57 electric cars range tested at highway speeds - who wins? PART 1

03 June 2023

Buying an electric car is not an easy task. It’s not just about picking the right color, different interior, and various options. It’s not even about picking different battery sizes - it’s all about trying to figure out how far, in real-life conditions, the car will actually go. It’s all about trying to peel away the often misleading claims from the manufacturers, and working out the effect the bigger wheels will have on the range. Will the extra options affect the range - and by how much? The list of questions goes on forever.

AutoBild decided to try and answer one of the questions, once and for all - how far can an EV go on the highway? How far will it go at normal highway speed - without hugging the slow lane but instead pushing at steady 81 mph? It took a while to put the results together, but here they are. Some are no surprise at all, some are a positive surprise, and some are a real disappointment. Without further ado - from the lowest range to the highest, this year’s winners and losers.

57. Mazda MX-30 - 87 miles

Not a surprise really that Mazda manages only 87 miles, it has a tiny 35.5 kWh battery because the company believes hardly anyone commutes more than 31 miles. If that was the case - then why build a crossover in the first place? Wouldn’t a smaller car be a better option? 87 miles on a highway for around $38,600 sounds like an expensive adventure, although the city range is claimed to be far more sensible 155 miles.

56. Honda e - 95 miles

Honda e Advance is the only model currently available in Europe, at $43,000 is not the cheapest car in the test but is one of the best looking for sure. It has the same 35.5 kWh (28.5 kWh usable) battery capacity as the Mazda MX-30, but thanks to its smaller body, it manages to achieve 95 miles highway run. Its 113 kW (151 hp) electric motor turns the retro-looking hatchback into a rather nippy mode of transport with 0 to 62 mph taking only 8.3 seconds.

55. Peugeot e Rifter - 102 miles

The family-oriented van with two sliding doors and enough room for a weekend party, Peugeot e Rifter is an electric answer to many people’s dreams. The 50 kWh and 100 kW (134 hp) electric motor working the front wheels is sufficient for pretty much anything that you throw at this van. The highway range at 130 km ends up being only 102 miles, but this essentially is a brick on wheels, with some of its corners slightly rounded off. Take it down a notch, and you’ll see the range climb to well over 124 miles.

54. Opel Combo e-Life - 106 miles

This is Peugeot’s twin - same battery, same motor, same dimensions. And yet the Opel manages to achieve 106 miles run, sure - 4.3 miles is not a big deal. That’s until you run out of juice 3.1 miles away from the nearest charging station - pushing this thing along the highway is out of the question. Opel charges $2,100 more for its Combo e-Life than Peugeot asks for the e-Rifter though - is the 4.3 miles difference worth the money?

53. MG 5 - 111 miles

The value offer from MG is hard to pass - an electric wagon for less than $38,600 sounds like a bargain. Apart from decent room though, the MG cost-cutting is on display whichever way you turn. The small 50.3 kWh battery managed to deliver 111 miles in freezing conditions - the test was conducted when the temperature dropped to -3 C, so that’s not a bad result. The question is - does the $3,200 upgrade to the LR version with 61.1 kWh make sense? It’s a very tempting proposition.

52. Mercedes EQB 350 - 124 miles

First Mercedes in the test and the first 4-wheel drive EV. The fairly large SUV has only a 66.5 kWh battery pack, and it shows - the 292 hp (215 kW) power output may be enough to propel it from 0 to 62 mph in just 6.2 seconds, but those motors need energy. Keeping the EQB at 130 km/h comes at a hefty price, and 124 miles range is not impressive. Add to it the $64,000 price tag, and the Mercedes becomes a fairly expensive choice. Keeping it around the city promises up to 308 miles of the range, which makes putting up with the EQB a little bit easier.

51. SsangYong Korando e-motion - 126 miles

Not a very popular vehicle this one, but nonetheless an interesting choice. It comes with a 61.5 kWh battery pack (56 kWh usable) and a single 188 hp (140 kW) electric motor. At 175.8 inches this isn’t a large crossover, but it’s fairly quick - 8.5 seconds from 0 to 62 mph is enough for moving swiftly about. At less than $43,000 it can be an attractive proposition as long as you don’t expect to take many highway trips, keep it in the city, and you could see over 249 miles of range.

