How to tell if an electric car’s range is real?

At present, everyone has heard a lot about Volkswagen's MQB platform and MEB platform. A strange phenomenon is that as an internationally leading automobile manufacturer like Volkswagen, the e-Golf and e-Levida developed by them have a range of less than 300 kilometers, while the iD3 and other models on the MEB platform are said to have a range of up to 550 kilometers. Why is there such a big difference in the range of products on the two platforms? Why do many domestic products claim to have a range of up to 500 kilometers, but usually drive less than 300 kilometers? Is the range advertised by Volkswagen real, while some domestic car manufacturers are still making false propaganda?

To answer these questions, we first need to understand what an automotive platform is, especially the concept of a pure electric vehicle platform.

The usual platform refers to the car chassis plus the power system, including the suspension, engine, gearbox, exhaust, fuel tank, etc., while the electric vehicle platform mainly refers to the suspension, battery system, electric drive system, substation system, etc. From the pictures on the Internet, one of the most basic differences is that the batteries on the MQB platform are basically laid out in the middle channel, while the batteries on the MEB platform are laid flat under the entire floor, which is similar to Tesla. The MQB suspension occupies a lot of longitudinal space, while the MEB platform's suspension is very compact and occupies a very small space, leaving most of the chassis space to the battery pack and electric drive system.

As a pure electric vehicle platform, MEB has more space to arrange more batteries, and the batteries can be laid out in a single layer under the floor, which is more helpful for battery heat dissipation, ground clearance, and safety and reliability. This is why the range of products on the MEB platform can usually easily reach more than 500 kilometers, while the range of products on the MQB platform is difficult to exceed 300 kilometers. At the same time, through this, we know that when you sit in an electric car and find that the rear floor has a central channel instead of a flat floor like Tesla, you can basically conclude that this car is what is commonly known as a gasoline-to-electric model.

So why is there such a big difference between the advertised mileage of many domestic electric vehicles and their actual mileage? The main reason is that many domestic electric vehicles are still basically oil-to-electric models, and their mileage is roughly equivalent to Volkswagen's MQB platform products. However, in order to achieve a long mileage, some manufacturers usually use the highest energy density battery, cancel the thermal management system, and make full use of all space. A few car manufacturers also install batteries in the trunk. These methods will serve the purpose of increasing the mileage, but they will also bring many problems, including battery life and safety risks. Indeed, some manufacturers may have false labels and misleading situations, such as continuing to promote constant speed mileage, directly falsely reporting mileage, etc.

In this case, to see the range of your electric car, you need to look at many aspects. The first is to look at its power, and the second is the power consumption per 100 kilometers. The usual NEDC range is the result of power divided by power consumption. If the power of an electric car is 60 degrees and the power consumption per 100 kilometers is 13 degrees, the range should be 460 kilometers. If it is marked above 500 kilometers, you can judge it as false advertising. So, is it possible to falsely advertise the power consumption per 100 kilometers? Generally speaking, it is more difficult because the country has certain experimental requirements and standards. In addition, a 1.6-ton A-class electric car usually consumes about 13 per 100 kilometers, and a 2.0-ton C-class electric car consumes about 15-20 per 100 kilometers. Factors affecting power consumption per 100 kilometers include weight, three-electric efficiency, drag coefficient, etc. If the value is unreasonable, it should be easy to judge.

For the indicator of driving range, China currently adopts the NEDC comprehensive operating method, which is mainly based on urban road driving, plus a small amount of high-speed driving. This method does not take into account the need to turn on air conditioning in summer and heating in winter. There is a certain difference between the NEDC operating method and people's actual driving. In other words, if you need a driving range of 300 kilometers, you'd better buy an electric car with a range of about 450 kilometers.

Don't listen to some experts who say "you don't need a long range". If you buy an electric car with a 300km range to meet your 300km range needs, you will be greatly disappointed. At the same time, a long range can reduce your need for fast charging. Although the electricity cost of fast charging outside is only about one or two times more expensive than charging at home, you still need to pay for the service fee, which is usually much more expensive than charging at home. An electric car with a range of 600km means you only need to charge it once or twice a week at home, and below 300km, you will often fast charge it outside. In addition to saving money, slow charging at home can also greatly extend your battery life.