How do you measure consumption and range of a car? We had and do have standardized measuring instruments for this; formerly the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC), now WLTP or the Worldwide harmonized Light-duty vehicles Test Procedure.
The NEDC is rightly off the track. It was pure fraud. The car was put on a dynamometer in the test lab, energy guzzlers from air conditioning to lighting remained off, tire pressure went to max, body seams were taped, mirrors and roof rails were removed on occasion, and then they drove as slowly and carefully as possible through the mandatory 20 minutes .
WLTP promised to improve with a more realistic test cycle that would do justice to the driving behavior of today; faster acceleration, more braking, higher average speeds. It didn’t get any better. In most electric cars, the gap between challenge and reality still borders on folly, despite the fine print that nuances the advertised values ​​on the websites.
Of the major manufacturers, only Tesla, Kia and Hyundai know how to keep their promises almost and sometimes completely. The most recent Model 3 that I tried also drove at least 500 kilometers at temperatures slightly above freezing point. With no other EV of this size and weight, I achieved a consumption of 15.8 kWh per 100 kilometers on the highway at normal speeds. And then it still has to be summer. You get that with extremely low CW values ​​and what we used to call technology ahead in Europe. The majority of the WLTP range is a paper tiger.
Volkswagen claims for the ID.3 with 58 kWh battery up to 424 kilometers WLTP; I got it with the panically cautious driving style that no one can imitate me with much pain and effort at 345. The ID.4 – up to 521 kilometers, on paper – does little better with its larger battery. In the notoriously inefficient Polestar 2 and the technically identical Volvo XC40 Recharge, both of which I could barely get below 25 kWh / 100 km, it was fighting for the 300 kilometers. For the various Stellantis models with the same 52 kWh battery pack, the results vary greatly depending on the weather and body shape, but my average for electric Opel, Citroën, Peugeot and DS is around 240, while the figures for all those cars are slightly up to are well over 300. You have to do your very best to reach the 400 kilometers with the large electric SUVs from Audi, Jaguar and Mercedes. The Mustang Mach-E First Edition AWD with its mighty 88 kWh battery will make it, but Ford promised 540 and 610 for the forthcoming rear-wheel drive version with the same battery. Wonder who will make it.
Manufacturers express themselves a little more carefully in the text and explanations on their websites. Volkswagen: ‘With the ID.3 with a 58 kWh battery, you can drive between 300 and 420 kilometers in practice. The number of kilometers you can drive is based, among other things, on your driving behavior, the accessories on the car, outside temperature, traffic situation and other circumstances. ‘ That’s the way it is, and that’s why it will never be 420. Volvo: ‘Do not consider the certified value for the range as the expected range’. Polestar: “The WLTP-certified range is not always achievable in reality.” Still, the WLTP numbers show off in bold letters on the site. Up to 300 miles for the Polestar 2 with two engines – forget it. For the upcoming savings-2 with one engine and the same battery; to 540. Forget it. The surprisingly sober range calculator from Polestar, which helped you calculate your real range on the basis of parameters such as outside temperature or air conditioning use, was no longer available on the Polestar website. Too fair?
Right, fast loading times can make up for the inconvenience of a limited range. But these too are often not achieved by a long shot. Time and time again I am structurally longer at the charging station than the manufacturer promises. There is a problem here that we must solve if governments and European bodies are serious about honest consumer information. What are you worried about, I hear skeptics and optimists say. Everyone knows that WLTP figures are a sham, and what do you really drive in a day? At your service. But if we want real transparency, the measurement procedures have to be drastically overhauled.