{"slug":"ev-range","date":"2026-10-07","channel":"machines","layout":"number","title":"Median EPA range for new EVs climbed from 82 to 295 miles since 2012","dek":"EPA ratings for every US all-electric model year show the typical range, not just the headline best case.","body":["Hyundai has opened UK and European orders for the Ioniq 3 hatchback from about $25,000, and Electrek says the 61 kWh version is rated up to 308 miles on the WLTP test. That is a European rating, not an EPA one.","In the EPA database, the median rated range of all-electric configurations for model year 2026 is 295 miles, and the middle half of them sit between 270 and 321 miles. In 2012 the median was 82 miles. About 37% of 2026 configurations (118 of 321) are rated at 308 miles or more by the EPA.","So 308 miles is no longer unusual at the top end, but at roughly $25,000 it would be unusually cheap. WLTP numbers are generally more generous than EPA ones, so US buyers should wait for an EPA label."],"facts":[{"label":"Median EPA range, MY2026","value":"295 miles"},{"label":"Middle half (p25–p75), MY2026","value":"270–321 miles"},{"label":"Median EPA range, MY2012","value":"82 miles"},{"label":"MY2026 configurations rated 308+ mi","value":"118 of 321 (37%)"}],"chart":{"type":"line","title":"EPA-rated range of all-electric cars by model year","unit":"miles","x":[2012,2013,2014,2015,2016,2017,2018,2019,2020,2021,2022,2023,2024,2025,2026],"xType":"year","yZero":true,"series":[{"name":"Median range","values":[82,84.5,84,90,218,205,212.5,239,258.5,239,258,270,282.5,289,295],"hi":true}],"band":{"lo":[70.2,69.8,78.5,82.2,84,96.5,113.2,153,215.8,211.5,226,232.8,250.2,258,270],"hi":[107.8,121,115,253,258,258.5,290.5,302.5,315.8,285,312,310.2,313.8,317,321],"name":"p25–p75"},"marks":[{"x":2026,"label":"Hyundai Ioniq 3 61 kWh: 308 mi WLTP (UK, not EPA)"}]},"sources":[{"name":"US DOE / EPA fueleconomy.gov vehicles.csv (atvType = EV, field 'range')","url":"https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/epadata/vehicles.csv.zip","licence":"public domain (US government)","captured":"2026-10-07","class":"primary"},{"name":"Electrek on Hyundai Ioniq 3 UK launch","url":"https://electrek.co/2026/10/05/hyundai-ioniq-3-offers-308-miles-range-starts-at-25000/","licence":"news report, figures quoted not reproduced","captured":"2026-10-07","class":"published-report"}],"news":[{"title":"Hyundai’s electric hatch goes on sale with up to 308 miles of range, starting at about $25,000","source":"Electrek","url":"https://electrek.co/2026/10/05/hyundai-ioniq-3-offers-308-miles-range-starts-at-25000/","published":"2026-10-05"}],"caveats":["Each row in the EPA file is a vehicle configuration (trim, battery, drive), not a sales-weighted model, so the median describes the menu of options, not what people buy. Counts: 8 in 2012, 89 in 2022, 321 in 2026.","Model year 2027 (171 configurations so far) is incomplete and excluded; the 2026 figures may still change as the EPA adds entries.","The Ioniq 3 308 miles is a WLTP figure for the UK/EU version, shown only as a mark. It has no EPA rating and is not in the dataset. WLTP and EPA are different test cycles.","Early years have few models (4 to 18 per year before 2016), so the band is wide and jumps in 2016 when longer-range cars arrived."],"photo":{"credit":"Cedé Joey / Pexels","licence":"Pexels","page":"https://www.pexels.com/photo/sleek-electric-car-speeding-down-the-road-31160273/","alt":"A modern electric car in motion on a highway, showcasing speed and innovation.","src1280":"/media/briefs/ev-range-1280.avif","bytes1280":18195,"w":1280,"h":853,"src640":"/media/briefs/ev-range-640.avif","bytes640":7788,"originalBytes":117119},"og":"/media/briefs/ev-range-og.png","ogBytes":16834,"indexable":true,"gateNotes":[],"url":"https://tecntrend.com/briefs/2026-10-07/ev-range","licence":"Text and chart CC BY 4.0 Tec N Trend; underlying data per source licence"}