A Hyundai IONIQ 5
A Hyundai IONIQ 5
As the owner of an electric vehicle, you want to make sure you’re up to date with its efficiency figures.
In an electric car, the miles per kWh figure tells you how many miles the car will go on 1 kWh, or unit, of electricity.
So, if your EV has a battery size of 50 kWh and an efficiency rating of three miles per kWh, then on average it can travel 150 miles on a fully charged battery.
In theory, electric car economy can be calculated by using a car’s battery capacity and its official range.
For example, an electric car with a 40 kWh battery pack and a 100-mile range would have an economy/consumption figure of 2.5 miles/kWh.
To estimate the cost of home charging, you need to apply the following formula: capacity of battery (kWh) multiplied by the price per kW of your electricity supplier, giving you the estimated total cost.
A full charge of an entry-level Hyundai IONIQ 5 sporting a 58 kWh battery and an electricity tariff of 22p/kW would be: 58 kWh x 22p = £12.76.
Many factors affect the range of an EV, including the capacity of the battery, temperature and the speed the vehicle is travelling.
Electric cars will recharge a little using regenerative braking – this is when you take your foot off the accelerator and the car slows down because the electric motor is now running backwards, which in turn will charge the battery.
It’s the most efficient way to drive, but it won’t be able to recharge the battery fully.
For those interested or curious about electric vehicles, Arnold Clark recently opened the Innovation Centre.
The new £5million site opened last year on Dumbarton Road in Glasgow’s West End with the aim of educating visitors about the benefits of alternative fuel vehicles and why they are becoming so important.
There are more than 40 vehicles on site available to test-drive, from plug-in and self-charging hybrids to fully electric vehicles.
You can also learn about the different types of charging and generous government tax and grants available.
