Average Electric Car Range in the UK 2023
How far can you drive an electric car? Of the EV models currently available in the UK, electric cars deliver average range between 60 miles and 395 miles with the average range clocking in at around 212 miles—but ranges can be lower in cold weather and even higher in hot weather. Mercedes and Tesla dominate the list of electric cars with the longest range, but many other makes are now offering average range north of 300 miles.
Average Electric Car Range UK
The average electric car range for EVs available in the UK is around 212 miles. However, range depends primarily on the size of the battery. Cheaper cars tend to have smaller batteries and therefore provide less range. For example, the cheapest models of the 12 cheapest UK brands provide an average of 148 miles of real range with a 40.1 kWh battery. On the other hand, luxury cars with batteries 2X the size provide around 262 miles of range on average.
Other factors also affect range, such as outside temperature—range drops in colder weather.
| Average Electric Car Range UK | Typical Battery Size (kWh) | Real-life Range (miles) |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest electric cars | 40.1 | 148 |
| Non-luxury electric cars | 48.7 | 175 |
| Overall | 62.6 | 212 |
| Luxury electric cars | 81 | 262 |
| Tesla cars | 70.6 | 273 |
Longest Electric Car Ranges
Tesla models have long been known to provide the longest range by a mile due to larger batteries—but now there are other luxury cars providing comparable range. In fact, the Tesla has lost the top spot according to this metric, now that the Mercedes EQS 450+ provides around 395 miles of real, estimated range. This is 40 miles further than the longest-range Tesla (Tesla Model S Dual Motor at 355 miles). And possible enough to drive from London all the way to Edinburgh (as long as the weather isn't too cold!).
After Mercedes and Tesla, the Lightyear 0, Audi, Lotus, Fisker, BMW and Polestar provide the longest ranges available in the UK, with models providing north of 300 miles on average. We've ranked the 20 longest-range UK electric car models from longest range to shortest range in the table below (cars marked with a ^ are coming soon).
List of Longest Range Electric Cars UK
| Rank | Electric Car | Average Range |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mercedes EQS 450+ | 395 |
| 2 | Tesla Model S Dual Motor^ | 355 |
| 3 | Mercedes EQS AMG 53 4MATIC+ | 350 |
| 4 | Lightyear 0 | 340 |
| 5 | Tesla Model S Plaid^ | 335 |
| 6 | Audi Q8 e-tron Sportback 55 quattro^ | 325 |
| 7 | Mercedes EQE 350 | 320 |
| 8 | Mercedes EQE 300 | 320 |
| 9 | Lotus Eletre^ | 320 |
| 10 | Fisker Ocean Ultra^ | 315 |
| 11 | BMW iX xDrive 50 | 315 |
| 12 | Fisker Ocean One^ | 315 |
| 13 | Fisker Ocean Extreme^ | 315 |
| 14 | BMW i7 xDrive60 | 315 |
| 15 | Polestar 3 Long Range Dual motor^ | 305 |
| 16 | Audi Q8 e-tron 55 quattro^ | 305 |
| 17 | Mercedes EQS SUV 580 4MATIC^ | 300 |
| 18 | Mercedes EQS SUV 450 4MATIC^ | 300 |
| 19 | Tesla Model 3 Long Range Dual Motor | 300 |
| 20 | BMW iX M60 | 300 |
^models coming soon
The electric car with the shortest range in the UK is the Smart EQ fortwo, which will give around 60 miles on average—but this can vary from as little as 40 miles in the winter when driving on a highway, up to 100 miles driving in mild weather in the city. While significantly less than average, this range could still be enough for many commuters.
Regardless of which EV model you drive, get the most range by following some of these Top Ten Tips for Maximizing Electric Car Range.
FAQs
Methodology
We've analysed the UK electric car market and found real-life ranges for the various EV models on offer in the UK. We sourced our data directly from car websites, by surveying dealers and from the EV Database. Data indicates an average of city and highway real ranges. Those driving primarily in the city could get higher ranges; those who usually use their car on the motorway will probably get less range from their car.