THE FINAL RECKONING
Range is key to EV ownership, so it’s important to reiterate that our test took place on a cold day, heaters and lights ablaze, and involved some spirited driving, so you’re looking at close to worst-case figures here.
But these figures are revealing, because officially the Tesla has the worst range on test at 318 miles. But our test shows it recorded a best-on-test efficiency figure of 2.9 miles per kWh, good for 175 miles of range. The BYD manages an inferior 2.14 miles per kWh, but its battery allows it to go fractionally longer than the Tesla at 177 miles. Polestar has never impressed when it comes to efficiency, so we hoped the refresh would make it more competitive, but sadly it slips from best officially to worst-on-test with 1.77 miles per kWh hour and a range of just 140 miles.
This all helps secure the win for the Tesla, which represents a sensible proposition when bought purely with your head, not least because of its sub-£40k pricing, spacious interior and large luggage compartments. The Model 3 win-win is that it also appeals to the heart with an appealing design, desirable image and a genuinely involving drive. Tesla has maintained the sparky character of the original while layering on more refinement. It is not perfect – we’d like a richer interior, and the ‘simplified’ control interface can be infuriating, but it’s the car I’d buy.
Ranking second and third positions is a tougher task. I prefer the look, image and handling of the Polestar 2 to the Seal, and its interior and driving position are superior to the Model 3’s. Zero per cent finance is another point in its favour. But the refinement, cramped rear packa
