Electric cars, autonomy and battery: how to choose them

When you decide to buy an electric car, the factors to consider are not few: the driving style, the daily routes, the availability of columns, up to the external average temperature and the frequency of travel on the highway. Each of these factors impacts considerably both on autonomy and on the battery And for this reason the choice of an electric vehicle must be carefully evaluated. A first factor is the difference between the declared and the real autonomy that is influenced by many variable factors compared to those used in the approval process WLTP in force since 2019 but much more likely than the previous standard Nedc: Having said that, the differences between autonomy declares and real can be, on certain occasions, relevant. For example, if it marches in the city, with continuous use of regenerative braking is an account, on the highway it is another story. Furthermore, it is necessary to take into account the temperature of the place where the vehicle will operate, the life cycle of the battery pack and where and how it is recharged. Once you have become familiar with these issues then you can make a more conscious choice.

Autonomy: the data

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As mentioned, the car manufacturers follow a standard and rigorous approval process according to European legislation, whose logic is to ensure that all vehicles are evaluated with the same conditions. The standard to verify the autonomy, emissions and consumption of a vehicle is called WLTP – Worldwide Hormonized Light Vehicles test procedures – It lasts 30 minutes and is carried out in the laboratory on a roller counter that simulates the conditions of a real road. In this half hour four speeds of speed are tested: low, medium, high and very high, namely the motorway. 5 minutes are dedicated to the latter, at an average speed of 94 km/h. Everything is carried out at an external temperature of 23rd constants. Although weight is added, such as passengers or luggage, to make the test more real, this standardization does not consider factors such as variable temperatures, wind, driving style, traffic, slope, rough roads, etc. The advice to clarify any doubt is to do a research strictly linked to your driving style and the place where you circulate with the car, and then go to the choices of taste; Subsequently it is better to request a test drive of several days in the dealership and see if the car is suitable for your daily use.

Autostrada: the electric is disadvantaged

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The largest gap between endothermic and electrical cars after refueling is the travel on the highway. The two types, in fact, they behave in an opposite way: While internal combustion cars consume less at constant speeds while maintaining a number of engine rpm within the first two fifths of the rotation range, battery vehicles find themselves in difficulty. In the city and in mixed routes, electric cars exploit the regenerative brakingwhich recovers energy during decelerations and braking. On the highway, however, a constant speed with less braking is maintained, so almost nothing is recovered, and the car has to rely only on the battery. The electric motor, despite being much more efficient than a thermal, does not work on an optimal range of turns such as the latter, but the consumption of energy is directly proportional to the required power: a car that consumes 14 kWh/100 km can see the consumption on the highway increased, also, also of aerodynamic resistance. It is right to remember, however, that the electric car is much more convenient in the city than the combustion cars and also the maintenance costs are on average lower.

Question of temperature

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Another factor that is not considered during the tests is that of temperatures. Given that battery technology is in full evolutionary phase and that an improvement in efficiency awaits us, today they need to operate between the 20th and 30thwith a loss of estimated capacity of 1.2% for each degree under 20 and 30-40% below zero. The temperatures above 35/40 degrees, on the other hand, cause an accelerated degradation of the cells. All this to say that one must expect a loss of efficiency of your electric vehicle which will take place regardless of the dedicated treatments. However, the latest generation cars are equipped with optimal battery temperature maintenance systems, such as Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. The advice is to keep the car as much as possible in a garage, otherwise opt for a covered parking or exploit the shadow of a tree.