Just how far can electric vehicles go on a single charge? New research from Consumer Reports yields some surprising conclusions, with some models now significantly exceeding the federal government's range ratings.

Take the BMW i4. The EPA rates it to have a range of 267 miles, but CR's testing showed it actually went 318 miles. That's an extra 51 miles on a single charge.

"The EPA rating is what people see most often when they're looking to purchase a vehicle," says CR's Alex Knizek . "But we see certain brands, particularly some of the German manufacturers like BMW and Mercedes, where their vehicles are going much longer than their rated range would suggest."

With gas-powered vehicles, smaller cars typically get the best mileage, but with EV's, it appears bigger is often better.

The top three EV's for total range in CR's testing were the Rivian R1S, a large SUV, at 358 miles; the Tesla Model S, at 366 miles; and Chevy Silverado EV, a large truck which logged an astounding 472 miles.

"A bigger vehicle has a bigger volume where you can fit more battery and then therefore it can go quite a bit further," Knizek says.

To see Consumer Reports' full EV range testing results, click here.