50. VW ID.3 Pro - 134 miles

The entry-level ID.3 Pro comes with a 150 kW (204 hp) electric motor supported by a 62 kWh (58 kWh usable) battery. The WLTP rating may be promising 265 miles but keeping the electric VW on the highway at 81 mph cuts that range in half. $43,000 asking price doesn’t make it any easier and to get more mileage out of it, you’ll need to slow down, keeping it in the city may result in a range of over 249 miles but there is no hiding from it - speed is electric car’s enemy.

49. Toyota bZ4X - 135 miles

Toyota bZ4X is a confusing vehicle - the FWD version comes with a 150 kW (204 hp) electric motor, and the AWD version gets a power hike of only 10 kW (14 hp) despite having two motors. That’s hardly an advantage when you realize the price difference - depending on where you are, it can be as much as $11,800. The two versions share the same 71.4 kWh battery pack, and although the WLTP for the FWD model stands at 319 miles, taking the car on the highway ends the run in just 135 miles. The AWD would most likely do far worse.

48. MG Marvel R Performance - 137 miles

This 288 hp (212 kW) crossover from MG looks decent and on paper, offers great performance - 4.9 seconds from 0 to 62 mph is not to be sniffed at. The 70 kWh battery with 65 kWh usable capacity promises a 230 miles WLTP range, but on a highway that number falls to only 137 miles - not as dramatic drop as Toyota’s but 137 miles at 81 mph means only 1 hr and 41 minutes of driving. Is the $55,800 price tag enough to convince buyers this is a good value proposition?

47. Mercedes EQA 250 - 138 miles

The Mercedes EQA 250 proves that size does matter - at least when it comes to electric cars. It shares the 79.8 kWh battery (66.5 kWh usable) with the EQB 350 4MATIC, but thanks to EQA’s smaller size, it beats it at the highway test - 138 miles versus 124 miles. Interestingly, the WLTP for the EQA stands at 259 miles while the EQB boasts 261 miles - we know the truth now, Mercedes. Smaller EQA wins on the highway, and in the city, it promises to deliver more than 360 miles driving range which at just over $54,000 will make many people take a closer look.

46. Cupra Born 170kW - 140 miles

Cupra Born is essentially a VW ID.3 wearing fancy Spanish clothes, and somehow, those clothes work. The 58kWh battery pack (total 62 kWh) manages to push the little Spaniard to a 140 miles on the highway at a constant 81 mph while its German sibling runs out of juice 6 miles earlier. If you’re after an electric hatchback and VW ID.3 tickles your fancy, you’ll be better off with the hot Spanish Cupra Born - it lasts longer and costs $4,300 less.

45. Volvo XC40 Recharge - 141 miles

The FWD version of the Volvo XC40 Recharge comes with a 69 kWh battery pack (67 kWh usable). Its single electric motor churns out 231 hp (170 kW) - that’s as much power as the Cupra but with a much bigger battery. It is disappointing, but not surprising, to see Volvo only manage to squeeze out 141 miles. It may be almost the same length as the Cupra Born, but the extra 11 cm in height come to haunt it on the highway.

44. Citroen e-C4X - 146 miles

The Citroen e-C4 X is actually a genuine surprise. It has a tiny 50 kWh battery with 45 kWh usable capacity. At 181.1 inches it is not a small vehicle, and yet it manages 146 miles on the highway at the constant speed of 81 mph. It is 20 cm longer than the Volvo XC40, although it sits 12 cm closer to the ground, its battery has 20 kWh less capacity - and yet it beats Volvo. To add some salt to the wound, it costs $40,280, which is $11,000 less than the Volvo.

43. Subaru Solterra - 150 miles

How did Subaru Solterra manage to beat its twin Toyota bZ4X is quite a secret - two identical cars with the only difference being their brand badges and names, and yet Subaru comes away with the win. 15 miles extra is not a small difference. Especially when we realize that Subaru comes only as the AWD model with two electric motors - that’s more drain for the same 71.4 kWh battery (64 kWh usable) and more rolling resistance - and yet, Toyota loses this one.

42. Opel Zafira e-Life M - 155 miles

Another shocker - 195.1 inches long brick on wheels equipped with a tiny 50 kWh battery pack with 46.2 kWh usable capacity manages to outrun other, smaller vehicles with bigger batteries. Testing the Opel at the highway speed of 81 mph meant running it at its top speed, but the van drove nearly 2 hours which is simply impressive. Interestingly enough, its city range is estimated at 171 miles, and its WLTP range is rated at 143 miles. Opel Zafira e-Life M is the first electric car to beat its WLTP rating by driving at top speed.

