Many manufacturers boast of long range performances on their fully-charged electric cars, but now an industry watchdog has show a truer picture of EV ranges.

WhatCar? has introduced its own independent testing which looks at temperatures, tyre-pressures, passengers in the vehicle, car temperatures, whether the headlights are on and a range of other factors to determine a fair test on claims.

The findings from the WhatCar? research has revealed which cars are performing best on range, and which are less economical… with the truth.

Hyundai’s Kona Electric is the top performer according to the car magazine’s testing. The recently released vehicle could travel furthest on a single charge, with a real-world range of 259 miles. That is still some 33 miles short of Hyundai’s marketing literature, but is still fairly efficient in the current market.

“It’s the first sensibly priced electric car that won’t require the majority of motorists to adjust their lifestyle in order to live with it, especially when you factor in the UK’s rapidly improving charging infrastructure,” said WhatCar?

Joint second in the research were the Jaguar I-Pace and the Kia e-Niro, both of which managed a ‘Real Range’ of 253 miles. The luxurious Jaguar costs more to charge, with a £11.87 cost for a full charge.

Tesla were given a slap on the wrist by the report, with the longest range claim of 304 miles, the Tesla Model S was only capable of achieving 204 miles in testing, making it the worst performer in terms of accuracy.

Of the 12 cars tested Smart’s ForFour and ForTwo EQ models produced the shortest actual ranges, with just 57 and 59 miles per charge, which would rule it out from any conventional long distance journeys.

The popular Nissan Leaf also over estimated its capabilities, with a range of 128 miles achieved, compared to the advertised 168.

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