The EV with the longest range in the UK has been announced (stock) (Image: ljubaphoto via Getty Images)
Electric cars are all the rage in the UK at the moment. However, many British motorists are still worried about the range they can get out of a single charge of an electric vehicle.
One of the main measurements for electric car ranges is what is known as the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure range. When you read about an electric car having a range of, for example, 400 miles on the WLTP range, this is what it means. The WLTP is effectively a best case scenario of what the car will do. Other factors, such as temperature, road conditions, and car condition will affect your range.
As a result, this does not mean an electric car with a WLTP range of 300 miles will do 300 miles every time; but then the same applies to a petrol car with the same range too. There are other factors at play. Nevertheless, the WLTP range is a good indicator of how far your electric car could go. With that in mind, Auto Express has compiled a rundown of the longest-range electric cars currently available in the UK.
A Mercedes EQS (Image: Sjoerd van der Wal, Getty Images)
At the top of their list is the £105,000 Mercedes EQS, which achieves a WLTP combined range of 542 miles. This placed it ahead of the £64,860 Volvo X60, which recorded a range of 503 miles, and the £60,655 BMW iX3, delivering a combined range of 500 miles, reports the Mirror.
The Mercedes EQS, which launched in 2021, has been widely praised for its substantial battery capacity and aerodynamic profile, allowing it to glide through the air with remarkable efficiency.
Auto Express remarked: “When the Mercedes EQS first launched in 2021 its 441-mile range was impressive, but it took an update to propel it to a 511-mile EV range and the title of the longest range EV on sale. Now it’s been updated again and the 542-mile range is enough to put it back on top of the charts in the UK.
“The latest models have 800-volt architecture that allows charging speeds of up to 350kW at the right charger so you can plug-in for 10 minutes and gain just under 200 miles of range.”
In recent years other factors have driven up the sale of electric cars, including the rising cost of living and Trump’s war in Iran that has seen oil prices skyrocketing.
Electric cars have risen in popularity in the UK in recent years (stock) (Image: Monty Rakusen via Getty Images)
However, whilst the rise in the number of electric cars on the UK’s roads is considered a positive, especially ahead of the Zero Emissions Vehicle Mandate, industry figures have warned that it needs to happen faster.
Following the release of June’s registration figures by the SMMT (Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders), it’s chief executive Mike Hawes said more work needed to be done.
He said: “June’s performance is very strong, showing EV uptake is growing, with battery electric cars reaching their highest market share this year and more than half of buyers choosing electrified models.
“But even these record levels are still not enough to meet mandated targets. Manufacturers are investing billions developing and bringing the vehicles to market – and spending billions more to sell them, yet the market is still not moving fast enough.
“Reforming the mandate now is essential not just to keep the transition on track but to protect the UK’s competitiveness, attract investment and safeguard jobs.”
Leave a comment