How far can I drive with an electric vehicle?

One of the biggest concerns when it comes to EV: How far can I get? The driving range of most electric cars with a fully charged battery is still significantly lower than for a car with a full tank of diesel or petrol. But the dynamic development of batteries towards a higher energy density, lower costs and therefore higher ranges will deliver a significant enhancement; a trend which will continue.

94% of all car journeys the Austrian population takes are less than 50 km. Almost all electric vehicles on the market can cover those 50 km two to five times without re-charging. The length of the average distance driven per day is 34 km, in rural areas a little higher than in urban areas. Short distances can usually be managed by foot, bike or electric bike or – where available – public transport easily and in an environmentally-friendly manner.

An EV’s driving range is dependent on many factors: Differences in the driving modes or velocity, topography, weather conditions (temperature, wind), use of air-conditioning, etc. The electricity consumption significantly increases in electric vehicles at higher speed. This also should be taken into consideration when consulting the manufacturer’s standard information. The values of the NEDC (“New European Driving Cycle”, since September 2017 WLTP “Worldwide Harmonized Light-Duty Vehicles Test Procedure”) are determined under laboratory conditions and are higher than real values. When the NEDC range is currently given at 400 km for an EV, it is usually realistic to assume 250-300 km.

Sources: bmvit 2016, Future Driving 2017