Best Electric Vehicles For Range Of 2023

Move over Tesla: The new Lucid, and its multiple models, have seized the top six spots in driving range on the EPA’s list. That includes the lengthy 516 miles of the Grand Touring model. Last year’s Dream Edition could manage 520 miles, but the Grand Touring is the proper production flagship of the Lucid line.

It’s a testament to Lucid’s focus on efficiency, resulting in a fantastic 140 MPGe (in combined city/highway driving) for the most frugal Pure model and 131 MPGe for the speedy Grand Touring. The base-model Pure (new this year) can return 410 miles of range and the mid-range Touring 425, but beware, fitting the larger 21-inch wheels on any Air reduces the range by 40 miles or more.

Charging is just as efficient. The Lucid’s industry-best 900-volt architecture is key to adding a remarkable 300 miles of range in just 20 minutes, albeit on the powerful 350-kilowatt fast chargers. We’ve actually observed this in the wild, and can confirm the claim. Lucid also offers three years of free fast charging on the Electrify America network. 

Tesla went Plaid with the Model S in 2021, releasing a speedy new tri-motor variant that can go from zero to 60 mph in under 2 seconds with 1,020 horsepower. But that extra performance drops range to 396 miles, and only 348 when you equip it with the optional 21-inch wheels. The “normal” dual-motor version boasts a top range of 405 miles, which is shy of Lucid but not by much.

2021’s updates to the S not only included the debut of the plaid, but a slight exterior styling update and major changes to the cabin. These included a new panoramic sunroof and a revised center infotainment screen. Tesla’s designers rotate the screen to be horizontal, and it measures 17 inches across. But the biggest and most controversial change was the adoption of a yoke-style steering wheel.

That futuristic-looking device proved unpopular and inconvenient, and for 2023 the automaker has made the Yoke optional. It’s also reduced its prices, which makes both versions of the S more of a value. This is still a pricey car whose design is more than a decade old, but only one other machine has it beat on range.

All new this year, the Hyundai Ioniq 6 nominally replaces the old Ioniq hybrid and EV sedans, but it’s light years ahead of those old Prius-like machines. Its lozenge-like shape may not be to everyone’s tastes, but it’s highly distinctive and offers echoes of both contemporary Mercedes-Benz designs and classic Saabs alike. It’s a bold statement backed up by a roomy interior and a lengthy maximum range. In fact, the Ioniq 6 is the first mainstream-brand EV to best its Tesla rival in driving range, with the rear-drive long range Ioniq 6 posting 361 miles to the Tesla Model 3 Long Range’s 358.

Hyundai offers several configurations of Ioniq 6 ranging between $42,000 to $57,000, which makes it a little pricier than the lower-end Model 3.  It can be had with rear- or all-wheel drive (AWD), but the most affordable version is also the lowest-ranged, with the entry-level SE getting the standard range battery and a 240-mile rating.

The other models, single and dual motor, offer much more range and up to 140 MPGe (tied with Lucid), but as with other EVs fitting the larger optional wheels chops off 40 to 60 miles of range. While sedans aren’t as popular as they used to be and cargo space is a bit wanting here, the Ioniq 6 has much to recommend it.

The Model 3 has been dethroned by the Ioniq 6 in overall range, but its lower-end models offer more range than the base version of Hyundai’s new sedan, and even base-model Model 3 RWD is EPA rated for up to 272 miles on a charge. That’s more than any of the entry-level electric alternatives, and a smidge more than the Polestar 2.

The Long Range will do 358 miles and the Performance, 315. Versions of the i4 and Hyundai Ioniq 5 offer more than 300 miles, but the 3 still rules on range. It’s also very energy efficient, with the RWD and Long Range offering 132 and 131 MPGe ratings, on par with the Lucid Air.

Heavy highway use does seem to reduce range, but Teslas have another key advantage on the road. When the Model S first came out in 2012, EV charging networks were primitive, so Tesla built its own. While Teslas can use some commercial networks like EVgo and use Level 2 home chargers for slow (typically overnight) charging the same way other EVs do, the Supercharger network generally offers very reliable fast charging. All versions of the 3 are capable of charging from 10% to 80% in less than 40 minutes at these stations.

Combining the carmaker’s “EQ” moniker for electric vehicles with the “S” from S-Class, the EQS is Mercedes-Benz’s first purpose-built EV under its EQ sub-brand. Similar in footprint to the S-class, the EQS’ lozenge-like exterior bears only a slightly resemblance to its gas-powered sibling, and it’s a little smaller overall. Like many modern EVs, it rides a “skateboard” platform with the big battery pack tucked under the cabin.

