These are two of the three most efficient cars in this database: 142 Wh/km for the Model 3, 149 for the Ioniq 6, with only the rear-drive Model 3 ahead of both at 133. Both are aerodynamic saloons built to make a modest battery go a long way, and they succeed. The Model 3 goes 60 km further between stops; the Ioniq 6 takes eleven minutes less to fill.
What actually differs
- Tesla Model 3 Long Range AWD goes 60 km further on the observed real-world figure than the Hyundai Ioniq 6 Long Range RWD.
- On the EPA highway cycle – the one that decides a long drive – Tesla Model 3 Long Range AWD is rated 34 km further than the Hyundai Ioniq 6 Long Range RWD.
- Tesla Model 3 Long Range AWD is 5% more efficient than the Hyundai Ioniq 6 Long Range RWD, which is what the electricity bill follows.
- Hyundai Ioniq 6 Long Range RWD charges from 10 to 80 per cent 11 minutes faster than the Tesla Model 3 Long Range AWD.
- Tesla Model 3 Long Range AWD carries 5 kWh more usable battery than the Hyundai Ioniq 6 Long Range RWD.
- Hyundai Ioniq 6 Long Range RWD has 2 more years of battery warranty than the Tesla Model 3 Long Range AWD.
- Tesla Model 3 Long Range AWD is 86 kg lighter than the Hyundai Ioniq 6 Long Range RWD.
- Tesla Model 3 Long Range AWD is 3 seconds quicker to 100 km/h than the Hyundai Ioniq 6 Long Range RWD.
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.
| Specification | Tesla Model 3 Long Range AWD Tesla | Hyundai Ioniq 6 Long Range RWD Hyundai |
|---|---|---|
| Market & identity | ||
| Curb weight | 4,187 lb | 4,376 lb |
| 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. | 79.0 kWh | 74.0 kWh |
| Thermal management Active liquid or direct-refrigerant cooling is the strongest single predictor of slow degradation and repeatable fast charging. | liquid-active | liquid-active |
| Pack voltage 800 V architectures hold high charging power for longer and waste less energy as heat. | — | 697 V |
| Capacity loss per year Rate for this vehicle class from published fleet datasets, not a measurement of this model and not a manufacturer claim. | 2.0% / 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. | 84% est | 84% est |
| Range & efficiency | ||
| EPA range US EPA combined cycle, the most conservative of the three official tests. | 346 mi | 342 mi |
| EPA range, city The city half of the EPA combined rating. Usually the higher of the two for an electric car. | 360 mi | 370 mi |
| EPA range, highway The highway half of the EPA combined rating, and the figure to plan a long drive around. | 329 mi | 308 mi |
| WLTP range European combined cycle, typically 15 to 25 percent more optimistic than EPA for the same car. | 445 mi | 382 mi |
| Observed real-world range Mixed-conditions figure from independent testing. This is the number that matters on a road trip. | 345 mi | 308 mi |
| EPA consumption | 26.4 kWh/100 mi | 26.0 kWh/100 mi |
| Real-world consumption | 229 Wh/mi | 240 Wh/mi |
| Charging | ||
| Peak DC power Held briefly, often only inside a narrow state-of-charge window. | 250 kW | 233 kW |
| 10 to 80 percent DC charge time The honest measure of fast-charging speed. | 28 min | 17 min |
| AC onboard charger Sets how fast the car fills up overnight at home. | 11 kW | 11 kW |
| DC connector (Europe) | CCS2 | CCS2 |
| 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 | CCS1 |
| Performance | ||
| Peak power | 366 kW | 168 kW |
| 0-60 mph | — | — |
| 0-100 km/h | 4.4 s | 7.4 s |
| Cost of ownership | ||
| Base MSRP (US) | — | $42,800 |
| Base price (EU) | €50,990 | €54,000 |
| Est. out-of-warranty pack replacement (US) | — | $12,200 est |
| Battery warranty | 8 yr | 10 yr |
| Est. 5-year residual value | — | — |
| Safety & risk | ||
| NHTSA overall rating | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| Euro NCAP overall rating | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| Battery or high-voltage recalls | 5 | 5 |
| Battery safety score | ||
| Composite score Our own composite of thermal management, cell chemistry, crash rating and recall record. Formula | 6.5 / 10 | 6.5 / 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.
Range: the Model 3 is genuinely ahead
555 km observed against 495 km, from 79 kWh against 74 kWh. The Model 3 has both the bigger battery and the lower consumption, so the 60 km gap is real rather than a rounding artefact. On the official numbers it is wider still: 716 km WLTP against 614, and 346 miles EPA against 342.
Note how much smaller the EPA gap is than the WLTP gap. That is the two test cycles disagreeing about the same pair of cars, which is exactly why this site prints both instead of averaging them into one misleading number.
Charging: seventeen minutes against 28
The Ioniq 6 runs 800 volts and completes 10 to 80 percent in seventeen minutes. The Model 3 is a 400-volt car and needs 28. Peak power is 233 kW against 250 kW — the Tesla peaks higher and still loses the window by eleven minutes, which is the clearest illustration on this site of why peak kW is close to meaningless on its own.
Combine the two and the picture is not obvious. The Model 3 needs fewer stops because it goes further; the Ioniq 6 spends less time at each one. Over 900 km the Model 3 stops once and the Ioniq 6 twice, and the total charging time comes out close enough that the deciding factor is which network you can rely on.
Performance and price
Not close. The Model 3 Long Range AWD makes 366 kW and 493 Nm through both axles for 0-100 km/h in 4.4 seconds. The Ioniq 6 Long Range RWD makes 168 kW and 350 Nm and takes 7.4 seconds. These are different kinds of car wearing similar aerodynamics.
In the UK the Ioniq 6 lists at £47,050 against the Model 3’s £49,990. In Germany and the Netherlands the Model 3 is the cheaper of the two at €50,990 against €54,000 — the same pair, opposite answers, which is why we publish market prices separately rather than converting one into the other.
Which one should you buy
Buy the Model 3 for the longest real-world range of any saloon here, all-wheel drive, and acceleration the Ioniq 6 cannot approach.
Buy the Ioniq 6 for the joint fastest charging in this database, level with the Kia EV6, 3.6 kW of vehicle-to-load, and — in the UK — about three thousand pounds saved.
Frequently asked questions
Which goes further in the real world?
The Model 3, at about 555 km observed against 495 km for the Ioniq 6 — roughly 60 km, or 12 percent.
Why does the Ioniq 6 charge faster if the Model 3 peaks higher?
Because peak power is held only briefly. The Ioniq 6’s 800-volt pack draws the same power at half the current, so its components run cooler and it sustains high power across a much wider state-of-charge window. The 10-80 percent time is the honest measure, and it reads seventeen minutes against 28.
Which is more efficient?
The Model 3, at 142 Wh/km against 149. Both are exceptional — these are the two lowest consumption figures in this database, and the gap between them is smaller than the gap between the Ioniq 6 and anything else here.
Where these numbers come from
Sources are credited per figure on the Tesla Model 3 Long Range AWD and Hyundai Ioniq 6 Long Range RWD pages, and the method behind any estimate is on the methodology page.