R2 Performance EPA Range Beats the Tesla Model Y Performance

The EPA just posted official numbers for the R2 Performance, and here’s the headline. On 21-inch wheels it does 105 MPGe combined and 330 miles of range. The Model Y Performance matches that 105 MPGe but tops out at 306 miles. So the R2 takes the number most people actually care about, which is range.

There’s a second R2 Performance config on the sheet too, the 20-inch all-terrain version, and it drops to 99 MPGe and 307 miles.

That reads a little backwards at first. The bigger 21-inch wheel is the more efficient pick here, not the smaller one.

It’s the all-terrain tires doing it. They grip better and they look the part, but you hand back about 23 miles of range and 6 MPGe to run them. Fine trade if that’s the look you want. Just know it’s there before you pick the chunky setup.

The thing I keep coming back to is just how efficient the R2 is. The Model Y has owned the top of these charts forever. For the R2 to land at the same 32 kWh per 100 miles while being taller and boxier, that’s not nothing.

Running costs come out about even. Both the 21-inch R2 and the Model Y sit at $700 a year and roughly a buck twenty to go 25 miles. So neither one really wins the electricity argument. It comes down to range and which one you’d rather own.

And these are just the Performance numbers, the thirstiest trim in the lineup. Dual-motor and the standard R2 should both do better once they get certified, so think of 330 as the floor here and not the ceiling. I’ll add those to the table whenever they show up. For now the R2 Performance matched the most efficient crossover out there and squeezed out a few extra miles, which is more than I expected from the spec sheet going in.

Shoutout to @Kanundrum for letting me know about this.