While the EQS can’t compete with the mind-blowing range of the Lucid Air or even the Tesla Model S, the 450+ version’s battery lasts much longer than others in its class, like the Audi E-tron and Porsche Taycan. The 450+ has a single rear motor producing 329 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque, while the 580 4Matic version drives both axles with a total of 516 hp and 611 lb-ft of torque.

 The big Model X, long the only luxury EV SUV on the market, got a big update in 2021 including, as on the S, a new top-of-the-line Plaid trim that uses a tri-motor powertrain that ups output (1,020 horsepower), but decreases range to 333 miles, or 311 with the optional 21-inch wheels. The dual-motor version can last for 348 miles, which is impressive for a 5,000-plus-pound SUV.

Last year also saw a redesigned interior, which swapped out the steering wheel for a stalkless steering yoke and a new 17-inch landscape touchscreen. It’s on this screen that you switch gears, and it takes some getting used to, but the somewhat unwelcome yoke has since been made optional. There’s also a standard 8-inch touchscreen for entertaining rear passengers. The Model X’s dramatic gullwing rear doors remain, for good or ill. They look really cool, but they often have trouble sealing properly.

Based on the same platform as the Model 3 sedan, the Model Y compact crossover began production in 2020. Equipped with a 75-kWh battery, the dual-motor Long Range offers a 330-mile driving range. The very potent Performance model offers 303 miles of maximum range, but the base model Model 3 AWD offers 279, which is more than most other entry-level luxury EV crossovers.

The Model Y has several new rivals this year including the Mercedes-Benz EQB and Genesis Electrified GV70, both of which feature much nicer interiors and less blobby styling. The Genesis can also match the power and moves of the Model 3 Performance, which offers speed on part with gas-powered hot rods like the BMW X3 M and Porsche Macan Turbo. Still, neither can match the Tesla on range.

Like its gas ancestors before it, the GMC Hummer EV is a fuel guzzler. It’s the least efficient electric vehicle on the market, in part because of its titanic 9,000-pound curb weight. It just takes a lot of energy to move all that mass, which is much more than a standard Heavy Duty pickup truck. But GMC equips the Hummer with an equally colossal 200-kW battery pack, the largest in any EV so far. That helps this 1,000-horsepower behemoth reach a range estimate of 329 miles.

Everything about the Hummer is, predictably, outrageous. From its muscle-car slaying zero-to-60 time (3.0 seconds) to its removable roof and crab-walking trail capability, there’s just no other vehicle quite like this. Of course, it isn’t cheap and there’s a waiting list. The only one you can currently buy starts at $110,295, and the lower-range, lower-priced versions won’t arrive until late this year.

The EPA credits the Rivian R1T pickup with a solid 328-mile range on 21-inch wheels, though the company has delayed a larger optional, $10,000 battery pack with an expected range of about 400 miles. The R1T delivers up to 73 MPGe (the electric equivalent of a gallon of gasoline) in city driving, 66 MPGe on the highway and 70 MPGe combined. The R1T’s range numbers are good by EV sedan standards, and even more impressive given its size and weight.

That 70 MPGe is nearly 50% better efficiency than GMC’s 9,000-pound Hummer EV, which the company expects will guzzle electrons at just 47 MPGe. The company also intends to build the Rivian Adventure Network, aiming for 600 sites with more than 3,500 DC fast chargers by the end of 2023, though it also recently announced that it will switch to Tesla’s CCS chargers, which would open up much more support architecture. Strangely, fitting the optional smaller 20-inch wheels on the R1T reduces range to 289 miles, while the larger 22-inch units reduce it to 303.

Note: Our linked review is from 2022, we’re still finishing up our 2023 evaluations but the vehicle has not substantially changed.

 The iX stores its juice in a 105.2 lithium-ion battery pack, which provides an estimated 324 miles of range for the xDrive50 or 280 miles in the M60, though that model won’t go on sale until the fall. Only the Tesla Model X and Model Y offer more range in this price range, and not by all that much. Fitting the larger optional wheels reduces how far a charge will take you, but not too badly. It’s equipped with a Level 2 charging port that will fill up the iX in 7 to 11 hours, depending on the available wattage. Connecting it to a DC fast charger will have it top up between 20 mins or an hour. 

