Which plug-in hybrid car has the longest range?

The plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) is an ideal solution for motorists who spend most of their driving time travelling around 20km each way between work and home.

Maybe one weekend a month they crank up the petrol engine for a 400km journey down the coast to enjoy a relaxing night in the holiday home.

But most of the time they’re running around town, picking up the kids, shopping or commuting – on electric power alone.

As a bonus, the battery of a PHEV is small enough to recharge (relatively) quickly from the 10-Amp outlet in your garage – so you have all the advantages of owning a battery-electric vehicle and little of the recharging time inconvenience or the range anxiety in the event you have to travel further than usual.

There’s a cost factor too, which may work for you or not. Resale value may be an issue, if you plan to sell the PHEV within five years, but the actual ownership costs could just about offset that depreciation, provided you religiously recharge the vehicle every night and don’t rely on the petrol engine to recharge the battery instead.

One final question remains, however. If you drop off the kids at school 10km away before heading to work another 10km, and then retrace your steps for the evening commute home, will the battery hold enough charge for the day’s driving?

Or will you have to rely on petrol power for the last 5km of your journey home?

In our list below, we’ve brought together every PHEV currently available in Australia and their official battery-only driving range.

Bear in mind you’ll be carrying the kids with you, plus possibly their mates and perhaps some shopping picked up along the way.

So your real-world experience (also with lights, wipers and climate control operating too) may not reflect the official figures supplied by the car companies.

In fact, it’s very unlikely you’ll get anywhere near the range published by the federal government’s Green Vehicle Guide, but it is the best available data for comparison purposes.

If you’re buying a PHEV and plan to use it for its electric-only range more often than not, you may need to buy one that’s advertised with a range totalling your typical average daily driving distance plus about 10km.

Our list is arranged in descending order, from longest range to shortest.

We have separated models from mainstream and premium brands, and split them according to three categories – 100km or more, 56-99km and 55km or less.

Some of the cars listed are no longer available for sale new, but they can still be purchased on the used market. Those that aren’t currently sold new have been marked with an asterisk.

We’ve also included whether they run on premium (95RON) or regular unleaded petrol (91RON), which will make a difference to your running costs.

One other point to note: some cars like the BMW i3 REx are range-extender vehicles rather than plug-in hybrids in the truest definition. The Green Vehicle Guide makes no distinction between the two, but the BMW’s petrol engine is only there to charge the battery, not drive the wheels.

And that explains why the i3, with its diminutive two-cylinder engine and miniscule 9.0-litre tank, has so much space and payload for a larger battery and therefore significantly longer range.

Battery range 100km or more

Premium brands
BMW i3 REx 120Ah* – 95RON – 290km
BMW i3 S REx 120Ah* – 95RON – 285km
BMW i3 REx 94Ah* – 95RON – 225km
BMW i3 S REx 94Ah* – 95RON – 220km

Battery range 56-99km

Mainstream brands
Hyundai IONIQ PHEV – 91RON – 63km
MG HS PHEV – 95RON – 63km
Kia Niro PHEV S – 91RON – 58km
Kia Niro PHEV Sport – 91RON – 58km

Premium brands
BMW X5 xDrive45e – 95RON – 80km
Mercedes-Benz A 250e – 95RON – 73km
BMW 330e (G20) – 98RON – 57km
Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid Sports Turismo (G2 II) – 98RON – 56km
Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid (G2 II) – 98RON – 56km

Battery range 55km or less

Mainstream brands
Mitsubishi Outlander ES PHEV (21MY) – 91RON – 55km
Mitsubishi Outlander GSR PHEV (21MY) – 91RON – 55km
Mitsubishi Outlander Exceed PHEV (21MY) – 91RON – 55km
Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross Exceed PHEV (22MY) – 91RON – 55km
Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross Aspire PHEV (22MY) – 91RON – 55km
Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross ES PHEV (22MY) – 91RON – 55km

Premium brands
Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid LWB (G2 II) – 98RON – 55km
Porsche Panamera 4S E-Hybrid – 98RON (G2 II) – 54km
BMW 530e (G30) – 95RON – 54km
Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid (G2 II) – 98RON – 53km
Mercedes-Benz C 300e (205) – 95RON – 52km
BMW 745e (G11) – 95RON – 52km
Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid (G2)* – 95RON – 51km
Porsche Panamera Turismo 4 E-Hybrid (G2)* – 95RON – 51km
Porsche Panamera Turismo 4 E-Hybrid (G2)* – 95RON – 51km
Range Rover Sport 2.0L PHEV – 95RON – 51km
Mercedes-Benz E 300e (213)* – 95RON – 50km
MINI Cooper S E ALL4 Countryman (F60) – 95RON – 50km

Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid* – 95RON – 50km
Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid* – 95RON – 50km
Audi A3 Sportback e-tron 16 Inch Wheel* – 95RON – 49km
Mercedes-Benz GLC 300e 4MATIC (253) – 95RON – 49km
Porsche Panamera Turismo Turbo S E-Hybrid (G2) – 95RON – 49km
Porsche Panamera Turismo Turbo S E-Hybrid (G2) – 95RON – 49km
Porsche Panamera Turismo Turbo S E-Hybrid (G2) – 95RON – 49km
Mercedes-Benz E 300e (213)* – 95RON – 48km
Audi A3 Sportback e-tron (17-inch wheel)* – 95RON – 47km
Audi A3 Sportback e-tron (18-inch wheel)* – 95RON – 46km
Mercedes-Benz GLC 300e 4MATIC (253) – 95RON – 46km
BMW X3 xDrive30e (G01) – 95RON – 46km
Volvo XC40 T5 PHEV – 95RON – 44km
Volvo XC60 T8 Polestar – 95RON – 44km
Volvo XC90 T8 – 95RON – 43km
Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid (E3) n– 95RON – 42km
BMW i8 (I08) – 95RON – 37km
Mercedes-Benz C 350e (205)* – 95RON – 29km
Mercedes-Benz C 350Te (205)* – 95RON – 28km

*Models no longer available for sale new