Are Electric Car ranges misleading? Should EV drivers be concerned?

Should EV drivers be concerned that electric car ranges may be misleading?

Competence and standards are a must if we are to cement the success of electric cars and vans in the UK. The introduction of the ZEV Mandate into UK law means that this is not only a social or ethical requirement; it is becoming a legal necessity that we change the types of new vehicles we operate moving forwards.

As this relates to “zero-emission” this doesn’t mean that it will only be electric, as there will be other options like hydrogen that do get a mention too. However, for the purposes of the short to medium term, electric tech in the form of lithium-ion batteries is the route forwards for the UK’s car buying and leasing public.

But conjecture on all-electric transport is starting to increase again, with historic arguments against this type of transport starting to grow in momentum again. In a recent  Telegraph  article - How to avoid being caught out by EV range - a number of points were raised regarding the range displayed and how this impacts the driver. In a more scathing article, the  Lancashire Telegraph  reported on the flaws on the testing for EV ranges.

So what vehicle data is being used and why is this issue arising?

The testing standards for our news cars is not a new facet. This is something which has arisen time and time again in combustion formats - remember the issues surrounding misleading CO2 emissions and inaccurate MPG statements by various manufacturers?

To combat some of this, the WLTP - Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure - was introduced to ensure more rigorous and accurate data on new vehicles. There is a whole host of information on WLTP and what it means for customers at a central facts website which the EU created. At the heart of this was more realistic and real-world scenarios for vehicles, with more speeds, braking and accelerating.

Plus more rigorous testing of the car’s different modes and operations. However, for electric vehicles, which only became mass-adoption in 2019/2020, the standards under WLTP (which came into force in 2017) have been questioned. Hence the Telegraph issuing the statement “owners and enthusiasts have known for some time, that electric cars really do struggle to attain their advertised ranges”.

WLTP and Electric Cars explained - EVs do go through a rigorous testing process under WLTP

And the vehicle ranges this provides are what many car manufacturers, dealerships, leasing companies and brokers use to advertise. Indeed many show just one figure - the combined overall range of that vehicle. What needs to be made clear is that the fundamental test for WLTP is the EV travelling at an average of 28.8mph in a summer temperature (23C) with the battery moving from 100% to 0%.

Various other tests will be conducted and this will be used by a data provider, such as CAP, to input into the specification on the factsheet or website. But the headline figures used will often be the combined figure noted above, with little to no situational context. This is why news and media outlets will often suggest that customers should be worried or concerned when buying or leasing their new EV, with these laboratory conditions not actually reflecting the real-life performance.

Indeed both the Lancashire and national Telegraph made it clear that some manufacturers were advertising vehicles which had 20-30% less range than stated. One car was nearly 40% lower than the advertised figures.

So, are we doomed on the range of an electric vehicle?

As per the articles above, there is a suggestion that potential BEV customers could apply some common sense towards it by applying a numeric value of around 70-80% of the stated combined value. Going further, the team at What Car? is asking for a new regime, which would not only use real-range estimates but would show summer and winter facets too.

And the team at e-car lease could not agree more. With nearly 9 years of EV selling / leasing experience, we can attest that there needs to be more information offered to personal and business leasing customers. In particular, there are divergences on how a pure electric will perform according to metrics like external temperature, driving speeds and driver behaviour. To be clear, if you utilise the performance aspects of your vehicle and enjoy hard acceleration, this is going to influence the economics!

On our website, each vehicle will include a clear indication of how it will operate (save for driver behaviours). For example, the new long range Renault Scenic EV is set to be one of the best affordable long-range EV options for 2024. As per the Renault website, this will have up to 379 mile WLTP combined.

However, on our e-car lease website this is set at a more humble 305 miles, based on a series of real-world scenarios. While still a 300 mile+ option, which is admirable, this vehicle is unlikely to meet these targets unless this is in warmer temperature and slower urban driving conditions.

To supplement this, each company will receive an EVC™ which sets our all of this information in a succinct and clear format. Our hope is this will become industry standard across new and used electric cars, so that UK customers do get accurate information.

Range of the Renault Scenic EV

In terms of the car shown, the  Renault Scenic E-tech Electric Estate 160kW Iconic 87kWh Long Range 5Dr Auto (Pure Electric Vehicle) , this is based on the following configuration:

•  Two-tone metallic - Arctic white with diamond black roof (and the other is - Midnight blue with diamond black roof)
•  Fabric - Light grey recycled mesh/light grey fine grain coated cloth
• 20" Oracle diamond cut alloy wheels

Ready to order a new Scenic? Just build yours at the  Renault  website  - with the Techno, esprit Alpine and Iconic available. And with two batteries - the comfort range with 170hp and long range with 220hp can also be selected. See our dedicated Renault Scenic E-Tech leasing deals section for more.  info - https://www.electriccarlease.co.uk/electric-car-leasing/renault/scenic-e-tech

Browse our Renault Scenic E-TECH deals