Range vs. Horsepower: What Really Matters in a Luxury EV SUV?

As the electric vehicle (EV) market matures, a growing number of buyers are choosing not just between brands—but between values. Do you prioritize the thrill of speed or the freedom of distance? This question, raised in a recent Reddit discussion by a prospective luxury SUV buyer, highlights a growing tension in how EVs—particularly high-end ones—are marketed and engineered.

The poster, considering models like the Cadillac Lyriq and Audi Q6 e-tron, expressed frustration at how prominently horsepower (HP), torque, and 0-60 mph times are featured in promotional materials—while range specs often feel buried. For anyone planning to use a luxury SUV for long road trips, they argued, range should matter more than speed.

It’s a fair point. But the reasons why automakers—and many buyers—still gravitate toward horsepower are as complex as the vehicles themselves.

The Engineering Challenge: Power Is Easy, Range Is Hard

One of the top responses in the Reddit thread distilled the reality:

“Making an electric car go fast is cheap and easy. Making an electric car go 500 miles on a charge is expensive and hard.”

This engineering truth explains much of the disparity in focus. Electric motors are relatively simple to scale for performance; pushing out 400+ horsepower is no longer exclusive to six-figure sports cars. In contrast, extending range involves either installing a larger (and heavier) battery or drastically improving vehicle efficiency—both of which add weight, cost, and complexity.

To build a long-range luxury SUV, automakers often have to make tradeoffs: reduce cargo space, use expensive materials, or increase price. In other words, they’re solving a harder problem, often with less dramatic payoff on a test drive.

Regeneration, Efficiency, and the Big Motor Myth

Some commenters argued that larger motors can recapture more energy through regenerative braking—a form of deceleration that turns momentum back into battery charge. While technically true, others pointed out that regen benefits are limited by software and driving style, not motor size alone.

Still, there's a pragmatic reason for powerful motors in large EVs: big vehicles need strong torque to move efficiently. So equipping an SUV with a high-horsepower motor isn’t always about performance—it can also help maintain driveability and preserve range when driven conservatively.

Why Horsepower Still Sells

A luxury SUV buyer might logically want more range, but carmakers are in the business of emotional appeal. One Reddit user put it bluntly:

“Range is practical, horsepower provides a feeling of superiority between red lights.”

Another added:

“High HP is easier for manufacturers to add without increasing vehicle costs. And high HP vehicles are more likely to wow drivers on a test drive.”

Indeed, luxury is often sold not through spec sheets, but through experience. A quick, silent acceleration can feel like magic—especially to someone new to EVs. Meanwhile, 300+ miles of range is abstract, unless you're doing cross-country drives every month.

How People Actually Use Their EVs

Ironically, many drivers rarely test the limits of their vehicle's range. For those with home chargers—common among luxury SUV owners—the daily routine rarely involves more than 50-100 miles. As one user noted:

“Most days, I don’t drive anywhere near the range of the vehicle. Which means that most days, range is meaningless.”

This is not to discount the concerns of road-trippers and rural drivers. For them, 400+ miles of real-world range is gold. But for the average suburban buyer, range becomes more of a comfort metric than a daily necessity.

The Emotional Core of Luxury EV Design

The Reddit conversation reveals an important dynamic: luxury buyers are guided as much by emotion as by logic. A luxury SUV needs to feel powerful, quiet, fast, and prestigious. Long range matters—but the visceral thrill of instant torque and high-tech interiors often closes the sale.

Yet, automakers are starting to offer both. Trims with larger batteries and modest motors for long-range commuters are becoming more common alongside high-performance variants.

And ultimately, choice is the real luxury.

Final Thought: Let Range Be Visible

The original poster wasn't asking carmakers to stop building fast EVs. Instead, they asked for one simple thing: make range easier to find. In a world where real-world usability matters more than quarter-mile times, it’s a fair request.

Luxury doesn’t have to mean impractical. And in the EV age, the smartest vehicle might just be the one that doesn’t stop every 150 miles—no matter how quickly it gets there.