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AUTOBEST’s 2026 ECOBEST Challenge found that all 15 tested EVs continued moving after their dashboards showed zero range or 0% battery charge. They averaged 10 miles (16 km) before stopping, with results ranging from 0.6 miles (1 km) in the Xpeng P7+ to 19.9 miles (32 km) in the Leapmotor B10. The test does not show how much usable energy each car had left or how quickly it drove after the warning.
All 15 electric vehicles in AUTOBEST’s 2026 ECOBEST Challenge kept moving after their dashboards showed zero range or 0% charge, traveling an average of 10 miles (16 km) before stopping. The result shows that an empty reading can leave some distance in reserve, but the amount varied sharply: the Leapmotor B10 covered 19.9 miles (32 km), while the Xpeng P7+ went just 0.6 miles (1 km).
The Leapmotor B10 recorded the longest distance after the empty indication, narrowly ahead of the Tesla Model Y, which traveled 19.3 miles (31 km). At the low end, the Xpeng P7+ stopped after 0.6 miles (1 km). Across the 15 vehicles, the reported average was 10 miles (16 km). These figures describe distance after the dashboard’s empty indication, not a guaranteed reserve for other vehicles or driving conditions.
For the group test, journalists drove production-spec EVs in convoy on a route near Milan that included city streets, country roads and highways. A lead car set the pace, and drivers switched vehicles every 19 miles (30 km) to reduce differences attributable to driving style. Each car carried only its driver, ran in standard rather than Eco mode, used climate control and had tires at recommended pressures. Temperatures were between 68 and 77°F (20–25°C).
On the final stretch at Quattroruote’s Vairano proving ground, drivers continued until their cars could no longer move under their own power. The test measured the distance from the point the display showed zero range or 0% charge to that stopping point. A Zeekr 7GT support vehicle used its vehicle-to-load function to help restart cars that had stopped.
Why Empty Readings Vary
The results matter to drivers because zero on the dashboard is not a consistent measure of how much distance remains. A short reserve could help someone reach a nearby charger, but the difference between 0.6 miles and nearly 20 miles in this test shows why drivers should not assume they can count on a particular buffer.
The measurements also should not be treated as a practical safety margin. The reported distances do not establish how far an individual car would travel in cold weather, at highway speeds, with passengers or cargo, or with different climate-control use. A driver who reaches zero may have fewer safe places to stop or fewer charging options than the controlled test route provided.
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How EVs Reach Displayed Zero
An EV’s state-of-charge percentage and estimated driving range are related but distinct readings. The percentage estimates remaining usable charge, while the range display predicts how far the car may travel with that energy. They can reach zero at different times, and the prediction can change with driving conditions.
Cars also retain a battery protection buffer. As cell voltage falls, the vehicle can limit or cut motor power before the battery is drained to a level that could damage it. That does not mean the remaining energy is available as a dependable driving reserve: the car may stop moving while energy remains in the pack. AUTOBEST’s test builds on that distinction by measuring distance after the displayed warning, rather than measuring the battery’s remaining energy directly.
“All 15 EVs that took part in the group test kept moving after their dashboards showed empty, averaging 10 miles (16 km) before they stopped.”
— AUTOBEST’s 2026 ECOBEST Challenge, as reported by InsideEVs
What the Test Leaves Unmeasured
The published results do not provide the usable energy remaining when each car first showed zero, or the speed each vehicle maintained afterward. Distance alone therefore cannot show how much battery reserve one model had compared with another. Although the B10 traveled about 32 times as far as the P7+ after the warning, that does not mean it had 32 times as much energy left.
The account also does not establish how the results would change with different temperatures, speeds, road grades, loads or traffic. The convoy and proving-ground test offered a shared set of conditions, but its figures are not a prediction for every owner’s trip. The source does not report whether the vehicles displayed zero range, 0% charge, or both at precisely the same moment in every case.
What Drivers Should Do
The test offers a comparison of these 15 vehicles under the reported conditions, but it does not provide a dependable rule for how far any EV can travel after empty. Drivers should treat a zero-range warning as a signal to find a safe charging option promptly, not as a promise of extra miles. The distance remaining in a particular car can depend on its model and current driving conditions.
Further comparisons would be more informative if they reported remaining battery energy and post-warning speed alongside distance, and repeated tests across a wider range of temperatures and driving situations. Until such details are available, the published figures remain a snapshot of one group test, not a universal reserve estimate.
Key Questions
How far did the 15 EVs travel after showing empty?
They traveled an average of 10 miles (16 km) after the dashboard showed zero range or 0% charge, according to the 2026 ECOBEST Challenge results.
Which EV went the farthest after the warning?
The Leapmotor B10 traveled 19.9 miles (32 km), followed by the Tesla Model Y at 19.3 miles (31 km).
Which EV stopped soonest?
The Xpeng P7+ traveled 0.6 miles (1 km) after the empty indication before it stopped.
Does 0% mean an EV battery is completely drained?
No. The vehicle can retain energy in its pack while limiting or cutting motor power to protect the battery. The test did not measure how much usable energy remained in each car when its display reached zero.
Can drivers rely on the test’s average as a reserve?
No. The 10-mile average is a result from a specific group test, not a guarantee for an individual car. The reported distances varied widely and may not apply under different driving or weather conditions.
Source: insideevs.com
