The longest-range electric cars you can buy today

Early electric cars couldn’t go all that far on a single charge, and the options for topping up their batteries were often limited to draping a three-pin plug out of a kitchen window. But thanks to a decade and a half of battery and motor development, the longest-range electric cars will now match their petrol counterparts for how far they’ll go on a ‘tank’.

The first Nissan Leaf, for example, was an electric car primarily bought by early adopters. It had a 100-mile range and took eight hours to charge from a home socket. 

Indeed, some of the cheapest electric cars currently on sale will easily deliver double the range of the original Leaf, and with much faster charging options to boot.

In fact, most entries have cracked the 400-mile barrier, and the longest-range electric car on sale in the UK is a Mercedes EQS capable of 442 miles.

The figures we quote here are from the official WLTP testing routine. In real-world use, it’s unlikely that any of these cars will hit these promised figures consistently – although you might get close if you’re feather-footed and a keen hypermiler.

Let’s cut to the chase. Which cars offer the longest range? Read our top 10 list below to find out.

The longest-range electric cars

Mercedes-Benz EQS

Range: 481 miles

The jelly-bean styling of Mercedes’ EQ saloons has proven controversial, but it’s largely a case of function over form. The EQS’s drag coefficient of 0.20 makes it the slipperiest car currently in production, and that brings a significant boost to driving range.

In entry-level guise (if a £100,000-plus tech-fest can be called entry-level), badged EQS 450+ AMG Line Premium, it will officially do 481 miles between charges.

That makes it the longest-legged electric car currently sold in the UK. It can be charged at up to 200kW, too, meaning a 10-80% top-up can take as little as half an hour.

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Volkswagen ID 7

Range: 436 miles

Effectively the electric equivalent to the popular Passat, the ID 7 serves as a statement of intent for Volkswagen’s next generation of EVs.

It introduces a new, more efficient ‘AP550’ rear motor, which brings a boost to efficiency.

With the bigger Pro S battery, it will do 436 miles between charges and charge at rates of up to 200kW.

There’s also an estate version called the ID 7 Tourer that trades nine miles of range for greater practicality. It has a whopping 1714 litres of space with the rear seats folded down.

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Peugeot e-3008

Range: 422 miles

Peugeot's latest-generation 3008 has morphed into an SUV-coupé to better differentiate it from the rest of the French brand's line-up.

It’s the first car based on Peugeot parent company Stellantis’s new STLA Medium platform, which places a high priority on energy efficiency.

Indeed, the e-3008 is capable of yielding 4.5mpkWh, which means that cars with the 98kWh battery pack can do 422 miles on a single charge.

Charging rates are capped at 160kW, though, which isn’t best in class.

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Porsche Taycan

Range: 422 miles

Porsche’s debut electric car recently received a generational upgrade, with a new rear motor bringing extra power, torque and efficiency. The battery was also reworked, adopting a different chemistry for lower internal resistance.

The result was a massive improvement in the car’s range: entry-level cars with the optional 105kWh Performance Battery Plus can cover 422 miles between charges.

Plus, Taycan model line boss Kevin Giek has claimed that the new Taycan Turbo GT – a track-focused version with a huge 1093bhp – could beat this, thanks to its reduced weight.

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