What don't they tell you in the adverts for electric cars?

 

In simple terms what are the variables that affect range and approximately how much, say as a percentage, is that effect?  

 

Obvious questions are:

 

If the car has a stated range (from fully charged) of say 200 miles at a temperature of 25C. At a temperature of 5C how much would the range be reduced?

 

What effect would running the aircon have?  My aircon is permanently on summer and winter. 

 

Surely listening to the radio must have an effect?  Mine is always on. 

 

How about driving at night? 

 

How about running the heating i.e. outside temperature 5C, inside temperature set to 20C?

 

Using heated seats?

 

Using cruise control?

 

Charging at 20C compared to charging at 5C?

 

These variables would count for a lot of my driving.

 

What other variables are there? 

 

tom

 

 

Some brands are far better than others for getting close to their claimed range. 
 

heated seats use less power than heating the whole car. 
 

A/C has next to no effect. 
 

Speed is the biggest killer of range, if you can stay below 60mph they you may even beat the claimed range. 
 

The weather is the next, rain and the cold are really bad, warm weather is good. 
 

Our Nissan Leaf had a claimed range of just over 160 miles IIRC, in summer we could get close, but in winter 100 miles was more realistic, BUT that is driving at NSL and as warm as we wanted to be comfortable (21° for me and 23+° for my wife.)

Other manufacturers will have websites the same as Vauxhall or Peugeot where you can choose a speed, temperature, AC on or off, ECO / Normal / Sport and it estimates a range the car will go.

Only thing is that is not based on if there is a driver of whatever weight in the car, or passengers which might have the car 400 kg plus heavier than Kerb Weight.

 

I have done 11,000 miles since August last year and the average i get is 3 miles per kWH.  so with 45 kW usable battery that is an average of 135 miles on a full battery charge.

But i have on Winter tyres, roof bar and bike carrier and sometimes a bike, boot full etc.

 

AC /Heating does have an affect of range even with a EV with a Heat Pump and going to ECO or ECO Plus will mean the car may steam up or be dead cold, 

but you can get some more miles when you have no choice but to try and hypermile to a charger.

Also reducing your speed to 60 mph, then 55 then trying to draft HGV's.

 

Currently in Scotland there are so many chargers out of order in the lead up to SWARCO taking over on the 26th July that it is a problem.

Evolt / SWARCO are already contracted to be maintaining chargers but they are taking the Michael.

 

10,000 miles plus had cost me 2x £20 for CYC cards & £17 at InstaVolt Chargers.

Saturday cost me £8.50 on Charge Place Scotland chargers to cover just under 300 miles.

Edited 19 July, 20214 yr by e-Roottoot

https://vauxhall.co.uk/cars/new-corsa/electric/range-calculator.html

Variables are explained.

Many EV's are designed so that Heated Seats & Steering Wheel will be used and the interior temp of the car will be set low to get range in cold weather.

0*oC & below ambient can have an EV getting 30-40% less range than it might at near 20*oC ambient loaded the same and doing the same speed.

 

Examples.

 

Eco is 80ps, Normal 110ps & Sport 136ps. 

You can do the same range or more in Sport than in ECO if you drive at the same speed. 

Feels like a proper car in Sport mode though and not some under powered 1,500 kg car plus what is in it.

Pointless using ECO really unless you are having to hypermile a near empty car on very busy roads with slow traffic.

 

 

Edited 19 July, 20214 yr by e-Roottoot

Thanks guys. A lot to think about here. 

 

tom

I find this website to be an excellent resource:

https://abetterrouteplanner.com/

 

Plot a long-ish route, play around with the variables to see how each affects your range and how you charge up during the journey.

 

The better the EV, the less external variables affect the performance (range, power). Nissan Leaf is probably the worst EV due to its range is horrendous when cold and charging speed drops like a brick when battery is hot. Tesla Model 3 would be at the other end, where it has many cleaver tricks to preserve its performance, eg. after supercharging, it can use battery heat to warm up the car rather than dumbly using stored electricity.

http://drive-electric.co.uk/range