Diesel, hybrid or electric: Which has the longest driving range?

The distance you can cover on a single charge is now the defining figure for how effective and, more importantly, convenient an EV is for everyday use.

But it’s not a measurement of how efficient the motors are, in the same way we use fuel consumption to compare traditional vehicles with an internal combustion engine.

Instead, it is the result of a complex equation between how much energy the motors consume compared to the overall capacity of the battery, while also taking into account the effects and limitations of regenerative braking power.

The end result creates a notional figure that makes EVs much simpler to compare and allows users to more easily understand how to plan their driving habits and predict their charging needs, which is important considering the sporadic network of infrastructure there is to support electric vehicles.

Which got us thinking: what if we applied the same formula to all types of vehicles to determine those with the longest driving range and find the cars that will get you further between stops.

We have lived with the internal combustion engine since the car was invented almost 150 years ago, and now take for granted the convenience of a quick refill at a widely-available service station.

Through advancements in technology and political pressures to reduce emissions, engines have become significantly more efficient over the years – especially in the last two decades.

But for this comparison, where we calculated the estimated driving range by dividing each vehicle’s official claimed average fuel consumption into its fuel capacity, the results are dictated by the size of the fuel tank rather than how efficient the engine is.

Unsurprisingly, our 10 ‘normal’ cars with the longest driving range are exclusively powered by turbo-diesel engines, with the outgoing Toyota Prado 150 Series topping the list predominantly because it has one of the largest fuel capacities on the market at 150 litres.

When combined with its 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel, which has official claimed average fuel consumption of 7.9L/100km, the Prado can theoretically travel almost 1900km between refills.

It’s not the car with the biggest fuel capacity though, as the 78 Series Toyota LandCruiser Troop Carrier has twin 90-litre tanks for a total volume of 180L.

Even though it uses the same engine in its most efficient form, the ‘Troopie’ is heavier, larger and less aerodynamic and therefore consumes more fuel, with an average of 9.6L/100km giving it a maximum theoretical driving range of 1875km.

There are five Toyota LandCruiser models in our list of top 10 vehicles with the longest driving range, with the 76 Series Wagon four-cylinder at number five (1354km) and the 300 Series LandCruiser and Lexus LX 500d twins at number nine (1235km).

Filling out the top step of the podium is the Audi Q5 35TDI mid-size luxury SUV with an ultra-efficient 2.0-litre turbo-diesel that consumes less than 5.0L/100km on average. With a 70-litre fuel tank, it can theoretically cover 1458km between refills.

Not far behind that in fourth place is the larger Q7 45TDI, which despite having a bigger engine can travel nearly as far (1408km) on a full tank of diesel, while the closely-related Volkswagen Toureg 170TDI, which is more efficient but has a slightly smaller tank, is sixth with 1323km.

The now-defunct Mazda CX-8 Sport AWD diesel comes in seventh with 1298km, followed by the Renault Trafic 2.0 Pro in short-wheelbase configuration providing small businesses and fleet operators with the most productive delivery van solution as it will remain on the road for approximately 1290km before it needs to stop for fuel.

Rounding out the top 10 vehicles with the longest driving range is the Audi A8 50TDI, which uses the same 3.0-litre twin-turbo diesel V6 as the Q7 and Toureg but only has a 72L fuel tank, delivering an estimated maximum range of 1220km – still more than enough to be chauffeured from Melbourne to Sydney in absolute luxury without stopping.

In the same way, we used an identical formula (fuel capacity divided by the official claimed average fuel consumption figure) to determine which hybrid-powered vehicles can travel the longest distance.

As the official Worldwide Light Vehicle Testing Protocol (WLTP) that measures fuel consumption takes into account the ability for conventional hybrids to optimise their short EV-only range and regenerative braking capacities, we will take these figures as the truest gauge of efficiency – unlike plug-in hybrids, which we will explain next.

Unsurprisingly, considering Toyota has been a pioneer of petrol-electric technology for more than 25 years and has an extensive array of hybrid vehicles, the Japanese car-maker dominates this list with seven entrants.

At the top of the list is the Lexus RX 350h 2WD Luxury, which pairs a lean-burning 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor and a decent 65-litre fuel tank to deliver around 1300km of range between refills.

The same powertrain is used in the Toyota Camry Hybrid (1190km), RAV4 Hybrid (1170km) and Kluger Hybrid (1160km), which come in seventh, ninth and 10th respectively, owing to the fact they each have different fuel capacities and are more or less efficient due to weight and aerodynamics.

The Kia Sorento GT-Line HEV has the second-longest hybrid vehicle driving range, with the ability to cover approximately 1264km on a full tank of fuel. It is marginally more efficient than the closely-related Hyundai Santa Fe Elite HEV, which comes in fifth at 1196km.

In between the Korean twins-under-the-skin is a pair of Lexus models, the sleek LC 500h F Sport and the uber-luxurious LS 500h F Sport limousine. which share the same powertrain that combines a 3.5-litre V6 with an electric motor. Both vehicles can theoretically cover more than 1200km before needing a top-up.