Apart from long journeys, the ample range means never having to forego enjoying this sporty machine to its fullest. It’s big and heavy, but the iX moves a lot like BMW’s other SUVs: athletically. The iX also employs a dynamic brake energy regen system, which uses sensors to scan the road ahead, allowing the car to coast off the throttle when it’s clear, or brake if it senses a vehicle ahead. This differs from the usually aggressive one-pedal driving systems featured in EVs and provides a smoother experience all while maximizing the miles.

The latest product from EV startup Rivian, the R1S is the first three-row EV SUV sized similarly to popular gas-powered entries like the Kia Telluride. It shares much with its sibling, the R1T pickup, but has slightly more range at 316 miles max. A 135-kilowatt-hour battery pack powers four motors, one per wheel, allowing individual control of each motor separately for the most effective all-wheel drive traction.

At the front, maximum power is 305 kilowatts (415 horsepower) and torque is cited as 413 pound-feet, while the rear comes in at 314 kW (420 hp) and 495 lb-ft, numbers that make it one of the fastest three-row SUVs on the market. It’ll also return up to 321 miles or range on 21-inch rims. There are 20- and 22-inch units as well, but as on the R1T, they reduce the SUV’s EPA-raged range to 289 or 303 miles, respectively.

The Rivian is a restrained but distinctive vehicle. Unlike many electric SUVs that work to disguise lines closer to a hatchback with a steeply angled tailgate, the R1S is a classic, upright SUV. Its lines are clean, and we’re getting used to the peculiar thin vertical headlights in its otherwise smooth, blank front “face.” 

The Lightning’s highest 70 MPGe rating—or the mileage equivalent of a gallon of gasoline—destroys the Hummer’s 48 MPGe, and nearly ties the Rivian R1T despite the Ford’s considerably larger size. The Lightning can deliver up to 320 miles of range with its optional, 131 kilowatt-hour Extended Range battery; or 230 miles with the 98 kilowatt-hour Standard Range pack.

Platinum versions, available only in Extended Range form, fall to 300 miles of range thanks to extra weight and larger wheels. Almost all of the Lightning variations now feel like they cost Platinum money, as Ford has greatly increased the price since introduction, but the vehicle does nearly all the jobs of a traditional half-ton truck better, more quietly, and more efficiently than its gas siblings. The exception is towing, but if you don’t do that very often, the Lightning offers you Raptor-like speed and Super Duty-like functionality.

Charging is fast, too. Using the Ford Charge Station Pro wall unit that’s free with Extended Range versions, the dual onboard 19.6 kW chargers can charge the truck from 15% to full in eight hours. DC Fast chargers, still rare, can move it from 15% to 80% in 41 minutes, but a 50 kW fast charger will take about 90 minutes to do the same.

The FordPass charging app lets owners find and connect to public stations in Ford’s BlueOval charge network— part of an alliance with Electrify America and other existing networks—with more than 20,500 nationwide stations and 70,000 plugs, including about 7,300 DC fast-charging plugs.

All-new this year, the BMW i7 is Munich’s answer to the Mercedes-Benz EQS and Lucid Air. BMW has taken the opposite route of Mercedes in that the i7 looks just like the similarly new 2023 7 Series with which it shares a platform. The goal, the company says, is to provide an electric-powered option without sacrificing any of the things that traditional 7 Series customers like about their vehicles. The approach mirrors the earlier i4 and forthcoming 2024 i5, which are electric versions of the 4 and 5 Series.

BMW isn’t lying when it says that the experiences are similar. The i7 looks just like the 7 and is just as newly luxurious, with this generation opting for more opulence and squarer visuals. Aside from the big grille, it’s the most conservative 7 Series design since the 1990s and looks and feels like the big German barge that it is. But BMWs are known for their performance pedigree and the i7 does not disappoint, with capable handling, extra-strong brakes and zero-to-60 times of 4.1 seconds, which isn’t bad for a 6,000 pound limo but falls short of the smaller Model S and Lucid Air.

The i7 will return up to 318 miles of range in normal driving and can charge pretty quickly, from 10 to 80% in 34 minutes on a 350 kW DC fast charger. It also comes with BMW’s latest infotainment and ADAS systems.

The Ford Mustang Mach-E lives up to its high-voltage hype with speedy, near-silent performance and up to 314 miles of driving range on the California Route 1 extended range version. Ford also offers a myriad of different Mach-Es for different tastes and budgets too, although their range ratings are mostly closer to the 250-mile mark.