41. Polestar 2 LR AWD - 160 miles

The $61,200 Polestar 2 comes with an 82 kWh battery pack and two electric motors. The 421 hp (310 kW) turns the Polestar into a real hoot with a 4.5 seconds sprint from 0 to 62 mph. And while the WLTP rating stands at hugely respectable 367 miles, the story is quite different on the highway. Polestar manages to achieve only 43.6% of its claimed range - 160 miles means just under two hours of traveling.

40. Hyundai Ioniq 5 SR RWD - 162 miles

The 168 hp (125 kW) Ioniq 5 is a very popular choice, it has decent power, it’s fairly quick at 8.5 seconds from 0 to 62 mph and its 62 kWh battery promises 249 miles of WLTP range. At nearly $45,100 it’s not the cheapest EV out there, but it looks great, and it works really well for many people - as long as you keep it away from the highway. Driving it at 81 mph means running out of battery after 162 miles or two hours. Sure, it’s better than some of its competitors, but it has a huge battery by comparison - it should do better.

39. Aiways U5 - 165 miles

Aiways U5 is not a common name, but the vehicle comes with a lot of promises. It starts at just $42,400, and its 150 kW (204 hp) motor linked to a 63 kWh battery (60 kWh usable) suggests decent performance. WLTP rating of 255 miles and 7.5 seconds sprint from 0 to 62 mph paint a very positive picture. And the car impresses on the highway with its 165 miles run - better than many more expensive vehicles, and it did the run at -3 C.

38. Renault Megane E-Tech 60 - 167 miles

Renault Megane has grown into a full-blown crossover. At 165.7 inches it is no longer the small hatchback we used to associate this name with. The good-looking Frenchman comes with a 60 kWh battery and just one 220 hp (160 kW) electric motor powering the front wheels. At 7.4 seconds from 0 to 62 mph, the Megan is nippy, and its WLTP rating of 279 miles is impressive. Keeping your right foot planted to the floor though, results in 167 miles highway run - not bad when compared to others, but still a lot of room for improvement.

37. MG ZS EV - 169 miles

Many people choose the MG ZS EV simply because of its attractive $36,900 price. It comes with a 72.6 kWh battery pack which promises 273 miles of WLTP certified range. The single electric motor with 156 hp (115 kW) output doesn’t have any problems with the small crossover and makes the MG entertaining to drive. Despite its fairly tall body (64 inches), the MG manages a 169 miles highway run making it a good value option.

36. Mercedes EQV 300 - 170 miles

At first, Mercedes' result seemed impressive. The 202.4 inches long full-size van manages to better many smaller vehicles in a high-speed test. That’s until we look under the floor and find a huge 100 kWh battery pack - if it was possible to squeeze that battery into the Citroen e-C4X, it would have run for nearly 311 miles. Still, the Mercedes impresses - it has a WLTP-rated range of 226 miles and driving it at 81 mph results in 170 miles - that’s a great result for a small house.

35. BMW iX1 xDrive30 - 170 miles

The $59,000 BMW iX1 xDrive30 comes with a 66.5 kWh battery pack which, by comparison to other vehicles in this test, is not that large. The battery is smaller than that in Ioniq 5 or Polestar 2. While the BMW’s WLTP range may not be outright impressive with its 273 miles, its high-speed performance speaks a different language. The 170 miles achieved at 81 mph is 10 miles more than Polestar 2 with an 82 kWh battery managed, and BMW is good 16 cm taller - not bad BMW, not bad.

34. Kia e-Soul - 174 miles

Little Kia hides a secret - and it’s a big one. It has a fairly large, 67.5 kWh battery pack. The 165.2 inches Kia weighs only 3,874 lb which by EV standards is nothing at all. That translates to its 280 miles WLTP rating and its fairly small frame helps it in the highway test. At constant 81 mph Kia managed to run for 174 miles or 2 hours and 9 minutes. The downside of the big battery is not just the extra weight, but the extra cost - the Kia e-Soul 64 kWh version starts at just over $45,100, which is a lot of money for a small car.

