EVs with the longest ranges: Find out which electric cars can drive furthest on a single charge

  • The models in our top 10 offer 'official' driving ranges of between 401 and 481 miles on a single charge

By ROB HULL

Updated:

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When the first electric passenger cars entered the market over a decade ago, you would have been lucky to see a range long enough to take you from London to Birmingham.

But such has been the rapid development of electric vehicles (EVs) and their batteries and motors, that longest range models are now capable of driving the full length of Britain with just one half-hour recharge en route.

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In fact, the EV on sale in Britain today with the longest 'official' full-charge range (the quoted range following type-approval tests) can cover more than 480 miles before needing to stop for more juice. That could almost get you from the capital to Dundee without stopping.

Though none of the entries in our countdown of the longest range electric cars are what you'd call 'cheap', as you're about to find out... 

10. Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV - 401 miles

Variant: EQS 450 4MATIC AMG Line Premium Plus SUV

Price: £129,470

Every EV in our top 10 list is capable of covering more than 400 miles on a single charge - that's almost enough to get from London to Edinburgh without needing to stop for a dash of electricity. But they're not particularly cheap cars, including the 401-mile range Mercedes EQS SUV, which costs a whopping £130k

Every EV in our top 10 list is capable of covering more than 400 miles on a single charge - that's almost enough to get from London to Edinburgh without needing to stop for a dash of electricity. But they're not particularly cheap cars, including the 401-mile range Mercedes EQS SUV, which costs a whopping £130k

We weren't lying when we said some of the EVs to make this top 10 list would be expensive - and the Mercedes EQS SUV is the priciest of the bunch.

The version with the longest range is the most affordable currently in the range, though we use the term 'affordable' loosely, given it rings in at a shade under £130,000. That's an astonishing amount of money, though remember this is a luxury, limo-like, all-wheel-drive SUV.

Go for the EQS in 450 4Matic AMG Line Premium Plus specification and you’ll get a 355bhp drivertrain that can hit 62mph from a standstill in six seconds dead.

More significantly, though, is that a mid-life upgrade has seen it get a boost in range. If you can stump up the steep asking price, you'll get an EV with the capacity to travel for up to 401 miles on a single charge.

9. Polestar 2 - 408 miles

Variant: Long Range Single Motor

Price: £48,950

A mid-life facelift for the Polestar 2 has rocketed it up the standings in terms of the longest-range EVs on sale in Britain. Oh, and it's also the cheapest in this list

A mid-life facelift for the Polestar 2 has rocketed it up the standings in terms of the longest-range EVs on sale in Britain. Oh, and it's also the cheapest in this list

If you're in the market for a long-range EV at the lowest price, the Polestar 2 is a car you need to consider. 

It's among the least expensive models to make it into this list, which should make it very attractive indeed, given it can turn wheels for 408 miles on a single charge.

Polestar always designed it to be an electric car for a true 'driver' and it is one of the most 'car-like' EVs for those who are reluctant to give up their combustion motors.

The 2's been around for much longer than some of the other long range EVs on this list now and it continues to be very popular for good reason. We're big fans and it's got the range to go the distance.

8. Porsche Taycan - 422 miles 

Variant: Taycan with optional Performance Battery Plus

Price: £90,954 (£86,500 + £4,454 Performance Battery Plus option)

The newly updated Porsche Taycan can now go 422 miles on a single charge and can top up on the go 10-80% in just 18 minutes, thanks to 320kWh ultra-rapid charging

The newly updated Porsche Taycan can now go 422 miles on a single charge and can top up on the go 10-80% in just 18 minutes, thanks to 320kWh ultra-rapid charging

Porsche's first all-electric car went down like a storm, and now the 2024 upgrades are set to make it even better.

The big headline is that Porsche is bringing a bigger battery - now 105kWh (up from 93kWh) - which means you'll be able to drive 422 stylish miles on a single charge. That's a 35 per cent range increase rom just one update cycle. 

And with 320kWh charging capacity (up from 270kW on the old model) you can go from 10-to-80 per cent charge in just 18 minutes. Before it took 37 minutes - so Porsche have really worked some magic here. They've also put charging ports on both the driver and passenger sides - such an easy win.

