Do the ranges of some consumer all-electric vehicles now exceed the ranges of some consumer internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles?
That’s the question explored by a recent post by the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, one that revealed that some all-electric vehicles (EVs) are indeed now on the market that possess ranges greater than some of the ICE vehicles now on the market.
The post was accompanied by a great graph (posted below) that shows the range overlap between EVs, ICE vehicles, and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) that were released for the 2016 model year. It should be noted that the ranges shown below are based on US EPA testing cycle estimates. It should also be noted that conventional hybrid vehicles are included in the category for “Gasoline Vehicles.”
A couple of other notes: Models were only counted once, with the configuration featuring the longest range being used; and PHEV range estimates rely on a completely charged battery and a full tank of gas.
Here’s the explanation for the graph that accompanied the original post: “Although most electric vehicles (EV) have shorter ranges than gasoline vehicles, there are EVs with ranges equal to or greater than some gasoline-powered models. For the 2016 model year (MY) the maximum range for an all-electric vehicle (AEV) is 294 miles while the minimum range for a gasoline model is 240 miles. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) use both gasoline and electricity drawn from the grid. The all-electric range of PHEV models varies greatly, and the total gasoline and electric range of a PHEV is between 150 and 600 miles in MY2016 vehicles. The ranges for EVs have been increasing since their debut in the mass market but technological improvements have also increased the ranges for gasoline vehicles. For 2016, the median range for gasoline vehicles is 412 miles while the highest range is just over 700 miles.”
If 2017 model years (and their equivalents) were used, then of course the max range for EVs would now be well into the +300-mile range, thanks to the Tesla Model S P100D.
Looking at the graph, it’s interesting how wide the range for PHEVs is — it just goes to show that for some manufacturers the vehicles aren’t serious attempts to provide all-electric capability, but rather just a grab for incentives, compliance cars, etc.
It’s also interesting that PHEVs have the highest median range.