Edmunds' Range Test Battle: Tesla Model Y, Model 3, VW ID.4, Ford Mach-E

Not all range tests are created equal, and Edmunds is working to improve its results.

edmunds tesla range anxiety

Steven Loveday

By: Steven Loveday

Mar 25, 2021 at 10:54am ET

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After Tesla reached out to Edmunds about its recent range test results, the publication has gone back to the drawing board to make improvements and run more tests. In this recent test, it compares the Tesla Model Y, Tesla Model 3, Volkswagen ID.4, and Ford Mustang Mach-E's real-world range. Edmunds actually calls the test, "Tesla's Range Anxiety."

When it comes to EVs, range is king, which actually doesn't make a ton of sense in many cases, since there are plenty of us who mostly drive locally, very few miles per day, and charge at home. However, people still pay very close attention to EV range.

With that said, Tesla is and has been the EV range king for years. However, those range figures are based on the EPA estimates, which have been proven to be less than helpful in many cases. For this reason, many publications have started running their own range tests. Edmunds, among others, has range-tested several EVs, though the testing procedure and the results have puzzled some people.

Keep in mind, range testing is new for many automotive publications, and there's not officially a "right way" to do it, but there are certainly some methods that work better than others. We are all working on better methods and more consistency. Hopefully, down the road, we can all come up with a standard method for widespread use.

We run our own consistent 70-mph highway loop range test on every EV we can get our hands on. The goal is to run the same exact test on each car. We know that's Edmunds' goal, too. The publication is working to make its EV range testing as consistent and realistic as possible.

We're in the process of putting together an article to help mainstream publications improve their range tests. Interestingly, Tesla had concerns about Edmunds recent range test as well. Edmunds writes:

"We take EV testing seriously. Like you, we want to know how the range figures provided by the EPA and auto manufacturers match what happens in the real world.

After publishing our results, Tesla reached out. Tesla’s engineers argued that by not running the automaker's vehicles until they died, we were underestimating their true range. Even if we saw an indicated range of zero miles, there is a safety buffer that, when factored in, would see the car achieve the EPA rating."

What do you think?

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Edmunds' most recent results were as follows:

Edmunds provides loads of details in the video above, but even better, it wrote a blog post about this "EV Range Super Test." It spells out exactly how it performed these tests. Check out the video above and Edmunds' related blog (linked below) for all the details. Then, let us know if you think the publication's range test is worthy.

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Tesla And EPA Are Wrong When It Comes To Range, Says Ben Sullins