What is the best range for an electric car and which electric car has the longest range? Although this varies from time to time because new models and developments are constantly being released, it is interesting to take a look at what this looks like at the time of writing and how you can increase the range of your car yourself.
The range of the electric car over the years
The first electric cars had a range of about 30 to 60 kilometers, but these are by no means recent models. These are the models that were made before 1900. The electric cars of the last generations, just before fossil fuel engines would put an end to the electric car, had a range of about 120 to 150 kilometers and that included five people in the car. A great achievement, because the first modern electric cars had the same range. How is that possible? The newer cars have a much more powerful battery, but are also much heavier, which means that they need much more power to get going. It should also be mentioned that the cars of 100 years ago would be extremely dangerous on the road today, since they offered no safety whatsoever for the occupants. For example: doors were not always standard and windscreens were non-existent, or made of single glass that caused more damage than the average collision itself.
Modern cars use a variety of features and design tricks to increase their range. For example, the lowest possible weight (although it often doesn't seem that way), aerodynamics, regenerative braking and the lowest possible consumption by using the latest technology.
What actually affects the car's range?
Before we look at the models with the largest range, it is good to look at what determines that range. There are a number of factors that play a role in this, including the capacity of the battery pack. The larger the battery pack, the more energy can be stored, which makes the range greater than the same model with a smaller battery pack. A factor that is directly related to this is the SOH factor, or State of Health. This indicates what percentage of the battery percentage can actually still be used. This percentage is getting lower, because the battery wears out.
Two other important factors for the range are the weight of the car and the rolling resistance. The weight speaks for itself: it is much more difficult to get a heavier car moving than a light model. The rolling resistance is often overlooked, but is at least as important. The right tires at the right tire pressure ensure a higher range than worn or wrong tires or tires that are at too low or too high tire pressure. If you drive electric, then this is definitely something to look into today, because it can significantly increase the range.
Another factor (which you unfortunately have little influence on) is the weather conditions in which the car is used. At very low temperatures, a large part of the range is lost, because these are not ideal conditions for the battery pack. The range is therefore always optimal at average temperatures (between 18 and 25 degrees).
Which electric car has the greatest range?
The top eight electric cars with the best range at the time of writing (Q1, 2024) look like this:
- Tesla Model S (1100 km)
- Opel Ampera-E
- Nissan Leaf e+
- Volkswagen ID.3
- Volkswagen ID.4
- Kia e-Niro
- Hyundai Kona Electric
- Kia e-Soul
The range of numbers 2 to 8 is between 400 and 600 kilometers, but this strongly depends on the version you choose.
Range versus price of the electric car
Smaller electric cars often use less energy to move forward, but because they have a much lighter battery pack (partly to keep the weight down), most models fall outside the list of cars with the best range. Another thing to look at is the price of the car. The Tesla Model S is high on the list, but you can see that right away from the price tag.
Therefore, first look at the range you need. Let's be honest: most Dutch people do not drive hundreds of kilometers to and from work. A car with a range between 200 and 300 kilometers could be more than enough to get to work and drive back. Especially if you have your own charging station at home, or can even charge your car at work while you are at work.
What can we expect from the best range in the coming years?
The range of the upcoming models will only improve, because the technology is constantly being developed and there is a very active demand for models with a larger range (and higher maximum towing weight). At the same time, increasingly powerful battery packs are being made, but there are a number of catches to the developments.
There is also a great demand for affordable cars and the developments in the field of batteries are at odds with the lower price tag. Of course, the technology becomes cheaper over the years (because it is more available and the development costs are covered), but the models with a very strong range will remain the more expensive models for the time being. If you look mainly at the cheaper models, the range will remain around 400 kilometers for the time being.
Can you increase the range of your car yourself?
Yes, because there are quite a few factors that influence the range of the car that you do have influence on. We have already mentioned the tires and tire pressure. Tires with a lower rolling resistance (and therefore often a lower noise emission level, which is also a bonus in the EV) significantly increase the range of the electric car.
There is another way to further increase the range and that has to do with your driving behavior. An electric motor offers a lot of torque and with the amount of horsepower under the hood you have probably adopted a sporty driving style since you drive electric. But to have an optimal range, it is wise to let go of that sporty driving style. Just like driving 120 on the highway, because your range is much better when you drive between 90 and 100 kilometers per hour (depending on the model of car you drive). Try it out yourself and check what the range on your on-board computer does when you drive more calmly.
A final way to increase the range is to take the car off the charging station when you leave, especially in cold weather. The car can then heat up on mains voltage and the battery is warmer when you leave. This ensures that you actually drive off the driveway with 100% and do not immediately see the percentages fly away because you want to be comfortable in the car.
What does all this actually mean for the charging infrastructure?
Large battery ranges, heavy battery packs and especially a lot of power for the newer electric cars. That sounds attractive, but there is also a disadvantage that we warn our customers about when they are looking for a charging station for home. There are many car users who are looking for a 3.7 kW charging station for their electric car or even a mobile home charger, because these options are suitable for the car they have now. In the future, that will not be sufficient. In fact, there are even people who state that the 11 kW charging station (3 phases) will not be sufficient for the electric car of the future.
We strongly recommend choosing a 3-phase charging station at 11 or 22 kW. A charging station, especially including the costs for installation, is a considerable investment. Simply replacing or upgrading an existing charging station in the future is not possible. Therefore, choose a charging station now that is suitable for the following electric cars that you will purchase in the coming years.
Do you not have a 3-phase connection at home or does the connection need to be reinforced to have a 22 kW charging station installed? Then it is wise to sit down and calculate. The costs you incur for this ensure that you do not have to do this later and do not have to look again for a charging station that is suitable for charging a much heavier battery pack at night. If you have solar panels, this is of course also something to take into account, since you can choose charging stations that can be connected directly to your PV system. This way you not only enjoy your car with the best range, but you also drive for free on renewable energy.
