Alpine A390 vs Tesla Model Y

The Alpine A390 costs £19,400 more than the Tesla Model Y. For that premium it adds 31 miles more WLTP range and a 3.0s quicker 0-62mph time. The Tesla Model Y is not just cheaper - it also offers 322 litres more boot space. On EVcarsguide's combined category scores, the Tesla Model Y comes out ahead overall.

The Tesla Model Y is £19,400 cheaper to buy. Running costs are almost identical - about £152 a year either way, at 8,000 miles on an off-peak home tariff. Add 5 years of charging and the Tesla Model Y comes out roughly £19,520 cheaper overall. These figures cover list price and home charging only - insurance, servicing, tyres and depreciation will move the real total.

EVcarsguide estimates a real-world motorway range of about 288 miles for the Alpine A390 and 251 miles for the Tesla Model Y - both below their WLTP figures, because sustained high speed is the hardest case for an EV. The Alpine A390 goes roughly 37 miles further between charging stops.

The Alpine A390 is the easier car for tight UK car parks: it is 96 mm narrower than the Tesla Model Y. In a standard 2,400 mm bay that leaves about 515 mm of total clearance for the Alpine A390 and about 419 mm of total clearance for the Tesla Model Y. The Alpine A390 also turns in a 1.1 m tighter circle, which helps with U-turns and multi-storey ramps.

Over a 8-year ownership window EVcarsguide's degradation model projects roughly 84% battery health for the Alpine A390 and 90% for the Tesla Model Y. That gives the Tesla Model Y a modest edge in retained real-world range. The Tesla Model Y's LFP-type pack tolerates daily 100% charging, while the Alpine A390's NMC-type pack lasts longest kept to about 80% for everyday use.