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How far can an electric car go on one charge?

Kia





Do you have any idea how far your smartphone will go between charges? Most of us would no doubt answer that it varies on how we’re using it, and that we very rarely let this vital life tool run flat. It’s very much the same with the question of how far can an electric car go on one charge; it depends, and in reality they very rarely ever run flat.

 

How far an electric vehicle can travel on a single charge depends on many factors, like what kind of EV you’re driving, the size of its battery, the state of charge, the way you’re driving it and even what the weather is like.

 

In general, though, the range between charges of electric cars has increased enormously over the past decade or so, now sitting between 300km amd 600km, which means that many common EVs will go a lot further as technology improves.

 

For example, Kia’s family of EVs start from 400kms of driving range using WLTP testing method. Which means many owners might only need to plug in once a week, if that.





Minimum driving range (WLTP) estimate
Maximum driving range (WLTP) estimate
Minimum driving range (WLTP) estimate400km
Maximum driving range (WLTP) estimate555km
Minimum driving range (WLTP) estimate443km
Maximum driving range (WLTP) estimate512km
Minimum driving range (WLTP) estimate424km
Maximum driving range (WLTP) estimate528km
Kia EV3
Minimum driving range (WLTP) estimate400km (TBC at launch)
Maximum driving range (WLTP) estimate600km (TBC at launch)





Back in 2010, popular EVs had a maximum range of mere 160kms. it’s clear that the range  of EVs has come a long way since and the upper limits seem to be rising rapidly as battery technology improves.

 

It’s also worth keeping in mind that the average Australian driver travels around 30~40km per day, which means that any of the electric vehicles in a Kia showroom could easily drive for a week or more without needing a recharge at all.

 

So what affects the driving range of EVs and what are the factors that affect the range you’ll get off a single charge in an electric car? Let’s break them down.

 

Battery size

Effectively, the size of the battery in your electric car is a similar to the size of the fuel tank in a traditional internal combustion engine car. The bigger it is the greater driving range you’ll receive from a charge, but of course putting the same sized battery in a larger, heavier EV will produce less range than putting that battery in a smaller, lighter electric vehicle.

Driving behaviour

Again, much like a petrol or diesel powered car, the harder you are on the pedal - the faster you drive and the more aggressively you accelerate - the quicker the charge of the battery will be drained. 

 

Interestingly however, braking or slowing down often as you would in heavy traffic brings benefits in EVs unlike ICE vehicles. Electric cars use a feature called regenerative braking, which captures the kinetic energy produced when you step off the pedal to start slowing down, and when you use the brakes. This energy is recuperated and used to recharge your battery while you are driving.

 

This means that it somewhat improves the range of an electric car as opposed to what happens in petrol or diesel cars, which use more fuel when you are driving in heavy start-stop traffic than they do while you are cruising at a constant speed on highways.

Ambient Temperature

EV batteries are affected to some extent by ambient temperatures, both cold and hot. Extreme temperatures either way can degrade the performance of the batteries and reduce the available range.

 

Indirectly, turning on air conditioning/climate control, heated & ventilated seats or heated steering wheel due to the hot or cold weather will also reduce your range as it will draw power from the same battery.

V2L: Vehicle-to-Load

Electric cars with V2L feature can be used to power electronics, home appliances & even charge other compatible EVs (V2V).

V2L also draws power from the car's battery, and thus will reduce your driving range depending on use.





FAQ

Do electric cars lose range over time and what is the lifespan of an electric car battery?

Yes, electric car batteries do gradually lose some range over the years, just as your smart phone doesn’t hold quite as much charge as it did when it was brand new.

 

However, most EV batteries will last over a decade or more before they need replacing. It’s also important to note that the batteries don’t suddenly stop working, they degrade very slowly over time. In fact, the loss is as little as a few per cent over several years. It is quite likely that a battery will last far longer than you would keep a car for.

How long does it take to charge an electric car at a charging station?

Once again, this is  a question with a large variety of answers, depending on the electric car you’re charging and the speed and voltage of the charging station you’re using. 

 

In short it can take less than an hour to charge an electric vehicle from empty to full, or as long as three hours, again depending on the size of the charger being used and the size of the battery being charged, as well as the charging rate that battery can handle.

 

Some EVs such as the Kia EV6 can take as little as 18 minutes to charge from 10 to 80% through 800V ultra high speed chargers.





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