The pace of change in the electric car market is rapid, particularly when it comes to the distance they’ll now manage on a charge.
Only a few years ago the average EV could barely manage a return trip on the famous London to Brighton run without a charging stop. Now, there are electric cars on sale that can go there and back three times over without seeing a charger.
Despite the advancements the car industry has made there are still a huge number of drivers who aren’t being convinced to go electric. As the 2024 RAC Report on Motoring outlines, 51% of those surveyed worry the cars won’t have enough battery range to travel long journeys as easily as petrol or diesel cars.
So to help those sitting on the fence, we’ve compiled a list of the ten longest range electric cars on sale today.
Our list is based on the quoted combined range figure taken from the WLTP ‘standard’ testing cycle, which you may not quite manage in regular real-world driving but serves as an accurate comparison between cars. It includes a variety of EVs at varying price points: long range is no longer purely the reserve of luxury car buyers.
Longest range electric cars on sale in the UK
- Mercedes-Benz EQS – 481 miles
- Polestar 3 –438 miles
- Volkswagen ID.7 – 437 miles
- Tesla Model 3 – 436 miles
- Peugeot E-3008: 435 miles
- Mercedes-Benz EQE: 429 miles
- Porsche Taycan: 421 miles
- Peugeot E-5008: 415 miles
- Audi Q6 Sportback e-tron: 408 miles
- Polestar 2: 408 miles
10: Polestar 2
Range: 408 miles
The Polestar 2 is no new kid on the block, having been around since 2020. But improvements come thick and fast in the electric car world, and in 2023 under-the-skin upgrades brought about a substantial range improvement to help this become the second Polestar in our longest range list.
It’s the Long Range Single Motor model that’s the star of the show here, with the brand claiming up to 408 miles of range is possible without visiting a charger. That’s an impressive figure matching the Audi Q6 Sportback e-tron, but the Polestar manages that with a smaller 82kWh battery pack, ensuring it’ll be more efficient and cheaper to run.
9: Audi Q6 Sportback e-tron
Range: 408 miles
Audi won’t be happy that its new and all-important electric SUV doesn’t feature higher in this list, but the Q6 Sportback e-tron still puts in a good showing. Its quoted distance on a charge is far ahead of rivals like the Tesla Model Y and BMW iX3.
Key to this car’s range figure is the ‘Sportback’ name - the lower, coupe-like roofline than the regular Q6 e-tron on which it’s based helps it cut through the air more cleanly, and the result is a 15-mile range improvement on the bigger battery Performance model. The 95kWh battery pack obviously helps, too.
8: Peugeot E-5008
Range: 415 miles
Having the ability to carry seven people means you must sacrifice range, right? Wrong, actually. The new Peugeot E-5008 is the longer and taller big sibling to the E-3008 and gets the same Long Range battery option, promising up to 415 miles on a single charge.
While that distance is a little reduced compared to the E-3008, having the ability to fill it with your three kids and a couple of their mates seems like a fair compromise. You also still get striking looks and the same upmarket, tech-laden cabin.
7: Porsche Taycan
Range: 421 miles
The Porsche Taycan came along in 2020 and showed the world that an electric saloon could be genuinely sporty and exciting. In 2024 it received a comprehensive update, too; while visually it doesn’t look much different there’s extensive changes underneath including new batteries and motors.
With a much bigger 105kWh ‘Performance Battery Plus’ option, the entry-level rear-wheel drive Taycan promises up to 421 miles on a charge. It’s also one of the fastest-charging electric cars money can buy, so when that range does run out you won’t be hanging around too long to get going again.
6: Mercedes-Benz EQE
Range: 429 miles
No, we haven’t duplicated the images; despite looking almost identical on the outside the Mercedes-Benz EQE is the slightly smaller brother of the full-fat EQS (below). It’s also a little bit cheaper, but still carries the same vast 118kWh battery pack underneath its slippery body in EQE 450+ form.
It doesn’t manage to eke out the incredible distance of its bigger brother, though, losing a little in terms of aerodynamics. But it still has a classy design, luxurious interior and oodles of gadgets to play with. Rivals like the BMW i5 can’t get close to offering the same distance without stopping for a charge.
