The autonomous driving range on a single full battery charge is certainly among the most important technical indicators for electric vehicles. I started writing about electric cars when a range of 150-200 km was considered the norm, but the world of electric vehicles does not stand still. Today, you can already find models with a range of 500-600-800 km. What are these models? Let me tell you about the top 5 longest-range electric vehicles of different brands that are available in Ukraine right now. The rating is based on the WLTP range for the combined measurement cycle, and the list of models is given in alphabetical order.
BMW iX – до 630 км
It seems that this should be a low, aerodynamic sedan like the BMW i5 or BMW i7, but no – the BMW iX in the xDrive 50 version is the best in terms of range among the models of the famous German brand.
This is a rather large and powerful crossover: 4.95 meters long and 3 meters wheelbase; all-wheel drive with two electric motors; total power of 385 kW (523 hp) and 765 Nm of torque. It also has a large battery with a nominal capacity of 111 kWh, of which 105 kWh is actually used – this should be enough for 630 km of driving. Other features of the BMW iX include the use of the fifth-generation eDrive electric drive (according to BMW’s internal classification), support for fast DC charging with a capacity of up to 200 kW, acceleration from 0-100 km/h in 4.6 seconds, etc.
The cost of the BMW iX xDrive 50 starts at UAH 3.5 million or $88 thousand; the base version of the BMW iX will be slightly cheaper, but will not be able to provide such a large range.
Hyundai Ioniq 6 – up to 614 km
In the list above, the Hyundai Ioniq 6 is the most affordable option. However, this does not mean that it is bad or inferior in any way. On the contrary, the Hyundai Ioniq 6 electric sedan is literally full of innovations: the E-GMP platform with the possibility of rear or all-wheel drive, support for 800-volt power supply and fast charging with a capacity of up to 350 kW, carefully developed aerodynamics, and an interesting pixel design of LED optics.
The Hyundai Ioniq 6 electric car offers three power options and two battery options, which directly affects the range. The mid-range version offers the longest range: a combination of a large battery with a capacity of about 77 kWh and one electric motor (rear-wheel drive) with a capacity of 168 kW or 229 hp – this way you can get up to 614 km of driving range.
This variant of the Hyundai Ioniq 6 electric car will cost at least about UAH 2 million or $50 thousand; the base version of the Hyundai Ioniq 6 costs less, but is inferior in terms of specifications.
Mercedes EQS – до 822 км
From the very beginning of its career, the electric car Mercedes EQS immediately became one of the record holders in terms of range. And the updated version has only further strengthened this position: all thanks to the use of an increased battery with a capacity of 118 kWh, which can provide a range of up to 822 km.
That’s how far the Mercedes EQS450+ can go with one 245 kW or 333 hp electric motor and rear-wheel drive. In general, the Mercedes EQS electric sedan offers a very wide range of versions: from the starting Mercedes EQS350 to the maximum version of the AMG EQS 53 4MATIC, which has 658 hp and demonstrates acceleration from 0-100 km/h in 3.8 seconds.
Depending on the specific version and added options, the cost of the Mercedes EQS electric vehicle can vary significantly. However, we are now interested in the longest-range version: the cost of the Mercedes EQS450+ starts at UAH 4.5 million or $113 thousand.
Tesla Model S – up to 634 km
Can such a selection exist without a representative of Tesla? Especially if we take into account the next updates for the already elderly electric car Tesla Model S. Thanks to a new larger battery with a capacity of about 100 kWh, very efficient electric motors, lightweight construction, and tires with reduced rolling resistance, the Tesla Model S electric car in the Dual Motor Long Range version can travel up to 634 km.
I specially made a full recording of the version to reflect an important technical detail: two electric motors, all-wheel drive – unlike a couple of other electric cars above, which achieved a high range by combining a large battery and a single electric motor on the rear wheels. The Tesla Model S Dual Motor electric car promises a high total power output of about 500 kW or 670 hp and impressive speed characteristics: acceleration from 0-100 km/h in 3.2 seconds and 250 km/h top speed.
The cost of a Tesla Model S Dual Motor Long Range electric car in Ukraine will be about $95-96 thousand, depending on agreements with private sellers and delivery terms. Of course, there is an even more powerful and faster (and also more expensive) version of the Tesla Model S Plaid, but it loses in terms of range.
Zeekr 001 – up to 620 km
And let’s finish with a very interesting electric vehicle that has already begun to appear on Ukrainian streets – a large 4.96-meter hatchback Zeekr 001, which is best described as an experiment. After all, this is the first electric car of the Zeekr brand, as the model name hints. Moreover, it is immediately positioned as a very technological vehicle: a 100 kWh battery, rear or all-wheel drive, air suspension with a maximum ground clearance of 200 mm, and support for 800-volt architecture. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, several extreme versions were created on the basis of the Zeekr 001. For example, the Zeekr 001 FR featured a 4-motor scheme and a total power of 930 kW or 1265 hp, and another record-breaking version of the Zeekr 001 received a 140 kWh battery and a claimed range of up to 1032 km (but this is on the CLTC cycle). In addition, the electric vehicle has recently undergone a scheduled update and slightly improved its performance.
However, now we are interested in the more realistic Zeekr 001 in Long Range RWD version with one electric motor (200 kW or 272 hp in the version before the update), for which up to 620 km of range is promised. By the way, the Zeekr 001 electric car in the Performance RWD version is not much inferior in the promised range (up to 590 km), while winning in power (400 kW or 544 hp in the version before the update) and the availability of all-wheel drive.
Such electric vehicles can be purchased in Ukraine for $50-60 thousand, depending on the specific version and agreements with private sellers.
And you can also add…
Of course, these are not all long-range electric vehicles. After all, we can mention the new Porsche Taycan, the original and technologically advanced Lucid Air, the large business sedan Mercedes EQE, more compact models Tesla Model 3 and BMW i4, the ambitious newcomer Xiaomi XU7; or you can even have a hit parade within a single brand with multiple electric car models.
What’s the point? The point is that there are more and more long-range electric vehicles with a promised range of 500-600-600+ km, and most of them are available in Ukraine either live or on order. If only there was money.
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