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All 15 EVs in AUTOBEST’s 2026 ECOBEST Challenge kept moving after their dashboards showed zero remaining range or 0% charge. They averaged 10 miles (16 km) before stopping, but results ranged from 0.6 miles (1 km) for the Xpeng P7+ to 19.9 miles (32 km) for the Leapmotor B10.
All 15 electric vehicles in AUTOBEST’s 2026 ECOBEST Challenge continued driving after their dashboards showed zero range or 0% charge, covering an average of 10 miles (16 km) before they stopped. The distance varied sharply: the Leapmotor B10 went 19.9 miles (32 km), while the Xpeng P7+ managed just 0.6 miles (1 km), according to the test results reported by InsideEVs.
The Leapmotor B10 recorded the longest distance, narrowly ahead of the Tesla Model Y, which traveled 19.3 miles (31 km) after its display reached empty. At the other end of the results, the Xpeng P7+ stopped after 0.6 miles (1 km). The figures describe distance after the dashboard’s zero point in this test; they do not establish how much usable energy remained in each vehicle at that moment.
For the test, automotive journalists drove the production-spec cars in a convoy near Milan, Italy, on a route combining city streets, country roads and highways. A lead vehicle set the pace, and drivers switched cars every 19 miles (30 km) to reduce the effect of individual driving styles. Each EV carried only its driver, ran in standard rather than Eco mode, had climate control on, and used tires at the recommended pressures. Temperatures were reported at 68–77°F (20–25°C).
When a vehicle displayed zero range or 0% charge, its driver continued until it could no longer move under its own power. The final stretch took place at Quattroruote’s Vairano proving ground. A Zeekr 7GT support vehicle used its vehicle-to-load function to help restart cars that stopped, according to the report.
Why the reserve varies by model
The results show why a driver should not treat the distance after a zero reading as a dependable extension of an EV’s range. In this particular test, the gap between the longest result of 19.9 miles and the shortest of 0.6 miles was substantial. A driver several miles from a charger could have very different outcomes depending on the vehicle and conditions.
The figures may help explain what happened during this controlled test, but they are not a guarantee for everyday driving. Speed, route, temperature, load and vehicle condition can affect energy use, and the published results do not provide a universal reserve figure for any model. Drivers should use the displayed range to plan for a charger rather than assume the car can cover extra miles after zero.
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What an EV’s zero reading means
A dashboard reading of 0% charge and zero miles of predicted range does not necessarily mean those two indicators reach zero at the same moment. The range display estimates how far the available energy may take the car, while the charge percentage estimates the battery’s state of charge. As the InsideEVs report explains, a vehicle can show 0% while still predicting some distance, or show zero predicted miles while its charge display has not yet reached 0%.
EVs also retain a battery protection buffer. The car limits power and eventually stops before the cells fall to a level that could harm them; a vehicle that can no longer drive is not necessarily electrically depleted to the last possible amount. That safeguard does not mean the remaining energy is available as a predictable or driver-controlled reserve.
InsideEVs cited a separate range test in which a Tesla Model 3 still displayed 2 miles (3.2 km) when its charge reached 0%, then traveled 31 miles (50 km) afterward. That is a result from a different test and vehicle, not a benchmark that can be applied to the 15 cars in AUTOBEST’s challenge.
“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 ECOBEST Challenge results, as reported by InsideEVs
Limits of the published test data
The results table, as described by InsideEVs, gives the distance each vehicle traveled after its display reached zero, but not the usable energy remaining at that point or the speed maintained afterward. The distance alone cannot show how much battery reserve each car had, or explain why one model traveled farther than another.
The test also does not establish how the vehicles would perform in other weather, at different speeds, with passengers or cargo, or on a different route. Its average is based on 15 vehicles in the reported test; it should not be read as a guaranteed distance for other examples of those models or for EVs generally. The source material does not provide enough detail to quantify how each of those factors affected the results.
Plan around a reachable charger
The report provides test results, but the supplied material does not announce a follow-up test or another scheduled milestone. Drivers who see zero range should treat the car’s warning as a sign to find a safe charging option or roadside assistance, not as a promise that a particular number of miles remains. The test shows that cars may keep moving after zero, but the available data do not make that distance predictable for an individual trip.
Key Questions
How far did the tested EVs travel after showing empty?
The 15 vehicles averaged 10 miles (16 km) after their dashboards showed zero range or 0% charge. Individual results ranged from 0.6 miles (1 km) for the Xpeng P7+ to 19.9 miles (32 km) for the Leapmotor B10.
Which EV went farthest after zero?
The Leapmotor B10 traveled 19.9 miles (32 km), the longest distance reported. The Tesla Model Y followed at 19.3 miles (31 km).
Does 0% charge mean an EV battery is completely empty?
Not necessarily. The display estimates usable charge, and the vehicle’s battery-management system protects the cells by limiting power and stopping the car before the pack is fully depleted. The remaining energy should not be treated as a reliable driving reserve.
Can drivers count on the test’s average in normal conditions?
No. The 10-mile average describes these 15 cars under the reported test conditions. The results do not establish a dependable post-zero distance for everyday driving, other weather, different speeds or other vehicle loads.
Source: insideevs.com