33. Hyundai Ioniq 5 LR AWD - 180 miles

The more powerful version of the Ioniq 5 comes with two electric motors with a combined output of 306 hp (225 kW). It gets a bigger battery as well, and the 72.6 kWh usable capacity helps it achieve 180 miles in the highway test. That’s 18 miles more than its less powerful version, but at $16,100 extra, the choice isn’t as straightforward as we’d like. Yes, the AWD LR version deals with the 0 to 62 mph sprint in just 5.2 seconds making it seriously fast but if you are after an electric car that goes the distance - you may wanna think twice about this one.

32. Renault Zoe E-Tech - 181 miles

Little Zoe has been around since 2019, and it still has plenty of energy to surprise much newer competitors. The 100 kW (136 hp) Zoe comes with a 54.7 kWh battery pack (52 kWh usable). Its WLTP rating of 239 miles is impressive for a small 157 inches hatchback, but it is its high-speed performance that attracts our attention - 181 miles from a 52 kWh battery pack? That is some black magic right there, good on you Zoe!

31. BMW i4 M50 - 186 miles

BMW i4 gets very close to the 186 miles mark, but it’s not a surprise - it has an 83.9 kWh battery pack with 80.7 kWh usable capacity. It has a drag coefficient of 0.24, and it has proven before it can drive further than its official rating. Well, this time it didn’t manage to get even close to its WLTP rating of 316 miles, but 186 miles at 81 mph is a decent number. Is it decent enough to convince you to part with $76,000?

30. VW ID. Buzz Pro - 187 miles

The VW ID. Buzz Pro is the first EV in this test to achieve more than 186 miles. The Pro version comes with a single 150 kW (201 hp) electric motor coupled with an 82 kWh battery (77 kWh usable). Its WLTP rating of 261 miles is not that high, but this is a large van after all. Its highway test result is surprisingly better than that of many much smaller competitors. There is one catch though - the ID. Buzz starts at nearly $69,700. Its long-wheelbase version has just been unveiled, and it comes with a bigger battery - it should perform even better, but at what price?

29. Kia EV6 LR AWD - 190 miles

The more aerodynamic-friendly cousin of the Ioniq 5 proves it’s all in the curves. Kia’s WLTP rating of 314 miles is already higher than Ioniq 5’s but its high-speed highway run puts all doubts aside - 190 miles at 81 mph cuts the range by 40% and beats the Ioniq 5 LR AWD by 9 miles. At $56,750 Kia is over $3,200 cheaper as well.

28. Skoda Enyaq iV 80 - 198 miles

Skoda Enyaq iV80 is a medium-sized SUV, it actually is as sling as the Kia EV6, it’s only {5 cm}} taller - but the two vehicles couldn’t look more different. Their usable battery capacity is almost identical as well - Skoda has 77 kWh, and Kia comes with 77.4 kWh. So it is a huge surprise to see Skoda fly past Kia and go on to 198 miles. The Skoda has only one electric motor that drives only rear wheels, and this can be the secret sauce here - less power, less performance but in the end, more range. Skoda has another advantage - it’s priced at $53,100.

27. Audi Q4 e-tron 40 - 203 miles

Skoda’s posh Audi cousin comes with the same underpinnings - the same RWD powertrain with a 204 hp (150 kW) electric motor hooked up to the same 82 kWh battery with 77 kWh usable capacity. Both cars accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in about 8.5 seconds, and yet Audi has a lower WLTP rating of 323 miles. That didn’t stop it from beating Skoda at the highway speed test and it recorded 203 miles. As expected, Audi is more expensive but the difference isn’t huge - an extra $2,600 for the Audi badge sounds like a reasonable cost.

26. Kia Niro EV - 203 miles

The new Kia Niro EV performed surprisingly well in the test. It proves that the battery technology moves on rather quickly, and buying newer electric cars makes a lot of sense. Despite having a 64.8 kWh (usable) battery pack, the compact crossover comes with a WLTP rating of 288 miles, and during the 81 mph test, it managed to go on for an impressive 203 miles. At $51,100 Kia Niro EV may not be as cheap as other compact crossovers, but when it comes to driving range - it delivers.

This is it - this is the end of the first part of the Highway Speed Range Test. Tomorrow we’ll publish the second part, where we look at the top 25 electric vehicles and how far they can go at 81 mph - there are few surprises, few expected names, and the winner takes a leap in battery performance and delivers a staggering result.

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