We are already halfway through the year 2022, and there is an even better and wider range of high mileage electric cars available for us to choose from today than ever before. As to what the best of all those options are, we have shortlisted them for your convenience. However, before we start discussing them, it is imperative that we discuss a few basics such as what the term “range” means exactly, in reference to electric cars.
What is “Range?”
Range defines how far the electric car can travel on a single full charge. Range can also be defined as the number of miles an electric car can be driven per charge. The term mileage is used more in reference to petrol/diesel powered vehicles, but it can also be used for electric vehicles, synonymously with range as they both denote the same concept. Keep reading, as in this article we will be looking at electric cars that are ideal for long range travel.
The Importance of Having Long Range
There are two primary benefits to owning an electric car with a long range, as explained next.
1. Assurance – The electric car will not be likely to run out of energy in the middle of nowhere, just because you took a wrong turn and had to keep the engine running for longer than expected. There is always unpredictability on the road, so having a long range does make a huge difference if you have plans to go on long trips in your new electric car.
2. Savings – A higher range of travel per charge equals money saved per charge as well. In general, charging an electric car at a charging station is now significantly cheaper than refilling a petrol tank. In other words, EVs provide significantly more travel range per pound than even the most fuel-efficient vehicle.
In fact, you can save even more money by using a smart home charger for electric cars from ElectriX. They have smart electric car chargers for all models, so the monetary benefits gained from the smart chargers are applicable for all electric cars, irrespective of the make or model. Just consult with them first to know which charger would be best suited for your electric car.
If you are not sure how smart electric car chargers help in saving more money than regular car chargers, go through the following to get a good idea about the clever mechanism.
Programmability – Energy rates differ depending on the time you are charging at home or in public and smart chargers can be programmed to maximise the low-rate hours. If your electric car is being charged when the cost of electricity is at its lowest every day, the average energy costs generated by your car’s electricity consumption will drop below even the expected numbers.
Any-Point Charging – To be able to properly use a smart electric car charger or any electric car charger in general, you will need to have an adequate, DC wall charging point installed first. However, a smart charger allows you to charge an electric car via all domestic charging points, which is a huge advantage.
It should be noted that charging an electric car from 0% – 100% via a regular wall socket would take far too long for it to be feasible, but even just a few hours of reenergising will prepare your car to take on several additional miles and reach the next public charging point, well before the car runs out of charge completely. Now that the basics are covered, let’s go through some of the best electric cars with long range that you can buy right now.
Volvo Polestar 2 (£53,000+)
The Volvo Polestar 2 looks just as good as any other electric hatchback available in the market right now, if not better than most. However, what puts the new Polestar ahead of the competition is the mileage or range. This five-door hatchback has an official range rating of 335-miles, which makes it one of the longest-range cars available in class.
With comfy, classy interiors, impressive range, and a grippy but surprisingly agile drive, the Polestar 2 is certainly an excellent choice for those with frequent long-range travelling plans. Note that Polestar does offer options for a dual motor upgrade, but users recommend avoiding it. The smooth, cushioned ride of the single motor, regular option almost disappears with the more powerful but much less comfortable dual motor Polestar 2.
Tesla Model 3 (£45,000+)
If we were to compare the Model 3 with the Polestar 2, the on-road advantages and superiority of the Tesla really begin to make themselves apparent. Not only is the Tesla significantly cheaper and more spacious than its closest Swedish competition, but it also has a significantly higher range of travel per charge at 374-miles. There is a 15-inch touchscreen inside which acts as the central, singular control station for all features of the car. There is nothing else in the market that can even compete with that digital interface right now.
It would be difficult to recommend any other electric car over the Tesla Model 3 at this point in 2022 if long range travel is important to you. It’s the most affordable model available from Tesla till date and yet, the saloon is more expensive than most electric cars on the market. Electric car leasing options are widely available for the Tesla Model 3 in the UK though, which means that you don’t necessarily have to settle for anything less than the best in budget. In fact, electric car leasing is the way to go for electric cars in general, as the technology will continue to evolve in the coming years. Leasing over buying makes it much easier to switch to a new car when needed.
Volkswagen ID.3 (£36,000+)
It may seem “cheap” compared to the other models discussed on this list so far, but any car that’s worth £36,000+ is not exactly cheap for the average consumer at least! Unfortunately, it seems that Volkswagen decided the ID.3 is in fact far too cheap to put in the finishing touches that any electric car is expected to have in 2022. Although the Volkswagen ID.3 is an extremely popular electric hatchback in the UK, there are some flaws which must be highlighted.
- Bad software made workable via updates.
- Unreliable switchgear system.
- The interior feels cheap to the touch.
That being said, everything else about the ID.3 is on a par with the competition. For example:
- The charging rate is excellent, which means that it will provide more value per pound spent on it for charging.
- The most powerful battery pack (there are a few) will let you drive for 340 miles per charge.
- Plenty of storage/boot space all around.
- Decent passenger space.
- Excellent visibility, which makes it a safer car for long trips with children.
- The shock absorption is not top notch, but at medium speed, it gets the job done.
- Driving controls are tight and firm, which adds assurance to every turn of the wheel at high speed.
The 10-inch control station makes for a fairly intuitive interface, although it is not as complete as those we see in Tesla electric cars. There is an additional, small informational display for driving controls, although the controls themselves are attached to the wheel.
Ford Mustang Mach E (£42,000+)
When an electric SUV has a higher range (379 miles) than even hatchbacks, you know that you have something special here. The Ford Mustang Mach E is one of the best long range electric SUVs available today, despite the criticism it deservedly receives for steep front pillars and a steep, small rear windscreen.
Let’s make it clear that this does not bode well for road safety unless you are tall enough to negate the obvious visibility issues which the strange design choices present. There is a workaround to the problem, although it may not be a solution for everyone. If you take some time to get adjusted to the multiple camera views the Mustang Mach E provides with perfect clarity, you should be able to see everything anyway. Nevertheless, the SUV is best left for tall drivers.
That is the main disadvantage here, because almost everything else looks and feels exceptional both inside and outside the Mach E. The interior is extremely comfortable and well suited for long rides. Simply by looking at the sheer space it has inside for passengers, you can easily tell that Ford designed this muscle car with tall and wide people in mind, which is a good thing as a passenger, irrespective of their size.
