These are the best electric cars for high-mileage U.S. drivers

For EV drivers with at-home chargers, every day begins with a full “tank” and little anxiety about needing to top up the car’s battery. But for people who don’t have access to a regular charging spot — and those who drive longer distances — minimizing time at a public charger is key.

Until recently, Tesla Inc. had a lock on charging convenience in the U.S. Not only do the carmaker’s Model 3 sedan and Model Y SUV offer a great deal on range — 330 miles for less than $50,000 — but Tesla’s vast charging network gave owners of its cars exclusive access to two thirds of America’s high-speed chargers. For many EV shoppers, the lack of public chargers took every other brand out of consideration.

That’s about to change. Most automakers will gain access to over 12,000 Tesla Superchargers starting in 2024, which means shoppers will have a lot more to consider when picking an electric model. They may start looking more favorably upon the other 17 EVs on the U.S. market that have a range of more than 300 miles (though only three of those are priced below $50,000).

But choosing an EV isn’t just about how far the car can drive between charges. Equally important, and often overlooked, is how quickly a battery can be replenished. Some EVs can add 100 miles of range in less than a quarter of the time it takes others — even using the same charger. Here, too, Tesla’s supremacy is no longer absolute.

To assess charging speed, analysts at Edmunds recently tested dozens of vehicles in the U.S. by charging them from 10% to 80% at high-speed chargers. They then determined how long, on average, it takes to add 100 miles of driving, based on the real-world driving efficiency for each vehicle. Results ranged from less than 7.5 minutes for the Hyundai Ioniq 6 to almost 35 minutes for the Chevy Bolt EUV. (Tesla’s Model 3 came in sixth, at 10.6 minutes).

“The conversation now is going past range, which dominated for so long,” says Jessica Caldwell, head of insights for Edmunds. “It’s range, it’s infrastructure, it’s how long these cars take to charge.”

Charging an EV battery isn’t as simple as putting a hose in a gasoline tank. To start, some vehicles can accept more power than others. The latest generation of Superchargers is capable of supplying up to 350 kilowatts, for example, but many cars — including Ford’s Mustang Mach-E SUV and F-150 Lightning pickup — top out at less than half of that.