Your Range Will Vary

Your Range Will Vary

Your Range Will Vary


Range is one of the biggest benchmarks in measuring electric vehicle performance. EV manufacturers know this and tend to offer an exact number for their cars, as if every car, every battery and every driver were the same.

They aren't, of course. Range is dependent on many variables, and the number of miles you squeeze from a battery will vary. But manufacturers often provide a single, specific figure. That could create unrealistic expectations for consumers. And if they don't see the range they're promised, it could hinder adoption of the electric cars headed our way, Darryl Siry, a green tech analyst at Peppercom, writes in his blog.

Every time you see a single, specific range figure, Siry says, it should be followed by three asterisks. The first would explain that range is dependent upon driving conditions. The second would define "full charge." And the third would note that range degrades over time.

Trouble is, all that info would make any definition of range impenetrable to all but an EV fanatic. To avoid that, Siry offers two solutions. First, EV manufacturers must offer a clear and honest explanation of the range customers can expect to see. And the EPA must develop a standard that creates a common definition of range.

Via Darryl Siry's Blog.

Photo: Volkswagen