How far can an electric car go on a full charge?

So, you’re interested in buying an electric car and are concerned they don’t have enough driving range…

You’re not alone. In fact, it’s one of the most common issues that comes across our desks here at carsales from consumers enquiring about EVs.

The reality is that EVs are no different to the cars we’re all familiar with that are powered by a conventional combustion engine.

In both cases, how far you can drive between refills – no matter whether it’s filled with electrons or fuel – depends on the car’s specifications and, just as importantly, how and where you drive.

So, let’s break it down and look at the facts about electric cars and range.

For starters, the battery in an EV is the equivalent of a petrol tank, and both have a finite capacity to store energy.

While the fuel tank’s volume is measured in litres, a battery is measured in kilowatt hours (kWh). And the larger the battery, the more energy it can store – and the longer it can travel between recharging.

Compact city-sized EVs have smaller battery packs and generally offer between 200-300km of driving range.

Considering the average daily commute in Australia is less than 40km, even the smallest EVs have the capacity to get you to work and back for a full week without the need to plug it in every day.

The latest electric vehicles are making huge strides in driving range and feature larger-capacity battery packs that offer between 400-600km of range.

That puts them on par with most conventional vehicles and provides much more freedom for longer drives outside of the city limits.

It’s worth noting that unlike combustion engines which are more efficient at cruising speeds on the highway, electric vehicles are better in stop-start city traffic as they can recuperate energy when braking and the motors only draw power when moving.

You won’t need to guess how much range you have, however. All electric cars available in Australia have on-board battery monitors that constantly update the available driving range. Some examples will even help plan your charging – or at the very least, alert you – to when the vehicle needs recharging.

The question then swings to how and where to recharge an electric vehicle, and the time it takes to refill the battery. Which is something we will answer next time.