Range & efficiency

Why an electric car goes as far as it does, and why the three official range figures disagree with each other and with the road. EPA, WLTP and observed real-world figures sit side by side and are never converted into one another or averaged. They are different tests, not different opinions about one number. The 5 pieces in this section: Do EVs lose range in cold weather? What the data actually shows, Wh/km explained: how to read EV efficiency, and why it beats battery size EPA vs WLTP range: why the same car has two different numbers, Wheel size costs up to 48 miles of EPA range and EV curb weight compared: 1,847 to 2,625 kg across 18 cars.

Where to start: if you are comparing cars sold in different markets, begin with EPA against WLTP. If you are comparing cars with different battery sizes, begin with Wh/km, because consumption can be compared across cars in a way that battery capacity cannot. The cold-weather, wheel-size and curb-weight pieces measure how far real driving departs from the label, and each one names the dataset behind it. For what the same range costs in electricity, see the running costs section.