The Longest-Range Tesla Will Do 402 Miles, But These EVs Have It Beat

Tesla’s sinking sales figures are a sign that prospective EV buyers clearly aren’t thrilled with CEO Elon Musk bankrolling Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign and his subsequent gutting of the federal government. Self-destructive authoritarian nationalism aside, Tesla’s lineup isn’t as appealing as it once was. While many industry experts are quick to tout the superiority of electric vehicles produced by Chinese manufacturers, they aren’t available to purchase in the United States. However, there are still plenty of EVs that can outclass a Tesla.

For EV enthusiasts and skeptics alike, range remains the end-all and be-all. The current Tesla Model S has a maximum range of 402 miles, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. If you disagree with that figure, take your argument up with what’s left of the federal government. The Model S, launched in 2012, remains the longest-range Tesla vehicle despite being the oldest still in production. It’s an indication of how Tesla has stagnated as an automaker. Using the EPA’s fuel economy website, let’s take a peek at the EVs with longer ranges than the aging sedan.

The base Silverado EV has significantly more range than the Cybertruck, Tesla’s polygonal pickup truck with 325 miles of range. The gap isn’t getting any smaller anytime soon because the promised $16,000 range extender has been removed from Tesla’s configurator, presumed dead. The Musk-led automaker initially delayed the additional battery pack until early 2025. The extender would have sat in the bed and pushed the range over 445 miles.

Rivian quickly established itself as a rival American all-electric manufacturer to Tesla. The second-generation R1S definitely raises the domestic standard as an SUV with 410 miles of range. The “Gen 2” R1S debuted this model year with over 600 new components and extensive optimizations. Rivian removed 1.6 miles of wiring and reduced the previous 17-ECU system to just seven.

I have made it no secret that the Lucid Air should be your go-to replacement for the Tesla Model S. The similarly priced Lucid Air Touring features slightly more range at 411 miles. Beyond range, both electric sedans are roughly equal in nearly every quantifiable metric, including top speed, 0-to-60-mph time and storage space.

The facelifted R1T features 420 miles of range. The available Max battery packs utilize higher-capacity cylindrical cells. The added capacity doesn’t mean owners are forced to spend significantly more time tethered to a charger. With fast-charging, the new Rivians can gain 140 miles of range in just 20 minutes. The manufacturer also ditched extruded aluminum for high-pressure die-casting to reduce the weight of the pack housing.

The Lucid Air Pure, the base trim for the electric sedan, unexpectedly has more range than the mid-tier Air Touring. However, the 420-mile Air Pure comes with some caveats. The Air Pure comes in a single-motor rear-wheel-drive configuration, compared to the Air Touring’s dual-motor all-wheel-drive layout. The Air Pure is absurdly efficient when you consider that it has a smaller battery.

Engineers at General Motors love pushing the limits of what they can offer the automaker’s customers in terms of range. The Silverado EV WT is the best example of this service philosophy. Yes, the work truck targeted at commercial customers has 422 miles of range. This isn’t even the end because we will return to the Silverado shortly.

The Lucid Air Sapphire might be on the list a little earlier than expected, but its staggering 1,234-horsepower output comes at a cost. Yes, there’s the $249,000 price tag, but the tri-motor layout makes the halo sedan an incredibly electricity-thirsty machine. To use Lucid’s terminology, the Air Sapphire uses a 22-module battery compared to the Air Touring’s 18 modules and the Air Pure’s 16 modules.

The top-of-the-range Chevrolet Silverado EV 8WT has an impressive 492 miles of range. Edmunds was able to surpass the EPA-rated mark to hit 539 miles of range. The truck is admittedly fitted with a massive 205-kWh battery pack. For comparison, the Tesla Model S has a 100-kWh battery. With over double the battery capacity, the behemoth pickup gets 90 more miles than the sedan.

The Lucid Air Grand Touring is arguably the gold standard of efficiency for luxury electric sedans available in the United States. No other EV in the country can beat 512 miles of range. Owners get the same substantial 22-module battery as the Air Sapphire with the modest dual-motor layout from the Air Touring. It also helps that the Air Grand Touring starts at $110,900, a deal compared to the $249,000 tri-motor monster.