In the growing world of electric cars, range is still the most important feature in a new buyer’s mind. The market as a whole offers more models with at least 200 miles of range than before, but Tesla’s just about ready to double that figure. Besides the Model S, Model X and Model 3, the most range found in electric cars currently on the roads are the Chevy Bolt at 259 miles, and the Hyundai Kona at 258 miles according to the EPA figures.Â
Although the figure are constantly changing as the Model S sees more updates, the Long Range version’s estimated 390 miles range is impressive to say the least. That is almost twice the EPA range of the Porsche Taycan Turbo (again according to EPA figures), the most serious contender against Tesla’s dominance in performance EVs.
Even the Performance variant of the Model S offers an EPA estimate of 348 miles. Moving down the lineup, the Model X has EPA estimates of 351 and 305 miles for the Long Range and Performance models respectively.
It’s important to note, however, that the range estimates differ depending on who’s doing the testing. European range tests (known as the WLTP standard) emphasize different driving conditions than the EPA. As a result, the Taycan Turbo received a more respectable estimate of approximately 280 miles according to the WLTP cycle.
Similar results have been reproduced in real world tests on the Taycan as well. Those results show that its true range figures may not be as dramatically low as the EPA’s figures make it seem.
Still, with Tesla continuing to improve its range, Porsche will have to improve range over time to keep up. As with their battles on the track, the heated competition between the two is just getting started. Tesla is still the range leader, although substantial growth in the segment could change the landscape in the coming years. The upcoming Rivian R1S, for example, will be the car to watch if it arrives on schedule in 2020, with a claimed range of up to 400+ miles.
Tesla’s continued push to improve range is moving the goal posts for the entire industry, and that’s good news for consumers looking to buy into EVs.
