A Picture of orderly parked Compact Electric cars named Comet at the Morris Garages showroom in Mysuru city, India.

The gap between certified and real-world EV performance creates a false perception of the vehicle’s range, often leading to disappointment and mistrust. iStock

Range matters: Why we must bridge the gap between certified and real-world EV performance

As EV adoption grows, accurate range information becomes a key factor for consumer trust

Published on:

24 Sep 2024, 6:46 am

As electric vehicles (EV) attempt to penetrate the automotive market, their range becomes a crucial metric influencing buyers’ decisions. A common complaint among EV users is the disparity between the range claimed by original equipment manufacturers (OEM) and the actual range experienced on the road.

Recently, the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) revised the requirements for certifying the range of electric cars. Following this, Tata Motors, India’s largest EV manufacturer, announced new certified ranges for five of its EV models.

OEMs are mandated to report a certified EV range by testing the vehicle on a standardised drive cycle. A drive cycle provides a specific speed-time profile of driving behaviour, developed to enable standardised comparisons of fuel economy and emission levels between vehicles.

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The certification procedure involves testing EV performance on a chassis dynamometer or a test track at a vehicle homologation centre. Globally recognised drive cycles include the new European drive cycle and the worldwide harmonised light vehicle test procedure.

In India, the Automotive Industry Standards (specifically AIS 040) require that electric cars undergo range testing based on the modified Indian driving cycle (MIDC). The MIDC comprises four urban driving cycles (part I) and one extra-urban driving cycle (part II). Previously, EV range certification only considered part I of the MIDC. However, the recent notification requires that both parts be included in the certified range testing.

The addition of the extra-urban component means certified ranges of EVs are expected to reduce, as vehicles tend to consume more energy at higher speeds typical of highways. Interestingly, Tata Motors also provides a “C75 range” — the near real-world driving range that 75 per cent of customers can expect, based on historical data. Notably, the C75 range is on average 23 per cent lower than the MIDC-based cycle (see graph below).

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Range comparison of various Tata motors EV models based on different drive cycles

Graph showing real-world range is lower than standard drive cyclesGraph by CSE, data from Tata Motors

This highlights the significant gap between the certified range advertised by OEMs and the true on-road range available to users. This creates a false perception of the vehicle’s range, often leading to disappointment and mistrust. Real-world driving is highly variable and can include partial charging, different driving and braking styles (aggressive or moderate), fluctuating temperatures, long parking periods (leading to battery degradation) or a combination of these factors — all of which impact the battery’s true range.

This scenario is similar to the internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle industry, where certified fuel efficiency figures are often higher than what users experience on-road. However, consumers have become more aware of this discrepancy over time. Since the EV industry is still evolving, increasing transparency and building awareness about EV technology is vital.

To address this, a representative drive cycle tailored specifically for EVs needs to be developed, accounting for their unique characteristics such as higher instantaneous acceleration, distinct torque-revolutions per minute profiles and regenerative braking.