The ultimate EV range test: new Tesla Model 3 vs rivals

Range anxiety is still one of the biggest reasons people don’t want to switch to an electric car, so we thought we’d gather a selection of EVs and find out what actually happens when they run out of charge.

Our very own Mat Watson has got his hands on the new Tesla Model 3, as well as some of the other latest EVs, and he’s going to drive them all, with help from the Carwow team of course, up the motorway towards Scotland until they die.

Will they just stop in the middle of the road? Will they leave you with enough power to crawl to safety? We’ll find out this as well as how close each of these cars gets to its claimed range figure in the real world.

The car’s we’ll be testing today are:

1. New Tesla Model 3
2. Porsche Taycan
3. BMW i5
4. BYD Seal
5. Polestar 2
6. Mercedes EQE

1) New Tesla Model 3

Let’s start off with one of the most popular electric saloons you can buy: the Tesla Model 3. We’ve got the Long Range model here, meaning it has a 75kWh battery pack with a claimed range of 390 miles. This version also gets dual electric motors with 491hp, and it’ll set you back £49,990.

2) Porsche Taycan

This is the recently-updated Porsche Taycan, and it’s a lot more expensive than the Tesla. The car we have here will cost you over £96,000 with options, but it does have a much bigger battery than the Elon-mobile. The 97kWh pack should deliver a claimed range of 421 miles with the single electric motor making 408hp.

3) BMW i5

Now let’s take a look at the BMW i5. We have the M Sport Pro model here with an 81kWh battery and a claimed range of 362 miles. It’s not far off the Porsche in terms of price with a £92,600 tag, and our i5 is powered by a 340hp motor on the rear axle.

4) BYD Seal

Now for something a bit left-field and much closer to the Tesla in terms of price. The BYD Seal we have here will cost you £45,695 and it has a 312hp motor powering the rear wheels. It also has an 82kWh battery with a claimed range of 354 miles, and it even looks a bit like the Model 3.

5) Polestar 2

The Polestar 2 is a stylish Swede powered by a 79kWh battery with 406 miles of claimed range. Sitting on the rear axle is a 299hp motor, and the car you’re looking at here will set you back £55,950.

6) Mercedes EQE

Last but not least then we have the Mercedes EQE. It may look a bit like a melted computer mouse, but that questionable styling is all in the name of aerodynamics which should help eke out a few extra miles. This car has an 89kWh battery with 380 miles of claimed range, a 245hp electric motor and it costs £68,810.

So then, which of these posh electric cars will be the range champ? Check out the video to find out.

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