# Median EPA range for new EVs climbed from 82 to 295 miles since 2012

> EPA ratings for every US all-electric model year show the typical range, not just the headline best case.

Tec N Trend data brief · 2026-10-07 · https://tecntrend.com/briefs/2026-10-07/ev-range

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.

## Key numbers
- Median EPA range, MY2026: 295 miles
- Middle half (p25–p75), MY2026: 270–321 miles
- Median EPA range, MY2012: 82 miles
- MY2026 configurations rated 308+ mi: 118 of 321 (37%)

## Chart: EPA-rated range of all-electric cars by model year
Data: https://tecntrend.com/briefs/2026-10-07/ev-range.json

## Sources
- [US DOE / EPA fueleconomy.gov vehicles.csv (atvType = EV, field 'range')](https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/epadata/vehicles.csv.zip) (public domain (US government), captured 2026-10-07)
- [Electrek on Hyundai Ioniq 3 UK launch](https://electrek.co/2026/10/05/hyundai-ioniq-3-offers-308-miles-range-starts-at-25000/) (news report, figures quoted not reproduced, captured 2026-10-07)
- News: [Hyundai’s electric hatch goes on sale with up to 308 miles of range, starting at about $25,000](https://electrek.co/2026/10/05/hyundai-ioniq-3-offers-308-miles-range-starts-at-25000/) (Electrek, 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.