drive as standard.
Our main feedback is that it is an experience unlike most cars, so this can take some getting used too. We find that some clients love this, but others haven’t enjoyed the difference as much.
Jaguar I-Pace
- Manufacturers official range: 292
- Approximate real-world miles: 252
How long to charge:
- 0-100% Home 7kw Charger 13 hours and 30 minutes
- 10-80% Rapid Charge 150kw Charger 44 minutes
The Jaguar I-Pace is a popular Premium SUV option, winning World Car of the Year in 2019. The F-Pace and E-Pace have previously been criticised for out of date technology, however the I-pace doesn’t have this issue and the interior feels very modern with the latest technology.
Audi E Tron 55
- Manufacturers official range: 259
- Approximate real-world miles: 215
How long to charge:
- 0-100% Home 7kw Charger 13 hours and 30 minutes
- 10-80% Rapid Charge 150kw Charger 25 minutes
Audi’s first family electric SUV has been a firm favourite. The car is easily understood and hasn’t tried to push many limits to be different from the classic Audi range. The Audi E-tron has been rated as one of the most comfortable large electric cars you can buy and more practical than many direct rivals.
The 55 offers the bigger battery in the E-Tron range, we would in most cases recommend this model as the range of the 50 can be much more limited.
Mercedes-Benz EQC
- Manufacturers official range: 280
- Approximate real-world miles: 225
How long to charge:
- 0-100% Home 7kw Charger 12 hours and 45 minutes
- 10-80% Rapid Charge 150kw Charger 35 minutes
First launched in 2018, the EQC was the first of the Mercedes-Benz electric vehicle range. The EQC is the largest SUV in the range, an all-wheel drive SUV with a lot of space and an 80-kWh battery. Whilst Mercedes-Benz do have vehicles which offer a larger range, based on value this is a good option.
Please note:
- Approximate real-world miles average – Average from EV databased tests, combine highway and city driving in both cold and mild weather
- Manufacturers official range is taken from each manufacturers website
- How long to charge taken from EV-Database
