Electric Vehicle Range: City vs Highway Driving
Blog post
While it’s easy to think of electric vehicles in a similar vein to their ICE (internal combustion engine) counterparts, these vehicles are markedly different.
If you're thinking about switching to an EV (also known as an all-electric vehicle or battery-electric vehicle), you're likely curious about the range your electric vehicle’s battery offers. This important stat determines just how far you can travel on a single charge, letting you drive with the assurance that you can complete your daily commute or travel various distances without being stranded on the road with no fast-charging location in sight.
Given that several factors can impact the driving range of an electric vehicle, knowing what to look out for and what to avoid is even more important, particularly when it comes to city and highway driving.
If you’re wondering how city vs highway driving impacts your EV’s range, you’re not alone. Here, we’ll break down everything you need to know about an electric vehicle’s driving range and give you practical tips on how you can maximise your range in different traffic conditions.
What impacts an electric vehicle’s driving range?
The range of an electric vehicle refers to the number of kilometres it can travel on a single charge. Typically, the range advertised for an EV represents an ideal scenario. However, several factors can lower the range of an electric vehicle, from temperature extremes to frequent braking and the road’s surface.
Today, many electric vehicles offer a range of approximately 430 kilometres. While it’s certainly enough for those in urban areas to zip around town on a single charge, it’s important to remember that this number can’t be guaranteed when faced with real-world driving scenarios and varied road conditions.
So, what can impact the actual range of electric vehicles? These factors include:
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Speed: Aggressive acceleration uses more energy. While some electric vehicles now boast designs that are more aerodynamic and generate less drag, increasing your speed quickly still impacts range. To put it simply, the faster you take off, the less range you will have.
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Temperatures: When you need to warm up the cabin, including the seat warmers, or use air conditioning to cool down, you’re taking energy from the battery. The battery needs to compensate for the loss, so it will take it away from your range. This extends to temperatures where the battery needs to warm up to avoid malfunctioning in the cold or cool down to avoid overheating. Keep in mind, batteries are designed to withstand temperatures higher than 40 degrees Celsius and those below freezing, so the chances of seeing energy taken from the battery due to temperature is very rare.
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Tyre rolling resistance: When your vehicle’s tyres roll over a surface, it experiences rolling resistance in the form of friction, wing drag, or tyre deformation. The higher the tyre rolling resistance, the more energy that’s needed to overcome it. Factors like tyre pressure, tread, or driving with tyres that aren’t intended for an electric vehicle can all impact rolling resistance. However, while this can impact the range of your EV, it’s important to note that the impact of rolling resistance on range is minimal.
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Location: City streets, with their low speeds, many traffic lights, and stop-and-go driving, allow for regenerative braking, which can put a substantial amount of charge back into the battery. In comparison, highways that see you drive at higher speeds for long distances put greater strain on your battery. This is due to the increased wind resistance when driving faster, as well as the limited opportunities for regenerative braking. However, using Eco mode on the highway can effectively reduce energy consumption thanks to its ability to limit your top speed.
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Surface: Road surfaces can also affect the range of your electric vehicle, with smooth surfaces allowing for smooth acceleration and regenerative braking. However, on bumpy roads where you may have to accelerate quickly and then brake, this extra energy needed to travel across bumpy terrain will be a greater drain to the battery of your electric vehicle.
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Weight: If you’ve added significant weight to your electric vehicle in the form of heavy cargo, loads strapped to the roof, or towing a trailer, this will all have a significant impact on its range. But even a smaller increase in weight can impact range. For example, if you’re used to driving by yourself only to find you’re on a road trip with four friends and all their luggage, your EV’s range will reduce.
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The age of your electric vehicle: Just like most humans can expect their speed to decrease with age, so does the capacity of your EV’s battery. However, while this is a factor, it won’t come into play for at least 10-15 years down the track.
How does city vs highway driving impact the range of electric vehicles?
With lower speeds, frequent traffic lights, and street signs that require you to stop constantly, it would make sense that driving in the city is far more draining to the battery life of your electric vehicle compared to highways. After all, the latter is typically more predictable with long stretches of road and even surfaces.
