Tesla Model Y Standard range test reveals surprising efficiency

20 January 2026

The Tesla Model Y is still the most popular choice among electric cars in the United States. Many people associate the brand with high prices, but the entry-level Model Y Standard tries to bring electric driving to more families. This specific version starts at £30,300 in the US, which includes the necessary destination and order fees. To reach this lower price point, Tesla removed a few features that some drivers might miss - this version skips on essentials like the FM radio, and the glass roof is hidden behind a standard headliner.

But even though it lacks some luxury "bells and whistles," this version of the Model Y shines when it comes to saving energy. The latest testing shows that the Model Y Standard is just as efficient as the smaller Tesla Model 3. This is a big deal for people who drive for a living, like taxi or Uber drivers. When a car uses less electricity to go the same distance, it costs the owner less money at the charging station. The truth is that being a "light drinker" of electricity is more important than having a fast 0-to-60 time.

Range tests are the best way to see how electric cars perform in the real world. The government EPA rating says this Model Y can travel 321 miles on a full charge, but that number is based on a mix of slow city driving and fast highway driving. Since cars use more energy when fighting wind at high speeds, testers took the Model Y on a highway run at a steady 70 mph. To keep things fair, they set the climate control to 70°F and turned off extra vents.

During this high-speed highway test, the Model Y Standard traveled 268 miles before it needed to slow down. Once it could no longer keep up highway speeds, it "limped" along for another 18 miles. Of course, this is lower than the official EPA estimate, but it is a very strong result for a highway-only trip. It shows that even the cheapest electric SUV from Tesla has enough battery power for long road trips without causing too much "range anxiety" for the driver.

The way you drive changes how far electric cars can go - that's not different from driving any gas-powered vehicle. Another group of testers at Edmunds drove the exact same car on a route with more city traffic. Because electric motors are very efficient at stop-and-go speeds, the car actually traveled 337 miles in that test. This beat the official government estimate by some margin. It proves that if you spend most of your time driving around town rather than zooming on the interstate, your battery will last much longer.

The technical data from the highway test is quite impressive. The Model Y Standard used a total of 69.2 kWh of energy. This averages out to about 4.1 miles per kWh. These numbers confirm that Tesla has mastered the art of making a heavy crossover move through the air with very little effort. For buyers looking to switch to electric cars without spending a fortune, the base Model Y offers a smart balance of price and performance. It may skip the radio and a few other bits, but it doesn't skip a beat when it comes to distance. Here's the video of the entire test:

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