How far can I go on a single charge? That\u2019s the most recurrent question when considering the purchase of a battery electric vehicle (BEV). Range is one of the main concerns for those who approach the world of EVs for the first time, to the extent that range anxiety discourages many who might want to buy an EV. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eleven years from now, newly sold cars in the EU must have zero emissions standards. As sales surge, electric vehicles are poised to be the ones to decarbonize Europe\u2019s car fleet. Where do we start from? What are the outlooks towards the years to come? As the deadline is established, we feel the importance of informing our audience more on the topic. So comes EVolution. At IO, innovation and technology are our core business, so we\u2019ll focus this series on some of electric mobility’s most discussed \u2013 and sometimes controversial \u2013 aspects.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n
We have to begin by explaining a WLTP-certified range. WLTP<\/a> stands for Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedure. Manufacturers use this procedure to determine an electric vehicle’s range and refer to this figure when marketing their models. The WLTP test replaced the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) to provide uniform and more realistic test conditions worldwide. WLTP works over a longer test cycle with more realistic driving behavior, thus providing a more accurate figure on electric cars\u2019 energy consumption. <\/p>\n\n\n\n An EV\u2019s range can still vary, even though manufacturers assure a certified number of kilometers. Driver\u2019s behavior is definitely one of the factors to consider, but it also impacts the performance of an internal combustion engine (ICE) car. Speeding up and driving more aggressively easily reduces the number of kilometers driven on a single fuel tank or a single charge. Similarly, terrain and passenger load influence how far you can drive\u2014both on an ICE or an EV. <\/p>\n\n\n\n External temperatures influence a car’s range. Even when driving an ICE car, during winter you might use the heating, and during summer, you might want to keep yourself cool using the cooling system. Clearly, when airco is on, part of the fuel goes to power this system, reducing the number of kilometers. External temperatures influence even further the performance of EVs. In fact, batteries can see their performance sensibly decrease because of the external temperature. You\u2019ve probably experienced this with your smartphone, too: the battery lasts shorter when skiing in below-zero temperatures or sunbathing at over thirty degrees Celsius. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Like your phone’s battery, EV battery packs are made with lithium, which doesn\u2019t perform well in extreme temperatures. Of the two extremes, the coldest temperatures affect performance the most. The analytics company Geotab<\/a> examined average vehicle trip efficiency by temperature using anonymized data from 5,2 million journeys made by 4.200 EVs representing 102 distinct make, model, and year combinations.<\/p>\n\n\n\nOutside temperatures dramatically influence EV performance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n