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Tesla blows away the competition when it comes to how far its cars can go on a charge
Tesla is unveiling its much-awaited Model X Tuesday, which has many of the same features as the Model S with a few extra perks.
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With the same range as the Model S (250 to 270 miles depending on the model bought) the Model X differs in its ability to seat more and all-wheel drive standard (as opposed to optionality).
For those who are still considering whether their first foray into all-electric vehicles should be through Tesla, there are other all-electric vehicles on the market (or will be soon) that are worth considering. But even though they may be cheaper than a Tesla, none of them come even close to matching Tesla's range on a single charge.
Here's a list of 10 all-electric vehicles with the best range, from least to greatest.
The Ford Focus Electric can reach a top speed of 84 miles per hour with 143 horsepower. That motor is pretty solid for an all-electric vehicle, but with a range of just 76 miles you'll be charging fairly frequently. With a cost of $27,170 it slightly makes up for its low range.
The car also has regenerative braking, which allows it to recharge as you drive — the Brake Coach on the panel outlines the energy captured after each stop.
The all-electric BMW i3 goes from 0 to 70 miles per hour in 7 seconds, making it competitive speed-wise with most all-electric vehicles on the market. With a 170 horsepower, the BMW i3 has one of the more powerful motors for an all-electric vehicle, but it still doesn't touch Tesla Model S with horsepower ranging from 315 to 373.
When hooked up to a level two charging station, the car takes 3.5 hours to charge, which is a bit of a downside.
The BMW i3 Range Extender will up the range from 81 miles to 150 miles.
It costs $42,400 without tax credits that can amount to $7,500. The Range Extender option will up the price to $46,250.
The Spark EV can go 0 to 60 miles per hour in 7.2 seconds, similar to most all-electric vehicles on the market. There are no details about the engine on the Chevrolet Spark EV website. The Spark EV can charge to 80 percent in 20 minutes, which is a plus.
It costs $18,495 with the $7,500 tax credit. Considering the charge time and the fact that the speed is competitive with other vehicles, this is a solid option factoring in the low price.
The car goes from 0 to 62 miles per hour in 10 seconds and has a 115-horsepower electric motor. It's only available at participating dealers in California, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington D.C.
The car costs $21,495 after the federal tax credit.
In an unofficial road test, the Nissan Leaf went 0 to 60 miles per hour in 9.9 seconds — a little on the slower side for all-electric vehicles. It has a 24 kWh battery with 107 horsepower and costs $21,510 after the federal tax savings.
Fiat's electric car has a motor that reaches 111 horsepower and has an estimated top speed of 85 miles per hour. A Level 2 charger will charge the car fully in four hours. With only a slightly better range than the Chevrolet Spark EV, the long charge time and higher price is can be a bit of a deal breaker. The electric Fiat has a net price of $32,780.
The car can get up to 60 miles per hour in under 8 seconds, again, that's on par with a lot of cars on the market. It has a 28 kWh lithium-ion battery with 177 horsepower, which puts the motor near the top of this list. Drivers can download a My Mercedes Electric app to view the car's charge status and locate nearby charging stations. It costs $41,450.
The Kia Soul EV can go 0 to 60 miles per hour in 11.5 seconds (a bit slow) and has a 27 kWh lithium-ion battery. Drivers can download a UVO EV services app to get battery-status alerts, unlock the driver door and adjust the car's temperature. The car's price starts at $24,450 counting the federal tax credit.
The Tesla Model S has the best range of all the other all-electric vehicles out there. The 85D model only takes 4.2 seconds to go from 0 to 60 miles per hour. It has 373 horsepower and reaches a top speed of 140 miles per hour. There's no doubt its the best model out there so far, but with a price of $67,500, some may choose to sacrifice on range.
The Tesla Model X should have the same range as the Model S: a 70 kWh battery gives 250 miles of range and a 80 kWh gives about 270 miles. It'll be priced 5% to 10% higher than the Model S and comes with a hitch to carry cargo. The car comes with an all-wheel drive standard, rather than as an option as with the Model S.
More details about the Model X are available here.
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