Electric car real range 2024, the European supertest

Editor's note: Our colleagues at Motor1.com Italy documented the test in the video above. You can activate English subtitles in the YouTube video settings.

The range of an electric vehicle can lend to the joys and sorrows of those who drive or would like to drive an electric car. The kilometres that can be covered on a full battery charge are in fact the main argument of both supporters and opponents of emission-free cars.

We have therefore decided to present to you a comparison of eleven current electric cars. We will check how far they can actually drive before they run out of power. The location of the 2024 super test is Rome's Grande Raccordo Anulare (GRA), officially known as the A90 motorway, where we tested eleven electric cars from different countries.

These are Italian, German, American, Korean, Japanese and Chinese models, all driving simultaneously on the famous ring road around the Italian capital.

How our test works

The common testing ground is the GRA, which is 68.2 kilometres (42.4 miles) long and encircles the city of Rome like a ring. In our test, we drove on the outer carriageway. The one that runs anti-clockwise. A speed limit of 130 km/h (81 mph) applies on the GRA, which is reduced to 110 km/h (68 mph) on some sections and in tunnels. However, the traffic, which is always very heavy, means that it is rarely possible to adhere to the Highway Code.

The test cars on Rome's Grande Raccordo Anulare (A90)

The test cars were all driven with the air conditioning set to 22 degrees, in AUTO mode, with the windows closed and the "Normal" driving programme. Only the driver sat in each car, who was connected to our leading crew car via radio.

To minimise the effects of rush-hour traffic jams, the test began at 10:30 am. The outside temperature fluctuated between 10 and 14 degrees Celsius. All cars drove in convoy until they had reached a battery charge level of 5 per cent. When they reached this level, they stopped the test and left the scene to go to the nearest charging station to recharge.

La ricarica pre partenza, in attesa del 100%

Il controllo pressione gomme in collaborazione con i tecnici Pirelli

The test vehicles

The eleven cars selected for the 2024 fuel consumption test have recently been on the market and represent various alternatives on the list of locally emission-free cars. Here they are:

1. BMW i5
2. BYD Seal
3. Fiat 600e
4. Hyundai Ioniq 6
5. Jeep Avenger
6. Kia EV9
7. Lexus RZ
8. Lucid Air
9. Tesla Model 3
10. Toyota bZ4X
11. VW ID.7

Results by range

The cars in our test travelled between 571 and 243 km (355 and 151 miles). The Lucid Air, the car that travelled the furthest before the battery capacity reached 5%, completed 7.9 laps on the GRA. It relies on a battery with a real-world capacity of 112 kWh, very favourable aerodynamics and tyres specially developed for electric models, such as the Pirelli Elect. It is followed by the Tesla Model 3 and the BMW i5 with 498 and 489 kilometres (309 and 304 miles) respectively.

Lucid Air

Tesla Model 3

BMW i5

As it is easy to guess, the distance travelled increases with the size of the battery. With deviations from the specified range in the WLTP homologation cycle of between 16 and 40 per cent.

The BMW i5 performed best, travelling 489 km (304 miles or 6.8 laps of the GRA) instead of the stated 582 km (362 mi) with 81.2 kWh of real capacity. On average, however, the actual range was around 28% lower than the stated range, regardless of the model. This is due to the unrealistic characteristics of the homologation cycle: The accelerations are very gentle, the test is carried out on a chassis dynamometer under ideal climatic conditions (fixed temperature of 23°C) and the test duration is only 23 kilometres (14.3 miles).

Two further technical aspects: Firstly, all the vehicles tested are fitted with summer tyres - with the exception of the Lucid Air, which is fitted with all-season tyres. Secondly, the Lexus RZ we tested did not yet have the 2024 software update, which the manufacturer claims should improve the model's efficiency.

Results according to efficiency

The range was generally in line with the battery capacity. But what about overall efficiency? It's clear that there are other variables to consider with this factor.

A car that has more energy available can easily cover a greater distance, but you also need to consider how much it consumes to cover a given distance to make a more comprehensive assessment.

Tesla Model 3, the 2024 world consumption champion

In this particular ranking, the Tesla Model 3 was the most efficient vehicle: 15.1 kWh/100km, confirming the efficiency of the American brand's vehicles. It was followed by the Hyundai Ioniq 6 with 15.5 kWh/100km and the BMW i5 with 16.6 kWh/100km.

Slightly further down the list are the brand new Fiat 600e with 18.1 kWh/100km, the Chinese BYD Seal (18.3 kWh/100km), the Jeep Avenger (18.5 kWh/100km), the VW ID.7 (19.3 kWh/100km) and the American super saloon Lucid Air from 19.3 kWh/100km.

The list is completed by the giant Kia EV9 (21.4 kWh/100km), the Toyota bZ4X (25.7 kWh/100km) and Lexus RZ (26.3 kWh/100km). 

The costs

Greater efficiency means lower costs for the same distance travelled, and so the Tesla Model 3 is establishing itself as the most economical car for travelling. A distance of 100 km (62 mi) costs €10.00 (£8.50), based on a guide price at the charging station on a subscription basis of 0.66 euros/kWh, as calculated by our technical partner Plenitude + Be Charge. Charging at home at an average price of €0.27/kWh brings the price down to €4.10 (£3.50).

Charging at an HPC Plenitude+BeCharge station

If, on the other hand, you choose a car with higher consumption, the costs for the same 100 kilometres increase: €14.20 or €5.80 (£12.10 or £5.00) for the Kia EV9; €17.10 or €6.90 (£14.60 or £5.90) for the Toyota bZ4X and €17.50 or €7.10 (£15.00 or £6.10) for the Lexus RZ. 

Conclusion

Perhaps the most interesting data from the 2024 test is that of the vehicle that travels the furthest on a full battery charge. The Lucid Air, which travelled almost 600 km. An important result, albeit far from the average customer. Over 800 PS, weighing around 2.4 tonnes and costing over €150,000.

In terms of efficiency, however, the performance of the Tesla Model 3 and the Hyundai Ioniq 6 stand out. Cars that are very similar in terms of shape, drive and technology.

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