Ford’s handsome electric SUV can be had for as little as $44,795 with rear-drive and a 247-mile driving range, but the one-level-up Premium ($48,795) can now deliver 290 miles, and that seems like a worthwhile upgrade. The Mach-E can also deliver vigorous performance and 3.5-second zero-to-60 times as the Mach-E GT Performance Edition, though you’ll pay more, at $66,795.

The 2023 Kia EV6 is one of the best-looking and most affordable ways to get into a compact electric crossover, though it resembles more of a luxury hatchback than an SUV. Much faster models will be offered in 2023, but this year’s debut models are no slouches, with sub 5-second zero-to-60 times and very usable real-world ranges. The base-model Light offers 232 miles of range while the slightly pricier Wind offers up to 310. 

They’re efficient with their energy too, and the 800-volt platform architecture means quick charging. The EV6 rear-wheel trims turn in the equivalent of 117 MPGe for combined city and highway driving. The AWD trim comes in at 105 MGEe. The Model Y edges out the EV6 at 122 MGEe and the Ioniq 5 is third overall at 114 MPGe. A nearly depleted EV6 battery can be brought back to 80% of capacity in just 18 minutes on the newest and most powerful DC fast-charging equipment and under 40 minutes on most other fast chargers. 

Until pretty recently, if you wanted a big, three-row electric SUV the Tesla Model X was the only game in town. Now there are three thanks to the Rivian R1S and Mercedes-Benz’s new EQS SUV. As the name implies, this big crossover rides the same platform as the automaker’s EQS sedan, but offers a taller wagon body and, of course, a wayback seat for kids.

Many of the EQS sedan’s traits are carried over, including its optional hyperscreen and world-class ADAS systems, but the EQS SUV weighs even more, more than 6,000 pounds, which reduces its range. The base-model EQS450+ can offer up to 305 miles of range, but the other two variations (the AWD 450+ 4Matic and more powerful EQS580) offer 285. Charging is quick too, from 10 to 80% in 31 minutes on a 350-kW DC fast charger.

With few rival vehicles on the market, the EQS SUV stands out as much more luxurious and solid-feeling than the Tesla Model X, but it’s also a little less useful than the Rivian R1S or the upcoming Kia EV9, and it costs a pretty penny. Even the base model starts at $105,550 and they range up to more than $130,000. The automaker also plans a $200,000+ Maybach version for 2024.

 The first thing you notice about the Hyundai Ioniq 5 are its stunning retro-modern looks, heavily influenced by angular 1970s wedge designs and backed by an interior that is almost as retro as the surface. That styling is less aerodynamic than the Ioniq 5’s sister, the Kia EV6, which means a little less range in each version, but the Hyundai is just as energy efficient and uses the same 800-volt architecture that can vastly speed up charging times. The longest-range Ioniq 5 will return 303 miles on a charge, though the standard single-motor tops out at a much more modest 220.

The big battery Ioniq 5 SE, with a single rear-mounted motor and rear-wheel drive, sits atop the lineup for fuel efficiency with an efficiency rating of 30 kilowatts of energy per 100 miles and a combined city-highway equivalency of 114 MPGe, and all versions use their electrons efficiently. .The Ioniq 5 comes with two years of unlimited free 30-minute charging sessions on Electrify America’s nationwide network of DC fast-charge stations.

 The BMW i4 is the automaker’s first mainstream electric sedan and one directly based on the popular 4 Series Gran Coupe. There are now three versions, with last year’s eDrive40 and high-performance M50 now joined by an entry-level eDrive35. As with the gas-powered Bimmers, the lower trims are more energy efficient.

The eDrive 40 model is rated at a frugal 109 MGEe combined on standard 18-inch wheels and maxes out at 301 miles of range on a charge. The much faster M50 manages 96 MPGe combined and 271 miles of maximum range on standard 19-inch wheels. The new eDrive35 can return 256 miles of range but up to 113 MPGe.

Both can be equipped with larger wheels, but range falls to 235 miles (eDrive35), 282 (eDrive40) and 227 (M50) miles, respectively. That said, the BMW has proven it can easily exceed EPA range ratings in real-world driving—by a good 20 to 30 miles when driven gently. So owners might find some extra wiggle room.

The BMW can also charge at over 200 kW, adding from 88 to 108 miles of range in 10 minutes on the most-powerful DC fast chargers. During a test, on a 150 kW Electrify America charger, the i4 M50 stuffed its battery from 6% to 80% full in a swift 32 minutes.