Car range comparison: how far does each car really go?

How to read the result

Range is simply capacity ÷ efficiency: a bigger battery or tank, or a more efficient car, goes further. For an EV that's the usable battery (kWh) and its consumption; for a petrol, diesel, LPG or hybrid car it's the tank (litres) and its economy. A plug-in hybrid has both, so its total range is the electric range plus the engine range. Running cost (per 100 km, or 100 mi in imperial units) uses the energy prices below — electricity for the battery, fuel for the tank — so you can see which car is cheapest to drive, not just which goes furthest.

Frequently asked questions

How is the range calculated?

Range = capacity ÷ efficiency × 100. Enter any two of capacity, efficiency and range and the third follows. For an EV the capacity is the usable battery in kWh; for a combustion car it's the fuel tank in litres.

How is a plug-in hybrid handled?

A plug-in hybrid is modelled as two ranges added together: an electric range from the battery and an engine range from the fuel tank. The total is how far it goes on a full charge and a full tank combined.

Why does the cheapest car differ from the one with the longest range?

Range depends on how much energy the car carries; running cost depends on how much that energy costs per distance. Electricity is usually far cheaper per mile than petrol or diesel, so an EV can be cheapest to run even when a fuel car goes further on a tank.

Where do the default numbers come from?

Each fuel type fills in typical capacity, efficiency and price values, and the prices match your selected region. They're sensible starting points, not exact figures for any one model — edit anything to match the cars you're comparing.