Despite the fact that the electric car was not invented until 1881 (credit goes to Gustav Truve), the era of contemporary electric vehicles is frequently credited to the General Motors EV1 coupe (1996-1999, 1117 units). Its design underwent modifications during its release, resulting in increasing battery capacities from 16.5 kWh to 18.7 kWh to 26.4 kWh in later iterations. The former limited one-charge travel to 90 kilometers, while the latter offered the possibility of covering the entire 230 kilometers with extreme caution on the gas key.
EV1 owners were already content with the ability to operate their vehicles on electricity. The program's termination, the seizure of the rented vehicles, and their subsequent destruction sparked a surge of public outrage, even being the subject of the 2006 documentary "Who Killed the Electric Car?
Subsequent to the EV1, the first generation Nissan Leaf (2010) marked a significant milestone with its 24 kWh battery, which, by contemporary standards, was relatively modest but provided a range of 117-175 km, depending on the method of measurement. It was, in fact, the initial mass-produced electric passenger vehicle. Annually, it was sold out of tens of thousands. As of the release of the second generation in 2017, the initial generation had surpassed 280,000 units in circulation. Nevertheless, the energy reserve can be utilized in a variety of methods. The contemporary Citroen Ami quadricycle can travel 75 kilometers on a modest 5.5 kWh battery. Such is the case with magnitude.
The groundbreaking Nissan Leaf (2010) and the compact Citroen Ami (2020).
Consider injecting some practicality. Leaders among the "middle peasants": electric vehicle models that are reasonably priced (in comparison to other models) and offer the option of solid batteries in older equipment (with the exact capacities of traction batteries, in kilowatt-hours, denoted in parentheses). These include, for instance:
- Kia EV6 / Hyundai Ioniq 5 ( 77.4 );
- Volvo XC40 Recharge / C40 Recharge ( 78 );
- Xpeng P7 ( 80.9 );
- Volkswagen ID.3 / ID.4 ( 82 );
- Tesla Model 3 ( 82 );
- Ford Mustang Mach-E ( 98.7 ).
EV6, C40 Recharge, P7, ID.4, Model 3, Mustang Mach-E.
In this regard, not even the remarkable Lucid Air Dream Edition Range, which features an entire 118 kWh of internal energy (12 of which are in use), ranks first in the analyzed metric. However, in a lean attempt for the distance record, it is capable of traveling 1106.2 kilometers on a single charge, as opposed to the 836 kilometers required by EPA regulations. This is due to its high efficiency.
The Mercedes EQS and EQS SUV are distinguished by their 120 kWh of total traction battery capacity, of which 107.8 kWh is functional. The battery capacity of the Rolls-Royce Specter, which was just introduced, is comparable at 120 kWh total and 110 kWh functional. Nevertheless, the Rimac Nevera coupe, the quickest production electric vehicle in the world at 412 km/h, surpasses them marginally: it has a total battery capacity of 130 kWh, of which 120 kWh are operational.
These are not all instances of individuals "whose kWh exceeds 100 kWh"; thus, as a countdown, we establish an even higher standard: 140 kWh or more. Consequently, the rating is as follows.
Top 14 Zeekr 009
The most recent Chinese minivan, the Zeekr 009, features a 140 kWh battery in its most advanced configuration. They are 822 kilometers long on the CLTC test cycle. Not shabby for a six-seater vehicle measuring 5.2 meters in length. Possibly the market leader in the minivan segment.
