Autonomy and consumption of electric vehicles
Find out which factors influence consumption and increase the range of your electric vehicle
The autonomy of electric vehicles can vary depending on how the vehicle is used, but also on the climate. Discover the factors that affect your vehicle and the solutions suiting your needs bes.
How to get better autonomy for your electric vehicle
- Using regenerative braking
- Check tyre pressure
- Always recharge the battery
- Do not accelerate excessively
- Use the air conditioner as little as possible
It is possible to increase the range of electric vehicles by using a few tricks. Here are some simple tips to help you increase the autonomy of electric vehicles and how much you can increase it if you use them. When braking, release the accelerator in good time and only use the brake if necessary, so that you can make the most of regeneration: +15% autonomy. Check tyre pressure: +5% range. Always recharge your vehicle batteries before your work shift, so your battery is at its best before you leave: + 3% range. Do not accelerate too much unless it is really useful: +3% range. In the summertime, instead of turning the air conditioner on, open the front windscreen, which is not annoying and increases comfort considerably: + 10% autonomy.
The main parameters influencing range in electric vehicles
The autonomy of electric vehicles is influenced by multiple parameters, as it is normally the case with combustion vehicles. These parameters can alter vehicle performance and efficiency significantly. Driving style, tyre type and cargo bed load all have a major influence on the autonomy of both vehicle categories (electric and combustion). However, there are other parameters that affect vehicle types differently. This is the case with the frequent use of "stop and go" which, in the case of diesel/petrol vehicles, leads to a significant reduction in vehicle range, whereas in electric vehicles (which recover energy when braking) the impact on autonomy is much smaller. Another factor affecting the autonomy of both vehicle categories is air conditioning. Let's take a closer look at the factors specific to electric vehicles.
Electric heating and Air conditioning
Electronic devices affect the autonomy. In particular, electric heating or air conditioning affects the following percentages per hour of use (depending on the battery installed)- Lead Acid 10 Kw - 15% hour
- Lead Acid 14 Kw - 9.5 % hour
- Lithium 10 Kw - 14 % ora
- Lithium 20 Kw - 7 % hour
Flatbed or trailer loading
- Mass on load bed or trailer - 3.5 % per 100 kg weight (with Lead Acid battery)
- Mass on load bed or trailer - 3.0 % per 100 kg weight (with lithium battery)
Climbs and Slopes
When driving on a steep road, energy consumption is higher than when driving on a flat road.- When driving uphill, energy consumption reduces the vehicle's range.
- When going downhill, however, you recover some of the energy consumed.
Type of tyres
Using winter tyres reduces the autonomy of the electric vehicle by 12-15%.
Low temperatures
Batteries generally hold less charge in cold weather.- Lead-acid batteries have the following loss of performance: at 25° 0%; at 10° 18%; at 0° 35%; at -10° 57%
- The lithium battery has a performance loss of 5-10% provided it has been left charging with the 230v socket plugged in (battery heater ON) before use.
Battery ageing
- For lead-acid batteries, battery ageing leads to a loss of performance of about 5% per year
- For lithium batteries, battery ageing leads to a loss of performance of around 3% per year.
Factors influencing the autonomy of an electric vehicle
The declared autonomy of Alkè ATX electric vehicles is based on an ambient temperature of 25° on a flat asphalt road, summer tyres and 28% load capacity (WLTP certified cycle). The electric motor only consumes energy when moving. When the vehicle is stationary, the only consumption comes from auxiliary elements such as the heating or air conditioning, if active. The frequent stop-and-go that can occur in the city is favourable to the electric vehicle, which recharges through regenerative braking. In fact, Alke electric vehicles use regenerative braking to obtain the maximum performance from the batteries, which allows a maximum saving of about 30%. By choosing a high-capacity battery, or the rapid-charging system for lithium batteries or the multiple quick-change battery system, your vehicle will still be ready for use in no time at all.
Let's take a practical example: Flatbed vehicle with 20 kWh lithium battery - load 100 kg on the platform - summer tyres - air conditioning (2 hours per day) - temperature 27 °C. Total load on vehicle (100 kg) = -3% - Air conditioning = (2x7) -14%. Effective range at 25 °C = 200x0.97x0.86= 166.84 km.
Regenerative braking
Braking energy recovery
Models, batteries, range, price comparison
| Models | Battery capacity (kWh) | Autonomy* km |
| ATX 340E | Lithium (LiFePO4) 20 kWh | 200 |
| ATX 340E | Lead-Acid 14.4 kWh | 119 |
| ATX 340E | Lithium (LiFePO4) 10 kWh | 86 |
| ATX 310E | Lead-Acid 10 kWh | 72 |
| ATX 320E | Lead-Acid 10 kWh | 72 |
| ATX 330E | Lead-Acid 10 kWh | 64 |
*Maximum autonomy: the maximum autonomy value given is indicative and refers to homologation data measured on the basis of the WLTP cycle ("combined" circuit) with the Alke' ATX vehicle in basic configuration with flatbed.
