Range in an electric car is one of the parameters that best indicates the vehicle's performance. Until some time ago, those of 120 km were the benchmark of quality. Today, performance below 150 km is the domain of city cars only. Find out what the range of electric cars depends on and whether the actual one always coincides with the one presented by the manufacturer.
Electric cars and range - what's worth knowing about it?
The range that an electric car can travel is quite a complex matter. Of course, manufacturers give strictly defined values in this case, but it should be borne in mind that some errors may occur here. The WLTP procedure is used to measure this, mostly under ideal conditions, so that in reality there are deviations. What is the status of cars available in Poland? According to statistics, the average range of electric cars is between 230 and 300 kilometres. The most long-distance ones can even travel more than 400 or 500 kilometres on a single charge. The record holder so far is the Tesla Model S, which (according to the manufacturer) is able to travel more than 600 kilometres on a single charge. However, European brands such as Volvo, Volkswagen and Mercedes are not lagging behind. Renault, Porsche, Korean brands such as Kia and Hyundai - in fact, most major automotive brands - have also decided to produce electric cars. Each model means different technical parameters and therefore performance. Obviously, the greater the range, the less often the car needs to be recharged, which in turn translates into a pleasant electric car experience. It is therefore worth knowing what the actual range of an electric car depends on. 
Electric car range - what does it depend on?
The actual range of electric cars depends on many factors. Technical parameters such as vehicle weight, battery capacity or engine power, as well as driving style, all count. Dynamic driving, frequent acceleration and sudden braking affect every model, regardless of whether it is an electric or combustion car. The purpose of the vehicle also adds to this. A different driving style and manner is used in the city and another on long journeys. You also have to add the weather conditions, the air temperature or the type of surface the car is travelling on. Finally, there is the load - the number of passengers and how loaded the car is with luggage. The list is quite large, so it is worth discussing the points one by one.
Electric cars and range - battery capacity and energy consumption
The range of an electric car depends, among other things, on the design and technical equipment of the vehicle. This includes not only the battery capacity, but also the engine power, the overall weight and the construction (tyre quality, aerodynamics and energy consumption per 100 kilometres). It is also worth remembering that a battery with a higher capacity will also be correspondingly heavier. Therefore, all parameters must be taken into account in the overall range assessment. The most important issue in this case is power supply. Electric cars use lithium ion batteries, which unfortunately weigh quite a lot. Nowadays, thanks to the latest technology, electric car manufacturers are working on optimising these batteries. Over time, there is also degradation of the cells, which does not go unnoticed in terms of range and power consumption.
Another issue is aerodynamics. We have no influence on the shape of the bodywork itself, but we can act with the tyres. When using electrics, it is important to change the tyres regularly for winter or summer tyres and to check their alignment or adjust the air pressure to the ballast. This is important not only for range reasons, but also for driving safety (both yours and that of other road users). 
Electric cars and range - other factors affecting distance travelled
The technical specifications of the vehicle are virtually out of our control (apart from the selection of specific models on offer). The same is true of the second group of factors that affect the range of an electric, namely the weather. Compared to combustion cars, electric versions are slightly more sensitive to drastic temperatures. They feel best in optimal conditions. However, when the indices on the thermometers drop below zero, the range also decreases - by up to 40%, it is estimated. The situation is slightly better when it is hot outside. In such a situation, they drop by around 20%. The good news is that an electric car will always start, whatever the weather. Unfortunately, in winter and summer we often use amenities such as heating and air conditioning, which also draws electricity from the battery.
The road surface and, more specifically, the off-road conditions are also an important consideration. Which roads you travel on most often will affect the number of kilometres you can travel. As you can easily guess, the optimum route for the battery is an asphalt road on a motorway, while a much more demanding route is a rocky or gravel surface on mountain trails.
Does the human factor affect electric car ranges - driving style and speed
As mentioned earlier, the human factor has a definite impact on the range of electric cars. If you want your vehicle to travel as many kilometres as possible on a single charge, then abandon or minimise your dynamic driving style. This can be explained using the example of an internal combustion car. When you press down rapidly on the accelerator button, the pointer on the rev counter jumps upwards. In this brief moment, the combustion almost doubles and sometimes even triples, which means that the engine is then consuming a lot of fuel. The same is true for an electric car. If you often push the accelerator pedal to the maximum, your car will draw more current from the battery, making it wear out faster.
The second human factor is the load, although this is not always dependent on the driver. In this case, the principle is similar. A lighter car will simply accelerate faster. Conversely, those that are more heavily loaded, with several suitcases and four passengers, will require more energy to be put in. It's also worth knowing that it's not just the engine itself that draws electricity from the battery. If, while driving, you or one of your passengers is charging the phone, plugging in the navigation system or setting the speakers to maximum volume, the power consumption will automatically increase. Last but not least, speed. The principle is the same as with combustion cars - the higher the speed, the higher the energy consumption. This is for the simple reason that air resistance has to be overcome. Electric cars consume the least energy when driving slowly. On the motorway, when a much higher - or maximum - speed is reached, the number of kilometres the car will be capable of travelling automatically decreases. This all translates into the total (and actual) range of an electric car.
The range of an electric car is one of the most important parameters to consider when buying a vehicle. Its actual range is influenced by many factors, such as driving style and weather conditions.
