What does range mean?
The range specified by a manufacturer is typically the maximum miles you can drive on a single battery charge.
Range at a glance
EVs vary in range depending on several factors:
- The capacity of the battery
- The weight and size of the vehicle
- The age and mileage of the vehicle (if used)
- Whether regenerative braking is supported
Range can be enhanced
Regenerative braking is where friction from braking is used to generate electricity which helps recharge the battery. It can add an additional 15% - 30% of range to your battery, depending on how often you brake. This will prove more significant in urban or hilly environments.
Range is personal
Short-range vehicles like the Fiat 500e are ideal for local journeys. Drivers needing longer journeys – commuters, for example – might opt for an EV with extended range. In this way, you will be more sensitive to journey duration in short-range vehicles, but this is no different than the forward planning required for petrol vehicles.
Your range options
The EV database provides a cheat sheet of current EV models and the range each can achieve. This varies widely. Note that extended range batteries are more costly; for example, the Mercedes EQS costs upwards of £100k.