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5: Peugeot E-3008
Range: 435 miles
Peugeot can hold its head up high, being right up there with cutting-edge Teslas and Polestars when it comes to range. That’s despite the E-3008 being a tall, heavy family SUV. It gets a chunky 97kWh battery pack in Long Range form to achieve that impressive figure.
Although at nearly £50,000 it looks expensive in the context of other Peugeots, for miles-per-pound (and considering the space on offer) it’s actually decent value. Especially with its stylish exterior, classy cabin design and vast 21-inch widescreen infotainment system.
4: Tesla Model 3
Range: 436 miles
The Tesla Model 3 is no longer the new kid on the block. In fact, it lost its crown as the world’s most popular electric car to its big brother, the Model Y. But it’s still Tesla’s big-hitter when it comes to range in the UK, promising an extremely competitive 436 miles on a charge in Long Range Rear Wheel Drive form.
With Tesla’s world-beating EV expertise, it manages to eke out such an impressive range from the smallest battery in this list, at just 78kWh. That promises efficiency not far of five miles per kWh, which is what you’d usually expect from a small hatchback. Even in this form you still get sports car performance, dazzling tech features and access to Tesla’s unrivalled Supercharger network, too.
3: Volkswagen ID.7
Range: 437 miles
Just one mile of range separates the Volkswagen ID.7 the next car in this list, but it's considerably cheaper to buy or lease and manages to eke its 437-mile range from a much smaller 86kWh battery pack. That means it’s more efficient, proving a long range doesn’t have to mean high running costs.
You can consider the ID.7 as a bit of a new-age electric Volkswagen Passat. It’s comfortable, quiet and ideal for long motorway jaunts, with plenty of space and technology. You can also have it as an estate model, called the ID.7 Tourer, although you sacrifice a few miles of quoted range for that extra boot space.
2: Polestar 3
Range: 438 miles
Polestar’s latest offering might not take the top spot in its list, but it’s still capable of driving from London to Edinburgh with charge in the battery spare for exploring.
The Polestar 3 is a cutting-edge new premium SUV from a forward-thinking Swedish brand, and the cheapest Long Range Single motor model absolutely trounces rivals like the Tesla Model Y for outright range (although it’s a preliminary figure for now. With rapid charging at up to 250kW, LiDAR sensors for autonomous driving functions and the promising of a sporting drive, it’s a desirable choice.
1: Mercedes-Benz EQS
Range: 481 miles
It’s going to take some effort from rival brands to beat the all-conquering Mercedes-Benz EQS luxury saloon, which boasts the longest range of any electric car on sale by a considerable margin. Mostly that’s down to its enormous 118kWh battery pack, but it’s also helped by it being the most aerodynamically efficient car on sale today.
To get the headline 481 miles of range you’ll need the EQS 450+, which is the mid-range version with a price-tag of well over £100,000. You’ll also need ideal conditions and a light right-foot, which is the case with all the cars in this list. Interestingly, there’s an even more expensive version, the £160,000+ EQS 53 AMG model, but that sacrifices range in the pursuit of performance.
The RAC is leading the way when it comes to supporting drivers in the switch to electric vehicles.
An ever-increasing number of our patrol vans have built-in emergency mobile charging systems capable of giving an out-of-charge electric car enough power to be driven a short distance home or to a working chargepoint, while our All-Wheels-Up recovery system allows our patrols to safely rescue electric cars with no need for a flatbed.
Find out more about the RAC’s electric car breakdown cover.
Longest Range Electric Cars FAQs:
What is the longest range electric car on sale?
The longest range electric car money can buy right now is the Mercedes-Benz EQS 450+. It might be expensive, but with up to 481 miles on a charge you certainly get what you pay for. However, if you live in the US then you can order the Lucid Air, which promises up to 512 miles between charges according to official EPA tests.
Which electric cars have a 400-mile range in 2024?
All of the EVs in our top 10 list have an officially measured range of over 400 miles on a charge, however that might not always be achievable in the real world. Cars such as the Tesla Model 3, Peugeot E-3008 and Volkswagen ID.7 offer 400-mile range capability on paper for a relatively modest outlay.
Will an electric car ever have a 1000-mile range?
Although great strides in range have been made in recent years, to ever achieve 1000 miles on a single charge battery technology would need to take another step forwards. Solid-state tech could be the game-changer here. A company called 24M has created a battery capable of 1000 miles on a charge, but it isn’t fitted to a car yet.
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