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Huge EV Range Test in Norway Shows Tesla's Lead Is Quickly Evaporating

Six years ago, the gap between Tesla and its competitors—as few of them as there were—appeared like a chasm. These days, it's looking more and more like a ditch, and it's probably just a matter of very little time before we're looking at a perfectly level playing field.
NAF EV range test 10 photos
Photo: NAF
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More and more competitive EVs are coming to the market and even though the Model 3 Long Range remains the king in terms of maximum distance traveled, it's not that far ahead compared to other options, as we're about to see.

The test was carried out by NAF, the Norwegian Automotive Federation, and involved no fewer than 21 electric vehicles. All cars were charged to the brink before setting out on a pre-set course that saw them travel through cities, country roads, and highways, as well as crossing at least one mountain pass. All vehicles were driven until their batteries were completely dead, which meant a varying number of miles beyond the zero miles warning had popped up on the dashboard. In some cases, that was even as much as nearly 66 miles (106 km), which is a hell of a reserve.

To eliminate as many variables as possible in a road test involving different drivers, all the cars went out on the same day in basically ideal weather—dry surface and between 68 and 77 degrees (20-25 degrees Celsius).

Since this was done in Norway, the results were compared against the EVs' WLTP ratings, which tend to be more lenient toward non-Tesla models than the EPA figures. As it turns out, they're also a lot closer to reality, meaning anyone looking to go electric in the U.S. should pay close attention to these results instead of relying on what the government agency says.

The biggest revelation this year has got to be the Ford Mustang Mach-E Long Range RWD, which went for 383.95 miles (617.9 km) before refusing to move. However, it is only the best of the chasing pack because once more, the 2021 Tesla Model 3 Long Range came out on top with 406.94 miles (654.9 km) traveled, considerably higher than its WLTP rating of 381.52 miles (614 km). Note that the performance shown in the picture belongs to the 2020 model.

It's impossible to make an apples-to-apples comparison here because the test lacked a Model Y Long Range. However, if it did, the apple we should be comparing it with is the Ford Mustang Mach-E Long Range AWD, which only managed to cover 342.93 miles (551.9 km). Well, we say "only," but it actually bested the WLTP rating by more than 7 miles (almost 12 km).

It is actually a recurring feature, with just three of the 21 EVs in the test falling short of meeting or exceeding their official maximum range figures. The Polestar 2, Citroen ë-C4, and the Xpeng G3 make up the hall of shame, even though the margins are so narrow (1.9, 3.1, and 7.4 miles, respectively) that, on a different day, they too might make the cut.

Here is the full list of the 21 vehicles involved in NAF's test (in no particular order): Ford Mustang Mach-E (Long Range AWD and Long Range RWD), Tesla Model 3 (SR and LR), Volkswagen ID.3 Pro S and ID.4, Skoda Enyaq, Polestar 2, Audi e-tron GT, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Xpeng G3, BMW iX3, Mercedes-Benz EQA, Volvo XC40 Recharge, Citroen ë-C4, Opel Mokka-e, Fiat 500, Honda e, Hyundai Kona, and Mazda MX-30.
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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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