The EVs with the longest real-world driving ranges in Australia

While electric cars are starting to become a permanent fixture on local roads, their real-world driving range has been a source of anxiety among a majority of Australian consumers.

And though the advertised maximum driving range figures can look attractive on paper – with most new EVs exceeding 200km in lab-tested conditions – it’s a different story when you live with these cars daily.

According to a December 2025 survey conducted by the Australian Automobile Association (AAA) – which polled an unspecified number of potential EV buyers – 60 per cent said vehicle range and charging were “the main concerns or hesitations” preventing them from making the fully-electric transition.

To help ease consumer concerns, the AAA is currently conducting real-world driving range tests on the most popular EVs in Australia, with the peak industry body publishing the data on its first two rounds.

Matthew Bradley, AAA’s managing director, said the program offers consumer real-world data that serves to quell consumer concern.

“These results give consumers an independent indication of real-world battery range, which means they now know which cars perform as advertised and which do not,” he said in a December 2025 media statement.

“Giving consumers improved information about real-world driving range means buyers can worry less about running out of charge and make the switch to EVs with confidence,” he added.

The AAA’s real-world driving range program – an extension of the industry body’s government-funded fuel efficiency testing on petrol and hybrid cars – tests numerous electric vehicles around a 93km circuit in Geelong, Victoria.

To limit human factors such as driving styles and changing traffic flows, the AAA said its real-world EV testing uses “strict protocols based on European regulations to ensure results are repeatable”.

But which EVs have the longest real-world range in Australia? Here’s what you need to know.

According to the AAA’s latest results – which has tested nine popular EVs from different years and brands across two rounds – the 2025 Kia EV3 small electric SUV covered the largest real-world range on a single charge at 537km, 11 per cent less than its advertised 604km range.

Though second-hand EVs have been scrutinised for their ability to retain their battery capacity in the past, some now outdated models tested by the AAA proved to be capable of going the distance.

For example, a 2024 Tesla Model Y Long Range achieved 490km in real-world testing, which represented an 8 per cent variance compared to its lab-mandated 533km.

Additionally, the 2022 Kia EV6 Air was also among the top performers, covering 484km during the AAA’s testing, approximately 8 per cent less than its advertised 528km range.

Tesla was the best performing brand among the manufacturers tested, with both of its models – between MY 2024 and 2025 – featuring on the top of the list.

While its 2024 form recorded the second-highest real-world driving range, the 2025 Tesla Model Y  – the best-selling electric car by volume in 2025 – ranked fourth at 450km.

For reference, the battery-powered SUV came the closest to its advertised figure, missing the mark by 3 per cent – or 16km – less than its lab-mandated 466km driving range.

Not too far behind was a 2024 Tesla Model 3 sedan in fifth, which covered 441km on a single charge, while a 2024 Smart #3 Pro+ ranked sixth (432km).

Additionally, the 2023 BYD Atto 3 in the Premium variant accrued 369km during AAA testing. Meanwhile, the 2024 Smart #1 Pro fell short of seventh by just 2km, with the electric SUV covering 367km – 13 per cent less – than its claimed lab-tested 420km.

The model with the biggest variance between its claimed and real-world driving range was a 2023 MG 4 hatch, which covered 281km – 31 per cent less than its lab result of 405km.

While an electric car’s real-world range is dependent on numerous factors such as a driver’s individual driving style, changes in traffic conditions and weight of the vehicle, the advertised real-world driving range of EVs sold in Australia today can make things confusing.

As exclusively reported by Drive in December 2025, all new EVs sold in Australia must come with an “energy consumption” label that notes a car’s efficiency in watt-hours (Wh) per kilometre, as well as its maximum range.

Where things get murky is that current Australian legislation doesn’t mandate car makers to advertise what testing criteria was used to achieve these numbers, with NEDC figures often much larger in comparison to WLTP results.

This means that on paper, EVs tested under the NEDC criteria look to achieve a higher maximum driving range, though this may not necessarily be the case.

For example, the Leapmotor C10 is advertised with a 480km NEDC maximum driving range. If it were tested under WLTP protocols, the electric SUV would achieve 420km.

While Europe has dropped the NEDC on all new EVs sold in the continent, in favour of the WLTP – which is a more accurate representation of real-world data – in 2017, Australia will not follow suit until July 2026.

However, existing electric models are still eligible to be tested under NEDC, with the July 2026 legislation change set to affect all new electric vehicles coming into Australia.

Drive understands some manufacturers still opt to advertise their WLTP ranges as it can bridge the gap between lab-tested and real-world figures, quelling consumer doubt.

Ethan Cardinal graduated with a Journalism degree in 2020 from La Trobe University and has been working in the fashion industry as a freelance writer prior to joining Drive in 2023. Ethan greatly enjoys investigating and reporting on the cross sections between automotive, lifestyle and culture. Ethan relishes the opportunity to explore how deep cars are intertwined within different industries and how they could affect both casual readers and car enthusiasts.

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