The Mini Electric Hardtop 2 Door is in last place with a paltry 110 miles. At least, that's paltry compared to the other vehicles on this list. However, it's a good deal for your wallet. It's a fully electric vehicle that starts at $29,900 and is still eligible for the $7,500 federal tax credit. Those savings, plus additional state incentives and savings from zero oil changes, may make its short range worth the financial cost. It's definitely an around-the-city option and not a road-tripper.
At 153 miles, the BMW i3 is an underperformer when it comes to range. Coupled with the fact that it starts at $44,450, it's not a truly exciting package. Oddly, the i3 offers a model with a "range extender," but (spoiler alert) that's just a gasoline engine. That kind of defeats the purpose of an electric car, yeah?
Like we said before, the Hyundai Ioniq Electric is one of the most efficient vehicles on the market at converting the most energy out of its charge. However, thanks to smaller batteries than other electric competitors, the Ioniq only has a range of 170 miles. It starts at $33,045 and eligible for the full $7,500 federal tax credit.
The Volvo XC40 Recharge looks just and stylish as its gasoline-engine sibling. And that's a good thing, as it is one of our favorite small luxury SUVs. This fully electric version is relatively affordable, starting at $53,990 MSRP, and eligible for the full $7,500 federal tax rebate. Plus, it comes loaded with a ton of standard safety features and the new Android Automotive OS. It's a little disappointing, then, that the battery only allows the XC40 Recharge to travel 208 miles when competitors like Tesla go further for cheaper.
The Audi e-Tron Sportback was introduced in 2020. It's essentially the same as the Audi e-tron, the only difference being a more dramatically raked rear roofline. It has a slightly lower range of 218 miles than its sibling and a slightly higher starting price tag of $69,100.
The 2021 Audi e-tron has made hardware and software adjustments that have improved its range to 222 miles. That's a significant boost from the 204 miles of the 2019 original model. The price of the e-tron also sees a drop to $66,995 for the 2021 model year.
If you're wanting range from your Nissan Leaf, then you want to opt for the Plus versions. The S Plus trim has the longest range of the Leaf options at 226 miles. The SV Plus & SL Plus come in a little shorter at 215 miles. The non-plus trims (S & SV) are both rated at 149 miles. That would put the S & SV second to last on this list behind the BMW i3 if we broke them out separately. The Leaf is still a bargain, however, with a starting price of $38,220 for the S Plus model. And it's still eligible for the full $7,500 federal tax credit.
The Porsche Taycan is honestly focused on performance and speed than getting the maximum range possible. The 93 kWh-battery 4s Perf Battery Plus model will travel 227 miles on a charge. But it comes at a high price tag: $103,800. The even more expensive Turbo and Turbo S models have shorter ranges of 212 and 201 miles, respectively.
Polestar is a brand-new EV-only performance luxury brand from Volvo. In fact, the Polestar 2 rides on the same platform as the Volvo XC40 Recharge. This sedan goes significantly further, though at an estimated 233 miles. Being a Volvo brand, the Polestar 2 has numerous standard safety features and includes the new Android Auto OS-operated infotainment system. It starts at $59,900.
The Jaguar I-Pace has pretty decent range at 234 miles. It's a more pricey option with an MSRP of $69,850, but it's also more performance-focused than many other options on this list. In fact, we rated it #1 on our list of best hybrid & EV SUVs!
Once we start getting near the mid-200s in range, that's about as good as you're going to get. Especially for a non-Tesla vehicle. At 239 miles of range, you can start looking at some longer getaways with the Kia Niro EV. It's also affordable at $39,090 and the full $7,500 federal tax credit is available.
Volkswagen's "EV for the masses" is the $39,995 ID.4 with an impressive range of 250 miles. It's affordable, has substantial range, and features a roomy crossover design (the most popular vehicle class on the market right now). All of that adds up to what seems to be a knockout that should sell tens of thousands a year. It arrives in America during Q1 2021.
The Hyundai Kona Electric is more affordable than its Kia cousin and it has a longer range at 258 miles. It's also available for the full $7,500 federal tax credit, which makes it one of the best electric vehicle deals on the market! It starts at $37,390.
The Chevrolet Bolt EV has the longest range on the market of any non-Tesla vehicle at 259 miles. That's just a single mile more than the Hyundai Kona Electric. Its starting MSRP is $36,500, but the Bolt is no longer available for federal tax credit incentives. There may still be some state incentive options you can utilize, however.
The new Mustang Mach-E is Ford's first fully-electric vehicle. The low-slung crossover is performance-focused and takes design cues from the famed Mustang sedan. Not only that, but the Mach-E is affordable, too! The model that can travel the furthest on one charge is the Mach-E RWD Extended version; it's estimated at 300 miles. That's the longest range of any non-Tesla car. The cheapest model, however, starts at $42,895 with a range of 230 miles.
The Tesla Model Y is the newest member of the Tesla family, but it has the shortest range of the bunch. The furthest one of its models can go on a charge is 326 miles. That's the Long Range model, and it is priced at $45,690. Because of sales numbers, no Tesla model is available for a federal tax credit. A Standard Range model is $8K cheaper but travels a shorter 244 miles.
The Tesla Model 3 is the company's best-seller. It's affordable and has stellar range. The version that goes furthest is the 353-mile Long Range version with a $46,990 price point. However, the most affordable option, the $37,990 Standard Range Plus version, only travels 263 miles. We say "only," but that would put it ahead of the Kia Niro EV in range and within the same price range.
The Long Range Plus version of the Tesla Model X travels 360 miles on a single charge. It's pricey at $84,690, and the unique gull-wing doors have consistently been dinged as finicky and a maintenance nightmare.
If you want range peace of mind, then the Tesla Model S is the way to go. It has an astonishing 412-mile estimated range. That'll get you from San Francisco to Los Angeles on one charge. And with a large charging infrastructure in place, you really can road trip across the country in the Model S. It has a starting price of $74,490. Tesla has also announced there will be a "Plaid +" model released at the end of 2021 that will have an even longer estimated range of 520 miles. It's pretty pricey, though, at $139,990.
