Pick two to four cars. Every row is a published figure with its source attached, and the better value in each row is marked. Switch between metric and imperial to see the market figures that actually apply to you.
What actually differs
- On the EPA highway cycle – the one that decides a long drive – Polestar 2 Single Motor is rated 21 km further than the Rivian R1T Dual Motor, Large pack.
Every line above is computed from the table below, not written: a difference is only stated where both cars carry that figure from a named source. Not compared, because at least one car has no sourced value: price, observed range, 10-80 per cent charging.
| Specification | Rivian R1T Dual Motor, Large pack Rivian | Polestar 2 Single Motor Polestar |
|---|---|---|
| Market & identity | ||
| Curb weight | — | — |
| Battery | ||
| Cell chemistry LFP tolerates daily charging to 100% and is the most thermally stable; NMC and NCA pack more energy per kilogram. | NMC | NMC |
| Usable capacity The figure every range and cost calculation on this site is based on. | — | — |
| Thermal management Active liquid or direct-refrigerant cooling is the strongest single predictor of slow degradation and repeatable fast charging. | liquid-active | — |
| Pack voltage 800 V architectures hold high charging power for longer and waste less energy as heat. | — | — |
| Capacity loss per year Rate for this vehicle class from published fleet datasets, not a measurement of this model and not a manufacturer claim. | 2.7% / year est | 2.0% / year est |
| Projected state of health at 8 years Modelled from the observed degradation rate at average annual mileage. An estimate, not a measurement. | 78% est | 84% est |
| Range & efficiency | ||
| EPA range US EPA combined cycle, the most conservative of the three official tests. | 300 mi | 314 mi |
| EPA range, city The city half of the EPA combined rating. Usually the higher of the two for an electric car. | 322 mi | 337 mi |
| EPA range, highway The highway half of the EPA combined rating, and the figure to plan a long drive around. | 273 mi | 286 mi |
| WLTP range European combined cycle, typically 15 to 25 percent more optimistic than EPA for the same car. | — | — |
| Observed real-world range Mixed-conditions figure from independent testing. This is the number that matters on a road trip. | — | — |
| EPA consumption | 42.9 kWh/100 mi | 29.6 kWh/100 mi |
| Real-world consumption | — | — |
| Charging | ||
| Peak DC power Held briefly, often only inside a narrow state-of-charge window. | — | — |
| 10 to 80 percent DC charge time The honest measure of fast-charging speed. | — | — |
| AC onboard charger Sets how fast the car fills up overnight at home. | — | — |
| DC connector (Europe) | — | — |
| DC connector (US) The plug fitted to the car as sold in the United States. Blank where we have not sourced it for that market. | NACS | — |
| Performance | ||
| Peak power | — | — |
| 0-60 mph | — | — |
| 0-100 km/h | — | — |
| Cost of ownership | ||
| Base MSRP (US) | — | — |
| Base price (EU) | — | — |
| Est. out-of-warranty pack replacement (US) | — | — |
| Battery warranty | 8 yr | 8 yr |
| Est. 5-year residual value | — | — |
| Safety & risk | ||
| NHTSA overall rating | — | 5/5 |
| Euro NCAP overall rating | — | — |
| Battery or high-voltage recalls | 2 | 3 |
| Battery safety score | ||
| Composite score Our own composite of thermal management, cell chemistry, crash rating and recall record. Formula | 7.1 / 10 | 6.3 / 10 |
highlighted marks the better figure for that row. Where a car is not sold in a market, its price and official range for that market are blank rather than converted. est marks a modelled value, explained on the methodology page.
How to read this table
EPA and WLTP are not the same test
The same car will show a bigger number under WLTP than under EPA, usually by fifteen to twenty-five percent. That is not one of them lying; they are different drive cycles run at different speeds and temperatures. We show both as published and never convert one into the other, because a converted EPA figure is not a WLTP figure and presenting it as one would be misleading. If a car is sold in only one market, the other row is simply blank.
Real-world range is the row that matters
Official figures are useful for comparing cars to each other under identical conditions. They are not a promise about your commute. The observed real-world row is a mixed-conditions figure from independent testing, and it is usually the number that decides whether a journey needs a charging stop.
Peak charging power is close to meaningless on its own
A car advertised at 350 kW may hold that figure for ninety seconds inside a narrow state-of-charge window. The ten to eighty percent time is what you actually stand around for, and it is the row worth reading. Pack voltage is the useful supporting detail: an 800-volt architecture generally sustains high power for longer and wastes less of it as heat.
What the estimate tag means
Some values cannot be measured, only modelled: what a pack will cost to replace in eight years, what the car will be worth at five, what capacity it will hold at the end of your ownership. Those rows carry an estimate tag, and the methodology page sets out exactly how each one is calculated. Nothing on this site presents a model as a measurement.
Each two-car comparison has its own address, so a pairing can be linked to and returned to. Comparisons of three or four cars work the same way but are left out of search results, because the combinations multiply faster than anyone is searching for them.
Every pairing on this site
21 two-car comparisons, each one worked through on its own page with the same sourced figures as the table above.
SUVs and crossovers
- Ford Mustang Mach-E vs Volkswagen ID.4
- Hyundai Ioniq 5 vs Ford Mustang Mach-E
- Hyundai Ioniq 5 vs Kia EV6
- Hyundai Ioniq 5 vs Nissan Ariya
- Hyundai Ioniq 5 vs Volkswagen ID.4
- Kia EV6 vs Ford Mustang Mach-E
- Kia EV6 vs Tesla Model Y
- Tesla Model Y vs Ford Mustang Mach-E
- Tesla Model Y vs Hyundai Ioniq 5
- Tesla Model Y vs Volkswagen ID.4
- Toyota bZ4X vs Hyundai Ioniq 5
- Volkswagen ID.4 vs Toyota bZ4X
Saloons and sedans
- BMW i4 vs Hyundai Ioniq 6
- Tesla Model 3 vs BMW i4
- Tesla Model 3 vs Hyundai Ioniq 6
- Tesla Model 3 vs Volkswagen ID.7
The same car, two trims
- Ford Mustang Mach-E Standard Range vs Extended Range
- Tesla Model 3 RWD vs Model 3 Long Range
- Tesla Model Y RWD vs Model Y Long Range