But surprisingly, the range of an EV is actually less on the highway than in the city, with studies finding that electric vehicles use more energy when driving on the highway due to the increased speed, which in turn generates greater wind resistance and drag.
Much of this is a result of regenerative braking, which frequently occurs when driving in the city but rarely happens when on the highway. The process of regenerative braking is when an EV regains the kinetic energy lost during braking, and adds it to the vehicle’s main battery as electricity which can then be transferred into range, letting you drive further. In other words, energy is being recycled over and over again in the battery pack.
Regenerative braking allows the battery pack to receive a substantial amount of charge each time your EV slows down, which is why those who rarely slow down on a highway can’t benefit from the process.
Take the example of the range of the 2023 Polestar 2, Long Range Single Motor EV. Despite having an advertised range of 551 kilometres, this range would go down to 450 kilometres when driving on a highway due to increased wind resistance, more aggressive acceleration, and higher speeds that characterise such driving conditions. In the city, however, its range would likely be 551 and higher due to the impact of regenerative braking on battery life.
5 practical ways to boost an electric vehicle’s range
While factors like driving style, temperature, terrain, location, and rolling resistance can all affect the range of your EV, there are things you can do to help boost your vehicle’s battery life and beat range anxiety. Consider these practical tips to optimise the range of your EV while driving.
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Reduce air conditioning: Whether the temperatures are high or low outside, using air conditioning in the cabin can significantly shorten your battery range, sometimes as much as 20%. By reducing your use of air conditioning, you’ll preserve the range of your battery. You can also precondition the vehicle to suit your needs, heating or cooling the cabin while the EV is still plugged in and charging, and then turning the air conditioning off when driving.
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Choose the city route: If you’re driving to a set destination and there are multiple routes to take, take the city option. As mentioned above, the city allows for regenerative braking where highways do not, so you’ll be able to recycle energy back into your battery pack.
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Avoid heavy acceleration: Heavy or aggressive acceleration and driving at high speeds are some of the easiest ways to see the range of your EV decrease sharply. This is because it drains your battery, whereas gentle driving will use less energy as you maintain or increase your speed over a longer distance.
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Use Eco mode: With most electric vehicles coming fitted with multiple driving modes, Eco mode will allow you to reduce energy consumption, especially on longer trips. Though it limits top speed and reduces acceleration rates, it will increase your range.
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Select tyres wisely: By choosing tyres better suited for rolling resistance, you can preserve your EV’s range. Consider the terrain you’ll be driving on and plan ahead so you can optimise your tyres for reduced abrasion.
Frequently asked questions: range and battery of electric vehicles
What is the range of battery electric vehicles?
The range of an EV is the number of kilometres it can travel on a single charge, determined by an EV's battery technology. Though the range of an EV varies depending on the make and model, most offer a range of approximately 430 kilometres.
Which electric vehicle has the highest range?
Along with the Polestar 2 Long Range Single Motor, which has an impressive range of 551 kilometres, the Tesla Model 3 Long Range boasts the longest range of 629 kilometres.
How far can an electric vehicle travel in Australia?
While advances in technology mean the average distance an EV can travel in Australia is increasing each year, most can travel between 400 - 500 kilometres on a single charge.
How does a regenerative braking system work?
Regenerative braking refers to the process where energy that is normally lost when a vehicle stops or slows down is instead captured and recycled back into the battery pack. It’s this process that sees your range increase when driving in the city.
When should you use eco mode in your vehicle?
With its ability to reduce energy consumption and preserve the range of your EV, Eco mode is great to use during daily commutes and trips where you aren’t concerned about a limited top speed and reduced acceleration rates.
How many years will an EV battery last?
While the longevity of an EV’s battery will depend on the make, model, and driving style of its owner, most are projected to last for 15 to 20 years.
At Vyro, we aim to educate ourselves so we can better educate you, so we can help you make an informed decision. If you’re thinking about making the switch, get in contact today: hello@vyro.com or 02 8311 4239