New Delhi: A question that most frequently recurs at the buying decision stage is, ‘How many kilometers can an electric vehicle run without recharging?’ Unlike showroom executives that can tell you the driving range of any particular EV, few people think of how factors such as AC reduces the actual range of an EV the way it decreases the fuel economy of petrol, diesel and CNG vehicles.
While some manufacturers are already offering larger batteries to give higher ranges, there are certain conditions that still affect the range and AC usage is among them. In a new report from CarDekho, the impact of running the AC on two standard EVs: The Tata Curvv EV, and the Tata Nexon EV were observed and the results may come as a shock.
The Impact of AC on Battery Drain: 30-Minute Test
For the test, CarDekho conducted the 55kWh variant of the Tata Curvv EV and the 40.5kWh variant of the Tata Nexon EV. The vehicles were set at an AC of 24 degrees C and the fan rate set at level 2. Tata Curvv EV was fully charged to 61% and the Nexon EV was full charged at 75% at the start of the racing event.
In the case of the two vehicles, we observed that after half an hour of AC usage, the battery has dropped by only an additional one percent. The Tata Curvv’s battery went down to 60% and the Nexon EV to 74% battery level. This means that it only consumes a little power from half an hour of the AC meaning that the air conditioning in these vehicles is quite effective.
Tata Curvv EV: Range and Price
The Tata Curvv EV 55kWh model will have an ARAI-certified range of 585 km on a single charge. The price for prospective buyers of this electric vehicle start from ₹17.49 lakh going up to ₹21.99 lakh (Ex-showroom).
Tata Nexon EV: Range and Price
Tata Motors’ highly sought vehicle, the Nexon EV, has an M3 motor with a battery size of 40.5 kWh; the car’s range according to ARAI is 465km per full charge. The Nexon EV is priced starting from ₹12.49 lakh and going up to ₹17.49 lakh (ex-showroom) making e-SUVs more approachable for buyers.
What Implication Does this Have for Those Who Own Electric Vehicles?
The testing reveals that using the AC in an EV for 30 minutes only results in a relatively small amount of battery degradation, therefore drivers can use their AC without much worry as it does not compromise much of the range. With the EV market expanding it shows that new battery technologies are making the average efficiency of such cars better, even in harsh climes.
Considering the efficiency of the Tata Curvv EV and Nexon EV even with the air conditioning turned on, potential customers will not be disappointed with the actual driving range, when they take their cars for daily usage.