What is Range

When it comes to electric cars, range is often an important topic of discussion. The range, also known as the range or reach, is the distance you can travel with one full battery charge. It is similar to the distance a gasoline or diesel car travels on a full tank, with the important difference that charging an electric car takes longer than refueling a gasoline car.

In simple terms, the range of an electric car is determined by two factors: the capacity of the battery and the consumption of the car. The capacity of the battery is similar to the size of the fuel tank of a gasoline car, while consumption refers to how much power the car uses while driving. The larger the capacity of the battery and the lower the consumption, the further the car will be able to drive on a single charge.

What is meant by range

The range of an electric car is the distance you can travel on a single battery charge. It is similar to the distance a gasoline or diesel car travels on a full tank. It is an important factor to consider when thinking about purchasing an electric car, as it determines how far you can drive before needing to recharge. It depends on two factors: the capacity of the battery pack (similar to the content of the fuel tank) and the consumption of the car. Electric cars with a larger battery pack and lower consumption will have a greater range than cars with a smaller battery pack and higher consumption.

Electric car consumption

Just as a larger and heavier car generally consumes more fuel than a smaller car, larger and heavier electric cars also consume more electricity than a compact electric car. For gasoline cars, we often specify consumption in liters per hundred kilometers, for electric cars, we speak of consumption in kilowatt-hours (kWh) per hundred kilometers. The most economical electric cars today consume just under 15 kWh per 100 kilometers in practice, like the Mini Electric. There are also some larger models that fall into this category, such as the Tesla Model 3, Hyundai Kona Electric, and Dacia Spring. On the other end of the spectrum, we find larger crossovers like the Audi e-tron and the Jaguar I-Pace, which consume about 23 kWh per hundred kilometers.

It's important to remember that consumption is influenced not only by the car itself but also by your driving style. If you drive defensively, use regenerative braking (recovering energy during braking), and take your speed into account, you can achieve better consumption than when you press the accelerator hard.

Range in winter

Batteries perform best at temperatures between 15 and 25 degrees Celsius. Especially in winter, the range of an electric car can decrease significantly because batteries are less efficient at low temperatures. Additionally, the car's heater is often on during cold weather, which leads to higher consumption. Many new electric cars are equipped with a conditioned battery pack, which means the battery pack can be cooled or heated to optimize operating temperature. Although using a conditioned battery pack consumes energy, it can lead to a smaller range loss in the long term because the batteries are kept at an ideal temperature.

How is range determined?

The range of an electric car is determined by the capacity of the battery pack and the consumption of the car. The capacity of the battery pack is the amount of energy the battery pack can store. This is measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). The larger the battery pack, the further you can drive without recharging. The consumption of an electric car is measured in kilowatt-hours per hundred kilometers (kWh/100 km). The lower the consumption, the less energy the car needs to travel a certain distance, and the further you can drive on a single charge.

To calculate the range, these two factors are combined. For example: if a car has a battery pack of 60 kWh and a consumption of 20 kWh/100 km, then the car has a range of 60 / 20 = 300 kilometers. This means you can drive approximately 300 kilometers before needing to recharge. Keep in mind that the range can vary in practice due to various factors such as weather conditions, driving style, and the use of heating and air conditioning.

What is the range of a car?

The range of a car is the distance you can travel on one battery charge or full fuel tank, depending on the type of car. For electric cars, the range is determined by the capacity of the battery pack (measured in kilowatt-hours, kWh) and the consumption (measured in kilowatt-hours per hundred kilometers, kWh/100 km). For example: if a car has a battery pack of 60 kWh and a consumption of 20 kWh/100 km, then the car has a range of 60 / 20 = 300 kilometers. This means you can drive approximately 300 kilometers before needing to recharge. For gasoline cars, the range is determined by the capacity of the fuel tank and the consumption (measured in liters per hundred kilometers, l/100 km). For example: if a gasoline car has a tank capacity of 60 liters and a consumption of 10 l/100 km, then the car has a range of 60 / 10 = 600 kilometers. This means you can drive approximately 600 kilometers before needing to refuel.