In sixth position is the Toyota Corolla Ascent Sport Hybrid, which has the most efficient powertrain in our top 10 with claimed average consumption of just 3.6L/100km. But it only has a 43L petrol tank, which means it can theoretically travel 1194km between refills.

Lastly, the Haval H6 Lux Hybrid mid-size SUV, which has the smallest petrol engine on our list – a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder assisted by a 130kW electric motor – comes in eighth position with a potential driving range of 1173km.

Now, here is where things get a little messy. Plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) provide the best of both worlds – more electric-only driving range than a conventional hybrid and the long-distance support of a petrol engine.

But the WLTP testing process doesn’t produce fuel consumption figures that truly replicate the real world.

So, in this case, we ignored the fanciful claimed averages and devised our own formula using the claimed fuel figures from the same model without a hybrid powertrain, divided by the fuel tank capacity, then added the claimed electric-only range and deducted five percent from the total range to compensate for the additional weight of the battery pack and electric motor.

It’s far less exact than with conventional cars powered by an internal combustion engine and series-hybrid vehicles, but significantly more accurate than taking the claimed figures on face value.

Besides, you could theoretically travel even further than our calculations if most of your driving is short inner-urban commutes using electric power alone and you recharge the battery daily.

In any case, it’s the newest plug-in model to arrive on Australian shores that takes our top spot for the longest driving range – the BYD Sea Lion 6 in base Dynamic two-wheel drive form, combining a 1.5-litre naturally-aspirated engine with an electric motor and an 18.3kWh battery to deliver maximum combined outputs of 145kW/300Nm and an EV-only range of up to 92km.

With a 60L fuel tank, the Sea Lion 6 2WD can theoretically travel 1143km between re-fills.

Iconic American off-road brand Jeep hasn’t been a poster child for fuel consumption, but its first dance in the petrol-electric landscape – the Grand Cherokee 4xe – comes second on our list with an estimated range of 1071km. It pairs a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine with an electric motor and 17.3kWh battery pack to produce 280kW/637Nm while being able to cover around 52km on electric power alone.

Next up is a trio of Land Rover PHEVs, the Range Rover Sport and Range Rover in P460e guise, which combines a 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 with an electric motor and large 38.2kWh battery, and the sleeker Range Rover Velar P400e, which has a 2.0-litre four-cylinder and smaller 17.1kWh battery. All have a similar outcome, covering 1070km, 1064km and 1054km respectively.

Not far behind them – and the only other PHEV with a theoretical maximum driving range beyond 1000km – is the Volvo XC60 T8 Recharge, which has a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder assisted by an electric motor to produce 340kW/709Nm.

With a recent update to its battery pack that increased capacity to 18.8kWh, it can travel up to 81km on electric power alone, giving it an estimated driving distance of 1015km on a single tank.

In seventh position is the Audi Q8 60TFSIe, which combines a 3.0-litre turbo-petrol V6 with an electric motor and 17.9kWh battery pack to generate combined outputs that almost mirror the Volvo (340kW/700Nm) despite the Swede having a smaller petrol engine. The German car maker claims the Q8 PHEV can travel up to 59km as an EV, giving it a theoretical driving distance of 982km.

Land Rover has another two models – the stylish Evoque Autobiography PHEV (957km) and the Defender P400e (943km) – in eighth and ninth, while the Alfa Romeo Tonale Veloce PHEV small SUV (909km) rounds out the top 10.

Coming back to fully electric vehicles makes our list a lot simpler to establish because their driving range is determined by the WLTP testing process and, subsequently, promoted by car-makers as a comparative tool for consumers.

Highlighting recent advances in battery technology and capacity, all of our top 10 EVs deliver more than 600km range on a full battery, with the facelifted Porsche Taycan large sedan, which is due to arrive in Australian showrooms soon, leading the charge (pun intended!) with a claimed maximum range of 678km for the entry-level RWD model.

It holds a significant advantage over the next best EV, with the BYD Seal RWD Premium mid-size sedan able to cover 650km before it needs to be recharged, closely followed by the Tesla Model 3 AWD Long Range medium sedan (629km) and two Polestar variants, the upcoming Polestar 3 Long Range large SUV at 631km and the recently-revised Polestar 2 Long Range Single Motor fastback sedan at 625km.

Sandwiched in between the Polestar 2 and the upcoming Polestar 4 mid-size SUV in Long Range Single Motor form (620km) in seventh is the all-new second-generation Porsche Macan medium SUV, which will deliver a claimed 624km of range in the entry-level model.

Coming in eighth is the polarising BMW iX xDrive 50e large SUV, which has the largest battery pack (112kWh) and the biggest outputs (385kW/765Nm) on our list, with a claimed driving range of 620km.

Rounding out the top 10 is the wind-cheating Hyundai IONIQ 6 RWD sedan that provides 614km of range, and the Ford Mustang Mach-E Premium RWD SUV, which has a claimed driving range of 600km.