What was the first mass-produced electric car to achieve over 200 miles of range?

The Tesla Model S was the first mass-produced electric car to achieve over 200 miles of range.

Tesla began series production of the Model S in June 2012, transforming the image of electric cars from small urban runabouts into capable long-distance vehicles. Its early 85 kWh versions were rated at about 265 miles of range, comfortably exceeding the 200-mile milestone.

The Model S followed Tesla’s low-volume Roadster, which was based on the Lotus Elise and had a much shorter production run. The Model S instead used a dedicated four-door design, a large underfloor battery pack and a rapidly expanding Supercharger network. Those features helped make long-distance electric travel practical for more buyers.

A common mix-up is the Chevrolet Bolt, which arrived later and became notable as a more affordable 200-plus-mile EV. The Nissan Leaf and BMW i3 were important early electric cars, but their initial versions did not cross the 200-mile threshold. Range figures also vary by battery version, model year and testing standard.