Most Efficient EV Top 10 – The 110+ MPGe Club

When trying to determine the most efficient EV, many look at just total driving range.

But that’s not the end all, be all for electric vehicles. How far an EV can drive on a single charge has as much to do with the size of a vehicle’s battery as it does with how efficiently it’s using that electricity. Much like how an internal combustion powered vehicle’s gas tank size is as much of a factor as the vehicle’s MPG.

What we are focusing on here is an EVs ability to drive the furthest using the least amount of electricity. Basically, if all EVs had the exact same amount electricity stored in their batteries, which could travel the furthest. What EV will cost you the least amount of money per mile as far electricity is concerned?

Thankfully, there is already an official measurement for this known as Mile Pre Gallon Equivalent, or MPGe for short. Below we have gathered a list of the top 10 most efficient EVs based on their official MPGe ratings. As we are still in the dawn of electric vehicles, it is surprising to see some heavy, high powered vehicles on this list. Read on to see what made the top 10.

Continuing the high-riding EV theme, we have the Kia EV6 next on our list. As a corporate cousin to the Hyundai Ioniq 5, it’s no surprise it achieves similar levels of efficiency. But unlike the Ioniq 5, two drivetrain combinations of the EV6 are officially rated at 117 MPGe; the RWD Standard Range and RWD Long Range. The Standard Range uses a 167 hp motor while the long range utilizes a more powerful 225 hp electric motor. Of course, there is a price increase to purchase the more powerful Long Range. But with a greater driving range and same efficiency, it seems well worth the price.

Seeing a Tesla on this list was a forgone conclusion. In fact three Teslas make the list in total. The first entry is the regular Tesla Model S trim that can achieve 120 MPGe, which helps it travel upwards of 405 miles on a single charge. Part of the Model S’ success lies in its slippery shape that gives the car one of the highest MPGe ratings on the highway, period. But maybe the most impressive part of this Tesla’s efficiency has to be that some versions of the bonkers 1,020 hp Model S Plaid can still achieve 116 MPGe.

Tying the Model S is something completed different; the Hyundai Kona Electric. The only vehicle on this list that isn’t a dedicated EV, the Kona comes in many different styles, including one that only uses an electric motor. Powering the front wheels is a 201 hp motor that can deliver 120 MPGe in this small crossover. Unlike the Tesla, the Hyundai achieves this combined rating thanks to its highly efficient rating around the city, rather than the highway.

Finishing up the three-way for fourth is the Chevrolet Bolt EV. Unlike the Hyundai Kona, the Bolt EV is a small hatchback car, and not a subcompact crossover. But there still are plenty of similarities between the Kona and Bolt EV. For starters, this small Chevy uses an electric motor powering the front wheels that produces a nearly identical 200 hp. It also achieves its high 120 MPGe combined rating by being ultra efficient in the city. The footprints of the two vehicles aren’t that much different either.

The second Tesla featured on this list, and the highest finishing SUV, is the Model Y. Although there have been even more efficient rear-wheel drive offerings in the past, currently Tesla offers the Model Y in one of two all-wheel drive trim levels. The most efficient of the two is the Model Y Long Range AWD that can achieve 120 MPGe – a number that’s quite impressive for a vehicle capable of shoehorning up to seven passengers aboard.

Taking top spot on this list is the car brand most synonymous with electric vehicles; Tesla. The compact Model 3 has been around for awhile now and Tesla offers it in three trim levels. The most efficient of the trio is the rear-wheel drive model that features the standard battery, 272 miles of range and an impressive 132 MPGe rating. But maybe the best overall model is the Model 3 Long Range AWD that not only adds all-wheel, but also increase power and improves driving range to 358 miles. So, what’s the efficiency penalty for all this? Just 1 MPGe as the Model 3 Longe Range AWD is still rated at a massive 131 MPGe.