Race Report: Sprinting from Coast to Coast In 9 Long-Range EVs!

If you’re the type that worries about running out of battery, stop reading now—we just completed an epic all-electric race where range anxiety wasn’t a factor, but a necessity. Our friends at Out of Spec Studios assembled today’s most impressive EVs to determine the ultimate road tripper, and we were invited along to participate. They picked a worthy course to put them to the test: cross-country from Seattle to Boston on Interstate 90.

This 3,000-mile race wasn’t one of outright ground speed; driving more than 10 mph above the speed limit (85-mph max) was against the rules. Rather, this was a challenge of range and charging. Each vehicle’s team of three took turns driving, sleeping, and strategizing to spend as little time plugged in and as much time moving forward as possible.

At 46 hours, 28 minutes, the winning EV crossed the finish line barely two hours behind a gas-powered control vehicle. The last-place EV needed another 19 hours to make it. We won’t spoil the results—watch Out of Spec’s videos for those—but will share each team’s insights on everything learned along the way. The common conclusion is that EV road tripping is better than ever, and range anxiety is becoming a thing of the past.

Lucid Air

In Grand Touring spec, the Lucid Air can travel more than 500 miles on a charge. That should give it a clear advantage in a cross-country road trip, right? Sort of. Like every EV, how fast it charges reduces as the battery fills up, so reaching that range requires being plugged in for a long time. With a low battery, the Air hits an excellent maximum charge rate, which tapers off before plummeting at about 50 percent. That’s all time spent not moving forward, so in a race like this it’s key to unplug with just enough juice to reach the next strategically optimal charger. Regardless of the Air’s charge level, its canopy windshield, vigorous massage seats, and luxurious cabin make it a sublime place way to cross the country. Lucid still needs to refine its driver assist features but not how the Air drives in the first place. Clearly, though, its specs don’t tell the whole story.

Tesla Model 3

Arguably the benchmark electric car, the Model 3 would be expected to do well in this contest. Access to Tesla’s vast Supercharger network was a benefit, but less than you might expect. Along I-90, many Superchargers are equipped with older hardware that doesn’t charge very quickly. Tesla’s charge routing wasn’t always helpful, sometimes seeking slower chargers when faster ones were within reach or recalculating its state of charge midroute so the team would have to devise new plans. Otherwise, the updated Model 3 is an improvement over the original, pleasing the team with its smooth ride, quieter interior, heated and ventilated seats, and great stereo. Autopilot driver assist features proved useful on long stretches of highway. The all-around benchmark it may be, but is the Model 3 the best electric road-trip car?

Genesis G80 Electric

Based on a combustion-powered car, the G80 Electric offers a certain familiarity in its looks and driving manners. But its range would frustrate anyone whether they’re accustomed to gasoline or electricity. That’s compounded by the G80’s unimpressive infotainment and lackluster charge planning, which is outsmarted by drivers familiar with the ways of EV road tripping. At least it charges fine once it plugs in. When it’s on the road again, though, its driver assist systems prove clumsy. Ride quality is smooth, but there’s quite a lot of road noise for a luxury EV. Despite attractive design and materials, the G80’s interior is squeezed by how the battery pack raises the floor height. Electrical hardware reduces trunk space, too, and there’s no frunk. The G80 Electric indicates that building a great EV requires a ground-up approach.

Porsche Taycan

Porsche’s first EV has a sporty spirit that suits it to back roads but perhaps not comfortable cruising. With bolstered seats and a focused cockpit, the Taycan proves snug for the team of three and their things. Although the Taycan isn’t a range leader, Porsche upgraded its electrical system for 2025, allowing the battery to recharge at blazing speeds. Additionally, clever efficiency tricks like dimming the headlights in the economical Range driving mode help consume less power. The car’s on-route charge planning was merely adequate, perhaps a bit conservative for a challenge like this—then again, when the Taycan’s battery hits zero percent, it means it, unlike many other EVs that keep an emergency buffer. So although the Taycan might not be optimized for long-distance luxury, it’s equipped with impressive technology to make short work of charge stops.

Hyundai Ioniq 6

One thing undermines road-trip viability for the Ioniq 6. That’s too bad, because its useful driver assist features, composed ride, and quiet, spacious cabin otherwise make it nice for long-distance cruising. Range and charging were impressive, too, but despite its battery capabilities, the Ioniq 6 is hamstrung by Hyundai’s inadequate on-route charge planning. It’s excessively conservative about running the battery low, leaving many miles in the pack when it could drive farther to reach a charger. Following its advice would add time to a road trip. That’s compounded by its inability to locate chargers that clearly exist. Accordingly, the team used the old-fashioned way to determine its charging strategy, relying on network apps and crowdsourced websites. It’s a surprising shortcoming for such a well-executed EV.

Tesla Model S Plaid

Epic power isn’t the first priority for a long-distance drive, but the Model S Plaid’s incredible acceleration delighted its drivers—scooting out of a charge stop or passing traffic was all too easy. In a sprint, the Plaid would crush every competitor, but in this cross-country marathon the car’s other capabilities—comfort, range, and charging speed—were only good, not great. Tesla’s built-in route planning could also be better, as it only shows Superchargers, not the CCS chargers from other providers that the team often relied on along the way. Inexplicably, there were times when the Plaid’s driver assist features refused to work. Although the Plaid remains one of the world’s quickest cars, this fundamental Model S architecture is getting old, and aspects of that age were evident in how it performed in its finishing position.

BMW i7

The BMW i7 is at once perfectly suited and disastrously underequipped for a long-distance drive. Its luxury verges on epic, as its massive cabin is filled with plush seats, fantastic materials, and futuristic tech. Few vehicles move more elegantly than the i7, which feels like it glides over pavement and blocks out nearly every sound from the outside world—it would keep its occupants comfortable on a road trip twice as long. Yet the i7’s electrical system has a bizarre charging strategy that seriously curtails its ability to cover ground. After a certain amount of kWh gained within a certain timeframe, its maximum charge rate reduces more with each successive session. Accordingly, those sessions take longer and longer. Although this constraint is unlikely to affect anyone road tripping at a more normal pace, it impacted the i7’s result in this contest. At least the car itself is so damn nice.

Mercedes-Benz EQS-Class

If the team driving the Mercedes-Benz EQS-Class made any mistake, it wasn’t trusting the car enough. Had they obeyed its instructions of where to charge and for how long, they would’ve been better off. The EQS’ navigation system is very smart with charging strategy, considering many factors a human would when choosing where to plug in, such as distance off-route, charger speed, and nearby amenities. How the huge Hyperscreen allowed the front passenger to work as a co-pilot proved additionally useful. Although its maximum charge rate isn’t exceptional, that the EQS holds that rate through a session helps it gain range effectively. Even if its range was half of what it is, the EQS would remain a terrific road tripper on account of its comfort, quietude, and refinement—despite using a new power source for Mercedes, the EQS has all the automaker’s luxuries.

Tesla Model S 85

To show how far EVs have come, a decade-old Tesla Model S joined in the race. With its tired battery and previous-generation charging hardware, the old Model S didn’t stand a chance of winning. But it was, at least, consistent and reliable, working as well as it could within its confined range. An aged EV like this might be better suited for local duty, but for drivers who can take their time on a road trip, it’s still a viable option. The Model S 85 indicated how advanced the other EVs in the contest were and how battery degradation isn’t as scary as it’s made out to be.