How far can an electric car go?

This is one of the most common questions people ask when they are thinking about buying an electric car – how far will electric cars go between charges.

This is also known as the electric car’s range and this distance varies depending on the car you drive, how you drive it and the conditions in which you drive it – much like a petrol or diesel car, in fact.

The range of electric cars is generally increasing as battery technology improves. When the first mainstream electric cars started to go on sale a few years ago – the original Nissan Leaf and Renault Zoe for example – they had ranges of around 100 miles.

Today, the updated models of these cars have nearly double that range in their batteries, but increasingly electric cars coming on sale today will have a range of well over 200 miles. For example, the Audi e-tron SUV has a range of around 240 miles, while the Hyundai Kona EV and Kia e-Niro will go nearly 270 miles or so between charges. Tesla’s cars can go over 300 miles between charges.

To watch our film where we drove electric cars until they ran out of power, tap below.

Remember, though, that most electric car drivers won’t drive the car’s full range before charging up from empty to full – they will tend to stop off at a handy charger where you can top up to around 80% of the car’s power in around 30 minutes with a fast charger.

How can I increase an electric car’s range?

But just like a petrol or diesel car, how you drive an electric car will affect how far you can go in it. So reducing your speed can reduce your energy consumption; in fact, dropping your speed by 10mph uses 14% less energy, giving you more range from one charge. Cutting down on using your heater and air-con will also help your electric car go further.

Braking hard and starting your vehicle from a standstill both put more strain on your battery, so look as far ahead as possible and concentrate on slowing gently rather than stopping abruptly.

What else affects an electric car’s range?

Extreme weather can knock miles off an electric car’s range. This is because really hot or cold temperatures affect the efficiency of the car’s batteries. Using the headlights at night will use up battery more quickly, too, while strong headwinds can also reduce a car’s range.

What is the electric car with the longest range?

Range of vehicles is improving all the time, but at the time of writing, the top five options (according to the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) are:
Tesla Model S – 375 miles
Tesla Model 3 – 348 miles
Tesla Model X – 315 miles
Jaguar I-Pace – 292 miles
Kia e-Niro – 282 miles

What happens if your electric car runs out of battery?

You’ll usually get plenty of warning when your car is due to run out of battery, with some models even offering to navigate you to the nearest charging point to avoid total drain.

Many manufacturers offer Roadside Assistance to pick you up and take you to the nearest charging facility, and AA and RAC also provide options for electric cars. If your battery does end up totally empty, you could experience some damage to the cells, with reduced performance, so aim to charge up at around the 20% mark whenever possible.

Are electric cars good for long commutes?

Electric cars can be great for long commutes, you just need to start from a full charge and be aware of the range of your specific vehicle. If you’re only charging your car at home, then you simply need to ensure you can get to and from work on one charge, before plugging back in overnight.

However, with all of the electric power points mentioned above, there’s no reason you can’t top up on a lunch break. Just be aware that charging can take a while (anywhere between 30 minutes to 12 hours from empty to full), so you’ll need to plan accordingly.

Find out more…

…In our Electric cars hub page you can see the best electric cars by range where you’ll see a list of great electric cars each with a decent range. You can also try out our electric range calculator, input your driving style and we’ll tell you what range you’ll need and what makes and models would be best suited for your driving needs.

Got more questions about electric cars? Take a look at these frequently asked questions:

How long does it take to charge an electric car?
How much does it cost to charge an electric car?
Find your nearest electric car charging point