Official v. Real-World Battery Range
Modern electric cars can go further than ever on a single charge of the battery. But sometimes the manufacturer’s official range is not achieved.
Find out why that is – and what you can do about it – in our short guide.
How can I find out my vehicle’s official battery range?
There are several ways of discovering your vehicle’s official range, including:
- Ask your Select Car Leasing sales consultant
- Go to the Model Search tab on our website and select your vehicle
- Visit the manufacturer’s UK website page for your model
You will often see official range referred to as ‘WLTP’ range.
What does the official WLTP battery range actually mean?
You can think of the official range as the maximum distance your vehicle can go without needing to be recharged, starting from a fully charged battery.
To achieve – or sometimes exceed – your vehicle’s official battery range, you need ‘ideal conditions’.
When conditions are not ideal, your real-world range will often be less than the official range.
What are the ideal conditions for an electric car’s battery?
Electric car batteries perform the best when:
- The ambient temperature outside is warm
- The car’s battery is neither very cold, nor very hot
- You’re driving smoothly
- You’re not driving fast for long periods of time
- More flat or downhill terrain than uphill
An example of how official range can vary in the real-world
Let’s say your all-electric car has an official WLTP range of 275 miles.
In the summer, when it’s 20ºC outside and you’re driving along an A-road at 55 mph, you might well get close to or exceed your official 275 miles’ range. Nice warm weather, not too fast. Ideal.
By contrast, if you’re hurtling up the motorway at 70 mph in winter and it’s only 2ºC outside, your battery range will be noticeably less – perhaps only 200-220 miles on a single charge. Cold weather, driving fast. Not ideal.
Now of course traditional petrol and diesel cars also use up more fuel when driving more quickly and when it’s cold. So all-electric cars are not so dissimilar to petrol/diesel cars in this respect.
Get to know Eco Mode
Most electric vehicles nowadays have driving modes, such as:
- Normal
- Sport
- Eco
Normal is for everyday driving.
Sport gives you full access to the battery and electric motors for top performance.
But if you want to go as far as possible without stopping to recharge, select Eco mode. Your vehicle won't be as exciting to drive, but you'll get the most out of your battery and maximise your range.
Questions?
Phone our dedicated EV team now on
0118 3048 688
or email us at
enquiries@selectcarleasing.co.uk
