Real world tests reveal EV reality
Independent assessments of new cars show that EVs fail to match claimed ranges by as much as 30 per cent.
Tesla has come out on top of a series of real-world tests designed to examine whether electric cars can deliver their claimed range.
Independent testing by the Australian Automobile Association, the peak body for motoring clubs such as the NRMA, RACQ and RACV, discovered that the latest Tesla Model Y is the electric car that comes closest to delivering on claimed figures.
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Testers found the Tesla Model Y has a real-world range of 450 kilometres, just 3 per cent less than the 466 kilometres it claims as a result of lab tests.
Kia’s EV3 finished second with an 11 per cent difference between its real-world range, 537km, and its claimed range of 604 kilometres.
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By contrast, the MG4 electric car was the worst of the bunch.
The budget model’s real world range of 281 kilometres is significantly less than its 405 kilometre claim.
AAA Managing Director Michael Bradley said the results “give consumers an independent indication of real-world battery range, which means they now know which cars perform as advertised and which do not”.
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“Giving consumers improved information about real-world driving range means buyers can worry less about running out of charge and make the switch to EVs with confidence,” he said.
The AAA’s latest batch of testing follows similar results published in August.
Then, Tesla’s Model 3 was one of the worst performers, while the Smart #3 finished on top.
When a manufacturer says an electric car has 500 kilometres of range, that figure is usually derived from standardised lab-based testing intended to help customers compare different vehicles. The testing takes place indoors, in controlled conditions on a treadmill for cars.
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It’s why customers often struggle to match the fuel efficiency claim of their vehicle – those figures are the result of standardised tests that might not reflect real-world reality.
The AAA started testing fuel consumption, vehicle emissions and EV range in the real world after VW was caught misleading authorities with software that could tell when a car was in a lab environment.
Volkswagen programmed cars to run more efficiently and produce fewer emissions during government-mandated test cycles, before producing excessive emissions on the road.
The so-called “dieselgate” scandal shattered trust in the car industry, rocked the automotive world, and effectively killed off diesel power in passenger cars while fast-tracking development of electric vehicles.
Originally published as Real world tests reveal EV reality
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