The race is on to build the most efficient electric car. This alone is worth taking note of, as only a few years back, most major carmakers seemed to be in silent agreement that ranges of around 200 miles would meet most people’s everyday driving needs and convince them to switch to electric models. Well, reality struck hard, a new phobia – range anxiety – was born, and the industry had to adapt.
All the more reason for a quick stocktaking on where things stand today. For many years, Tesla has proven its ability to innovate while delivering long(er) ranges at scale. Hence, it’s no surprise that two models from Tesla, Model S and Model 3, rank among the top three of the world’s longest-range production EVs available today, going 405 and 358 miles respectively on a single charge. More of a surprise is the fact that Tesla recently got dethroned by a newcomer, Lucid, which records an impressive 520 miles. Looking a little bit further down the Top 30 list, one thing becomes quite apparent: incremental changes still seem to be the norm as most current cars offer mediocre ranges of under 300 miles under optimal conditions. Thankfully, there are great examples of quantum leap innovations on the vehicle level which will result not only in hugely efficient EVs but will lead to a radical change in the entire user experience. Take Mercedes Benz. In June of this year, Chief Executive Ola Källenius proudly reported a range of 1,202 km (about 747 miles) on a single charge between Stuttgart, Germany and Silverstone, UK, for their concept car, the EQXX. This recent test drive was the second time it exceeded the 1000 kilometres range, solidifying its world record status in ‘real-world’ testing. That’s impressive! Customers will have to remain patient, though, as the first production models of the EQXX will not be available before 2024.
Source: This news is originally published by forbes