How much range can I expect from a BEV?
The logistics of BEV range are really no different to a petrol or diesel car
We’re about to talk abouthow muchrange you can really expect from a battery electric vehicle (BEV). But todo that, it’s helpful to talk about internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles— conventional petrol or diesel, in other words— first.
Weall understand that ICE vehicles will deliver different fuel economy depending onhowand where they are driven. Spend all day driving in gridlock traffic or pilot a vehicle enthusiastically over a winding backroad and it’s obvious that it will consume more fuel.
So starting with a full tank of petrol or diesel, the distance you can cover before it’s empty— the “range”— can vary enormously according to the type of driving.
That’s why official fuel economy figures can really only ever be aguide, no matter how“real world” they aim to be. They are great for comparing one vehicle with another, because the samemandated tests are applied to different vehicles. But the figure you actually achieve day to day is entirely dependent onhowyou drive.
It’s no different with ABEV. Range is a hugely important metric with BEVS, because people want to knowhowfar they can travel before committing the time required to recharge. So there’s often criticism of BEVS not being able to achieve their claimed range.
Just like an ICE car, a “full” BEV has a certain amount of energy available (a tank of fuel for the ICE, a charged battery for the BEV), and it’s up to the driverhowto extract the most from it. Orhowmuchthey want to enjoy themselves by using it up more quickly!
The issue is clouded somewhat by the convention of talking about range from BEVS versus litres per 100km for ICE cars. Wecould easily talk aboutkwh per 100km for BEVS or simply focus on total range from ICE vehicles. Because weuse different terminology for each wetend to think the rules of energy use are also different for ICE andbevcars. But they’re not.
With either powertrain, there are driving techniques that can help maximise the distance from a full tank/charge: being easy on the throttle, anticipating the traffic ahead, reducing weight from personal items carried in the boot. All familiar economy-driving techniques.
But BEVS and hybridised vehicles dohave an advantage in that they can also recover energy normally wasted during coasting or braking and use it to add charge back into the battery. It what’s called “regeneration”.
Regen-technology is rapidly improving and, in a modernbevlike the Audi e-tron, could contribute to up to 30 per cent of range.
Here’s an intriguing example of the potential. Back in 2018, Audi sent prototypes of its e-tronsuv(the one you cannowbuy) downthe legendary Pikes Peak hillclimb road in Colorado.
Downthe 31-kilometre road, the e-trons
recovered approximately enough energy to drive the same distance again (on the flat, of course).
The technology can work in incredible ways. In an e-tron or Porsche Taycan, for example, when youpress the brake pedal, it maynot actually be the brakes slowing youdown. Instead, it could be the drag createdby the regen system up to 90 per cent of the time— harvesting energy at the same time.
Importantly I tune the radio to The Hits 97.5FM and Justin Timberlake starts playing through the 6-speaker system. The 8” colour touchscreen provides plenty of info, and all instrumentation is pretty easily identified, with lots of easy reach technology on the leather steering wheel system. So it has that big feel inside without being too big outside, and my first adventure was through the tight lines of Hinemoa Street, and to the jungle of a supermarket carpark for the weekly shop. It was easy to manoeuvre into and out of tight spots with some extra help from the advanced reversing camera. The big boot area stored the groceries easily with room to spare.
Sunday afternoon was time to take a drive to Lake Tarawera and a chance to get the Escape up to speed on a mix of open roads and twisty windy roads, plus some steep hills.
I don’t want to get into too much of the technical