In recent weeks, there has been a surge in interest among people wanting to buy electric cars in the UK.
This trend has been driven in large part by the war in Iran that began when the USA and Israel started striking targets in Iran, which subsequently effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, sending oil prices skyrocketing.
As a result, more people are likely to show a greater interest in going electric rather than buying a new petrol or diesel car.
With that in mind, journalists at the renowned automotive publication Top Gear have put together a list of electric cars with the longest ranges on sale in the UK.
The one with the longest range was Mercedes EQS 450+, an electric saloon car with a claimed range of around 575 miles. This is enough, in theory, to get from London to Edinburgh on one charge of electricity.
Furthermore, Top Gear added that if people were worried about how long it would take to charge, they needn’t be concerned because it said the Mercedes could add 200 miles of range in 10 minutes, albeit on a 350kW charger.
In second place behind the Mercedes was another incoming car, the BMW i3 50 xDrive with a claimed range of 562 miles. Like the Mercedes, the BMW is a luxury model and forms part of the brand’s new Neue Klasse-era positioning.
Completing the podium was the Volvo EX60 with a claimed range of 503 miles, which Top Gear said was down to its 117kWh “cell-to-body” battery design, meaning that rather than cells being assembled into a separate pack, the cells are integrated directly into the vehicle structure.
The interest in switching from fossil-fuel-powered cars to electric cars has been reflected by experts and automotive bodies, who have been helping reassure drivers that old worries about electric cars are no longer as relevant.
One fear many people used to have about electric cars was that they would run out of charge. However, battery technology and a much-improved charging infrastructure mean there are now plenty of places for electric car drivers to recharge.
In a post on social media featuring the Business Director of Zapmap, the RAC wrote: “Worried your EV might run out of charge in long traffic jams? James, Business Director at Zapmap, breaks down the facts and sets the record straight.”
In the video, which looked at myth-busting around electric cars, James explained that using the radio or air conditioning would not cause your electric car to run out of charge quickly.
He said: “Using things like the radio, heating, air conditioning takes very little battery energy compared to, say, accelerating the car up to 70 miles an hour. An EV can power those things for a very long time if you're stuck in a traffic jam.”
