According to the EPA, the average range of new electric models sold in the United States has decreased for the 2021 model year.
For the 2021 model year, the average range for electric vehicles is 234 miles, compared with 259 miles for the 2020 model year, the EPA said succinctly. blog post. Note that these are not sales, nor are they averages. Instead, it is a mathematical average based on all model variations that the EPA has assigned ratings for the 2021 model year.
Average and maximum range of EVs in the US market from model year 2011-201 (via EPA)
The average may have dropped due to the introduction of a range of models with a rated range of less than 250 miles but no less than 200 miles — all variants of the Porsche Taycan, Volkswagen ID.4, Polestar 2, and the Ford Mustang Mach-E, for example.
Some of those models have been refined for 2022. Mach-E now maxes out EPA rated range is 314 miles, compared with 304 miles for the 2021 model year. The twin-engine 2022 Polestar 2 has an EPA range of 249 miles — 16 miles more than the Polestar 2. The 2021 Polestar has also added a Single Engine version to the lineup, with 265 miles range.
The highest-rated EV for the range for 2021 is the refreshed Tesla Model S — the car that Elon Musk said will be rated at 412 miles, but with no explanation is instead rated 405 miles. That’s just a small improvement over the 2020 model’s 402-mile range.
BMW ActiveE
The EPA data goes back 10 model years, showing how far electric cars have come in the past few years. The average range for the 2011 model year was just 68 miles, and it didn’t exceed 200 miles until the 2016 model year.
The highest rated EV for the 2011 model year is the BMW ActiveE that we drove and feels heavy and deliberate compared to the Tesla Roadster or other small BMWs — but rather charming. BMW’s 94-mile range isn’t considered enough today either, but it’s intended as a pilot for future EVs rather than a full-fledged production model.
Approaching the 2022 model year, the range champion will likely be Lucid Air at 520 miles. That is unless another unexpected challenger shows up to topple it.
