There are conflicting reports on whether American car buyers are getting on board with electric vehicles. Even though almost 2 million EVs were sold this year, there seems to be a lot of inventory with some heavy discounts which usually means not enough buyers. Range anxiety is still a factor, and according to Consumer Reports, some EVs won’t go the distance they claim to.
Just like a gas car, where your mileage may vary because conditions and usage impact the estimated MPG, range can fluctuate depending on use. The range for an EV is still an “estimate” according to the EPA. Charging infrastructure in the U.S. still has a long way to go, and it’s not quite as easy to recharge an EV as it is to fill a gas car up with fuel. Therefore, many consumers are a bit apprehensive about EVs and their estimated range because no one wants to be stuck with a car that runs out of juice. Knowing that your EV can travel the distance it claims to is even more critical.
In order to find the highway range on an electric vehicle, Consumer Reports used a similar testing procedure that the EPA uses to determine miles per gallon, and while CR notes that this methodology has some flaws, it at least establishes a baseline for EV range.
CR found that many EVs exceeded their range estimates, but some fell well behind based on the testing. Here are the models that may not get you as far as you would expect.
