Just how far can electric vehicles go on a single charge? New research from Consumer Reports yields some surprising conclusions, with some models now significantly exceeding the federal government’s range ratings. <\/p>\n
Take the BMW i4. The EPA rates it to have a range of 267 miles, but CR’s testing showed it actually went 318 miles. That’s an extra 51 miles on a single charge.<\/p>\n
“The EPA rating is what people see most often when they’re looking to purchase a vehicle,” says CR’s Alex Knizek . “But we see certain brands, particularly some of the German manufacturers like BMW and Mercedes, where their vehicles are going much longer than their rated range would suggest.” <\/p>\n
With gas-powered vehicles, smaller cars typically get the best mileage, but with EV’s, it appears bigger is often better.<\/p>\n
The top three EV’s for total range in CR’s testing were the Rivian R1S, a large SUV, at 358 miles; the Tesla Model S, at 366 miles; and Chevy Silverado EV, a large truck which logged an astounding 472 miles.<\/p>\n
“A bigger vehicle has a bigger volume where you can fit more battery and then therefore it can go quite a bit further,” Knizek says.<\/p>\n