Electric cars that can drive further than their manufacturers claim

Electric vehicles (EV) made by BMW, Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, and VW all have the ability to surpass the manufacturer’s claimed driving range.

At a constant highway speed of 113km/h (70mph), these vehicles exceeded their supposed maximum driving potential anywhere from 5km to 116km, depending on the model

A big concern for would-be EV owners is range anxiety which is the fear that a battery-powered car will not have enough juice to reach its end destination. The phenomenon is more so for longer trips than for daily driving, but is nonetheless present before and during EV ownership.

To find out which electrically-incentivised autos are capable of reaching and even exceeding what their makers say they can, US-based Consumer Reports recently conducted a study that put 22 EVs under the microscope.

The publication tested the real highway range of these cars when driven at a steady pace of 113km/h in 21°C to 31°C weather, which is the most favourable temperature for maximising EV range.

The vehicles were driven until their power modules were on 0%, and then until they completely shut down to find out how much you can truly wring out of their batteries.

All the EVs under review were 2021 to 2023 model years, had between 3,200km and 24,000km on the odometer, had their tyre pressures set to factory specifications, and were pre-conditioned to 22°C.

They were exclusively driven using cruise control with speed and mileage verified via GPS, regenerative braking was on the lowest level, and if available, the cars were switched into Eco mode to maximise range.

If there was a significant slowdown for an extended period of time on the route, the vehicles were taken back to the starting line and charged to 100% again to redo the test.

Top of the range

Of the 22 EVs tested, 12 exceeded their manufacturer’s claimed range, and 10 did not.

The biggest surplus was achieved by the Mercedes-Benz EQE 350 4Matic, which blasted past its stated range by 116km to reach a total of 534km of smooth highway sailing.

The biggest shortfall was somewhat ironically recorded by the Ford F-150 Lightning Extended Range derivative, which pulled down next to the road after 435km – 80km earlier than it should have.

The below table shows the actual highway range compared to the claimed range of all 22 EVs tested by Consumer Reports.

The underlined models are available in South Africa, though keep in mind their specifications may vary by market.