The new Taycan has even more standard equipment than before with ambient lighting, ParkAssist with reversing camera, heated front seats and wireless charging. Motoring enthusiasts will love the adaptive air suspension as standard, Drive Mode switch and Power Steering Plus across all versions. 

7. Mercedes EQE - 429 miles

Variant: 350+ Sport Edition

Price: £69,105

The Mercedes-Benz EQE has received a welcomed mid-life boost in performance, including getting 51 miles of additional claimed range. This takes the 350+ entry variant to 429 miles from a single chargr

The Mercedes-Benz EQE has received a welcomed mid-life boost in performance, including getting 51 miles of additional claimed range. This takes the 350+ entry variant to 429 miles from a single chargr

Mercedes-Benz isn't hanging around with its EQ range of electric cars and is upgrading the model line-up to boost performance... and range.

One of the latest to get the treatment is the EQE - think of it as a battery-powered E-Class. For 2024, German bosses have given the green light for it to get a 51-mile bump in its official range.

And better news is that it's the cheapest version that offers you the most miles per charge. The EQE 350+ Sport Edition, which packs 288bhp, can 'officially' cover up to 429 miles per charge. 

=5. Vauxhall Grandland - 435 miles

Variant: Long Range

Price: TBC - current version starts from £40,995

The Vauxhall Grandland arrives with a standard electric range of up to 325 miles. However, from 2025 you can get the Long Range version with a huge claimed 435 miles

The Vauxhall Grandland arrives with a standard electric range of up to 325 miles. However, from 2025 you can get the Long Range version with a huge claimed 435 miles

The Grandland sits at the top of Vauxhall’s electric SUV line-up, in both terms of size and premium build, as the new model is the largest in the brand's refreshed range, which includes the Mokka Electric and forthcoming new Frontera Electric.

For the first time, you’ll be able to get a Grandland that's exclusively powered by batteries – in fact there are multiple fully-electric options to choose from as part of the company's acceleration towards electrification.

Initially, there’s the option of a 73kWh battery, 207bhp motor which can travel 325 miles on a single charge. Accelerating from 0 to 62mph will be covered in 9 seconds. The higher GS trim has the same battery as the Design trim but a 323–mile range - just two miles short.

However, 2025 will see the emergence of the Long Range version with a 98kWh battery that can do a seriously impressive 435 miles, which is on par with its sister model from Peugeot... 

=5. Peugeot e-3008 - 435 miles

Variant: Long Range  

Price: TBC - current version starts from £45,950 

There's a Long Range version of the new Peugeot e-3008 due before the end of 2024 which will manage 435 miles on a single charge and it will be at the more affordable (still not cheap) end of the EV spectrum

There's a Long Range version of the new Peugeot e-3008 due before the end of 2024 which will manage 435 miles on a single charge and it will be at the more affordable (still not cheap) end of the EV spectrum

The Peugeot e-3008 went on sale in February 2024 with the minimum range offered on entry models a healthy 326 miles. 

But it's the Long Range model of the sportback SUV coming later in 2024 that has us excited. It will offer 435 miles on a single charge for the joint fifth longest range of an electric car sold in Britain.

It's called all-new and everything on the e-3008 really is all revised.  It uses Peugeot's new platform which will underpin all its new EVs, there's a massive 98kWh battery coming and new electric motors. And the interior has had full design overhaul with a minimalist, art deco design theme and digital 'i-Cockpit. The panoramic screen takes centre space.

=3. Volkswagen ID.7 - 436 miles

Variant: Pro S Match

Price: £55,450

The VW ID.7 isn't a very exciting EV but for family-friendly practicality and a cheaper budget than most long range EVs, the 436-mile range isn't to be sniffed at

The VW ID.7 isn't a very exciting EV but for family-friendly practicality and a cheaper budget than most long range EVs, the 436-mile range isn't to be sniffed at

Compared to many long range EVs on this list, the Volkswagen ID.7 is pretty affordable for the amount of juice you get.

While the entry £51,550 Pro Match version comes with a 77kWh battery, upgrade to the £55,450 Pro S and the pack is upped to 84kWh bringing an official range - for the saloon version - of 436 miles. 

Ultra-rapid charging speeds have improved to 200kW as well.

If you're happy to compromise on losing 12 miles of range in favour of having a lot more boot space, then get the ID 7 Tourer Pro S Match, which has 605 litres of overpacking capacity and costs just £700 more. 

