The fuel efficiency of electric vehicles (EVs) is gauged in kilometers per kilowatt-hour (kWh), a metric that quantifies the distance an EV can traverse on a solitary unit of electricity. Delineating the method for computing the fuel efficiency or mileage of an electric car is imperative, as it diverges notably from conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, which employ liters of fuel or kilograms of compressed natural gas (CNG).
Commence by ascertaining your consumption – determine the number of kilowatt-hours (kWh) your electric car consumes during a journey. For instance, envisage you possess an EV equipped with a 40.5 kWh battery pack, embarked on a 200-kilometer voyage, and concluded your journey with 50 percent of your charge remaining. The arithmetic unveils that 20.2 kWh were consumed.
Now, let’s measure the distance. Select the distance for which you wish to calculate efficiency – for instance, the aforementioned 200-kilometer trip.
Employ the following formula for calculating electric car efficiency: Efficiency (in kilometers per kWh) = Distance (in kilometers) / Energy Consumed (in kWh).
In the exemplified scenario, where your EV traveled 200 kilometers and utilized 20.2 kWh of energy during the expedition:
Efficiency = 200 km / 20.2 kWh = 9.9 km/kWh.
In this specific case, the electric car exhibited an efficiency of 9.9 kilometers per kWh for the given journey. It’s imperative to recognize that a higher distance per kWh indicates superior efficiency.
Additionally, contemplating the electricity bill aspect, in a locale like New Delhi, charging your EV at a commercial venue may incur an expenditure of approximately Rs 25 per unit (kWh) of energy. Nevertheless, at your residence, this cost dwindles significantly, even falling below Rs 10 per unit.
In the instance mentioned above, where the car consumed 20.2 kWh, opting for home charging would translate to an approximate cost of Rs 181 for the entire 200-kilometer trip. It’s worth noting that electric car efficiency is susceptible to variation contingent upon factors such as driving conditions, speed, and various other elements. Therefore, it may be advisable to compute efficiency for diverse journeys to gain a comprehensive understanding of your EV’s performance.
As the electric vehicle segment burgeons, it grapples with challenges such as limited charging infrastructure and substantial upfront costs. Nonetheless, it’s undeniable that electric vehicles offer unparalleled benefits. With conventional petrol prices soaring to Rs 100 per liter and even the most fuel-efficient gasoline cars returning a mileage of 25 kilometers per liter, the cost-effectiveness of EVs becomes conspicuous. Notably, EVs substantially outperform traditional vehicles in this regard.
