Volkswagen reportedly readying 300-mile EV prototype to take on Tesla

If you thought the Tesla Model 3's 200-mile-range was impressive, wait until you hear what Volkswagen has in store.

The company has been hurting a bit since dieselgate broke last year. The world's largest automaker might be down, but it's not out. That's because it has a veritable arsenal of exciting new vehicles in the pipeline. Perhaps none more so than VW's forthcoming long-range EV.

While we knew the German carmaker was working on a 300-plus-mile electric car, we didn't quite know when we might actually see it, or learn about any of its features. However, today we have a better idea.

VW CEO Hebert Diess told German magazine Wirtschafts Woche that the yet-unnamed EV will have a range somewhere between 400 to 600 kilometers (248 to 372 miles), according to Electrek.

However, the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) is a bit more liberal with its efficiency figures than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). So, it'd probably rated by the EPA at around 300 miles per charge. Still, that would make it the longest-range EV around.

What's more, Diess admitted the EV will be around the size of the Golf but have the cargo space of the larger Passat sedan. Given that admission, it's not unlikely that the car will be a microbus like the BUDD-e VW unveiled at CES earlier this year.

Although Elon Musk has confirmed Tesla is working on a microbus of its own, there's no telling when that EV mini people mover will be debuted. The VW, on the other hand, is being readied for a Paris Motor Show unveiling in September.

Granted, that car will be just a prototype. Thankfully, Diess confirmed the production version of the car will be sent into production in 2018 or 2019.

If you're in the market for a mass-market long-range EV and don't want to wait for either the Model 3 or the VW EV, though, Chevy's Bolt EV will be hitting showrooms later this year.

BONUS: BUDD-e electric microbus from Volkswagen is a tech lover's dream