=3. Tesla Model 3 - 436 miles

Variant: Long Range RWD

Price: £44,990

In September 2023, Tesla unveiled the facelifted Model 3 with a raft of upgrades and improvements. The latest version added to the UK line-up is the Long Range RWD, which is also the longest in terms of driving distance on one charge

In September 2023, Tesla unveiled the facelifted Model 3 with a raft of upgrades and improvements. The latest version added to the UK line-up is the Long Range RWD, which is also the longest in terms of driving distance on one charge

The Model 3 is the model that's made a Tesla available to more drivers, as its most affordable vehicle. Albeit, starting from £39,990 in the UK (at the time of publishing - and bear in mind Tesla prices can change quickly), the entry version is still very expensive.

Having released a new facelifted version with order books opening in October 2023, customers purchasing the £44,990 Model 3 Long Range RWD will benefit from an extra boost in single-charge mileage. Buyers who spec one with 18-inch 'Aero Wheels' will get their hands on an EV with an impressive 436 mile range (with optional £1,500 19-inch wheels it is 398 miles).

The Model 3's mid-cycle facelift also means a host of new upgrades, including a fresh look, smarter interior, quieter cabin and more range than before.

2. Polestar 3 - 438 miles

Variant: Long range Single motor

Price: £69,900

The Polestar 3 is a luxury SUV EV from the Swedish racing-inspired brand, and is only the second car Polestar has made. It's also second in the rankings of the longest-range EVs on sale in Britain

The Polestar 3 is a luxury SUV EV from the Swedish racing-inspired brand, and is only the second car Polestar has made. It's also second in the rankings of the longest-range EVs on sale in Britain

Polestar is arguably Tesla's biggest rival in Britain and, at this point, one of the better-known exclusively electric brands across Europe.

But until recently, the standalone Swedish firm – formerly the green performance arm of Volvo – has sold only the Polestar 2 while teasing plans to add to the line-up in a bid to take on the might of Elon Musk and his monumental EV empire.

Along with the new Polestar 4 (which famously does without a rear window, the first car in Britain to do so), the arrival of the 3 will look to pinch sales from the world's most bought car, the Model Y.

And it's the cheapest version on sale in Britain today that boasts the most extensive range on a full charge.

The Long range Single motor variant, priced from £69,900, offers up to 438 miles of non-stop motoring.

1. Mercedes EQS - 481 miles 

Variant: EQS 450+ AMG Line Premium Saloon

Price: £112,610

With a range of up to 481 miles, the £100,000+ Mercedes EQS is currently the EV with the longest driving distance on a single charge

With a range of up to 481 miles, the £100,000+ Mercedes EQS is currently the EV with the longest driving distance on a single charge

At the top of the rankings, with the longest driving range is Mercedes' flagship EQ model - the EQS saloon, which is absolutely jam-packed with technology and the latest driver assistance features.

As of April 2024, the EQS has had a facelift and battery upgrade taking its already stratospherically-long range up another notch. 

An electrified version of the S-Class limo, the long wheelbase means there is plenty of room under the floor for a big battery pack. And underpinning the updated EQS450+ is a massive 118kW battery (up from 108.4kWh). 

Mercedes has combined this with range enhancing features including a heat pump as standard, and energy recuperation up to 3m/s of deceleration, compared to 1.5m/s previously. The all-wheel-drive models can disconnect from the front motor when required too, saving energy. 

While the 'entry-spec' EQS 350 offers 409 miles of range, the 450+ extends this to a ridiculous 481 miles, granted you're driving efficiently and not pushing the throttle deep into the carpet too often.

This could - in theory - take you from London, over the Scottish border and to the capital of Edinburgh with another 75 miles left in the battery.

While the EQS is the market leader for single-charge driving distance, it's at the eye-watering end of the market, with buyers having to fork out £99,835 for the cheapest variant of this luxurious EV - and £112,610 if you want the one that can trot the longest on a single charge.

Can you save money on car insurance?

Car insurance bills have a habit of creeping up, so comparing prices for the best deal is a wise move. 

Insurers have been heavily bumping up renewal quotes, so it makes sense to check for better deals on the comparison sites. 

This is Money suggests you try at least two of these:

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Confused.com*

Uswitch*

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