It can’t be understated just how hard it is to build an EV with a driving range from a full charge anywhere past 250 miles or so. Every EV that skirts even slightly beyond this range is nothing short of an innovator in the field, and there just isn’t enough on the road yet to make a full list. For the time being, hybrids and their plug-in cousins will have to fill the role.
So that begs the question, where should you look if you’re in the market for a long-range daily driver with more than just a gas engine under the hood? We could make a list that stretches for several pages, or we could shout out what we think are some of the highlights.
It’d be wrong to say the Kia Niro is a “cool” car in most respects. But with features for days, a competitive entry price, and agreeable styling, there are less practical vehicles in its market segment, and ones worse on fuel as well.
Coupled with a phenomenal combined 48 MPGes for fuel economy, Niro’s 510 miles of combined electric and ICE range, plus 33 on battery only, is pretty impressive. Certainly, it’s not something you’ll find at the gas station every week or even two weeks.
Who says you need a PHEV to get a decent range these days? In many respects, the plug is only there to give the illusion of more fuel range, and maybe the novelty of part time battery-only driving. Proof positive is the plane Jane Toyota Corolla Hybrid.
With its 1.8-liter engine plus electric motors bringing 138 horsepower and a combined 50 MPGs, the Corolla Hybrid is impressive in what it does. According to Toyota, you can do so for up to 519.8 miles before you need to refuel. We’re inclined to agree with them in this case.
The facelifted Camry has a divisive look, but that doesn’t matter since it can pull 520 miles between fill-ups and the backing of one of the most recognizable names in the auto industry. If you want similar performance with similar style, the Hyundai Elantra Hybrid puts out similar range numbers with a far nicer design.
Anyone who remembers how the Hyundai Elantra used to look like 20 years ago will find the current crop to be unrecognizable. And Hyundai has been doing a great job competing with Toyota’s hybrid vehicle dominance. Cheers to making the sedan hybrid market more interesting!
Never let anyone tell you people can’t change because the cars we build sure can. Once a laughing stock, now a certifiable cool machine with new sporty sci-fi body makes for the biggest glowup of the last 25 years.
But it’s the upwards of 600 miles that both the plug-in and standard hybrid Prius can achieve with a full tank of fuel. Compared to EVs with half the range, avid road trippers would be foolish to go full battery electric.
Say what you will about F-150s being the best-selling vehicle; the modern V6 hybrid might actually make a little sense economically. Assuming you’re the kind of long-hauler pulling a decent sized-trailer, the estimated 700 miles of range you can muster on a full tank is nothing short of phenomenal.
Granted, that’s to the tune of just 24 MPG. But with a massive fuel tank of 26 gallons, you will at least have all the time in the world between trips to the gas station. Add in 12,700 lbs of towing capacity, and you have a capable hybrid.
Call it an ugly egg of a machine all you want. But it’s hard to argue that the battery technology under the hood of a Model Y is some of the most impressive in the EV game.
With an advertised range of up to 320 estimated miles from fully charged in its highest-trimmed outfit, the Model Y is a solid choice for the eco-minded family who just needs a quiet school-run machine.
There was the temptation to just throw the Model 3 here. Heck, the Model Y already is. However, in the EV sedan segment, another option exists. On the surface, the Polestar 2 not only looks nicer than a Model 3 SR+ but is practically identical in the EV range. With 320 miles of full battery range advertised compared to 341 miles in the long-range Model 3, the real-world performance will likely be dead even for both vehicles.
Of course, the Model 3 will outsell the Polestar ten to one or even more in all likelihood. Still, it’ll help you stand out at the next PTA meeting, especially when all the moms in Teslas roll up. Take that for what it’s worth.
It’s hard to pinpoint which EVs on the market legitimately make Tesla sweat. But the Hyundai Ioniq 6 is surely among them. With cuter looks, decent performance, and a lower base price than a Model 3, Hyundai legitimately ate Tesla’s lunch in the value department.
All to the tune of 342 miles of estimated electric range. Enough to make it comfortably between EV charging points basically anywhere in America without ensuring you get stuck in the middle of nowhere. More cars like this and the EV industry would be in great shape.
Take all those nice things we said about the F-150, apply it to Chevy, and make it full-electric. This is the battle plan of the Silverado EV, and it might just be a winning formula. With the same beefy battery pack as the GMC Hummer EV and 754 horses at its disposal, an estimated range of around 400 miles seems nothing short of astonishing.
You can also charge from 10 to 90 percent in about an hour. There are not quite enough gas fill-up charging times, but we’ll be there before you know it, surely. For $74,800 as a base MSRP, that kind of innovation is costly.
Back in the 2010s, it looked like no one would ever steal the Tesla Model S’s thunder. So many were flying off the shelves that everyone assumed Tesla would be the only supplier of our EV sedan itch. That was until Lucid showed up with their Air EV. In its Grand Touring makeup, it almost makes a Model S look mundane.
That’s in no small part to the 516 miles of estimated range touted with the Lucid Air Grand Touring. That’s on top of 800-plus horsepower and an MSRP of $109,900. Yeah, not an economy car by any stretch. Still, refinements like these costs money. Nothing is going to get around that.