EPA is not good, we need a new standard.

[Candleflame]

Just so we are clear, the reason we don’t have more practical EPA range tests is because Detroit lobbied to keep the “highway” test at 48mph so their 7000lb bricks can be advertised at getting 21mpg on the “highway.”

This is not a Tesla problem, other than a more robust gasoline infrastructure makes running out of gas early not as big a deal. Even then, your Tesla will tell you exactly where to stop and unless you have some pathological need to pick the absolutely furthest points between stops, you’ll make it.

possibly but EPA is already most real-life of all standards.... WLTP and NDEC are far worse and way less realistic. EPA you can actually hit if you do a lot of mixed cityway low speed motorway driving.... and its a good estimate of what you are going to get if you drive 85-95kmh (depending on how new the car is, older cars are more honest) which ironically is quite close to the USA " national speed limit" of 55mph. So from all the obtuse standards is by far the best.

I think rated range is easier to digest than just seeing Kwh....

 

[KJD]

The problem with EPA range model is that EPA uses a unit of distance (miles) to reflect a unit of energy. This could be misleading for consumer because the consumer would think the number offered in EPA is more or less the distance the car could travel.

But we all know that in really this is not the case. My 2020 M3LR can't even get 180 miles of traveled distance.

We need a new standard that offers two numbers for the capability of distance traveled. A minimum and a maximum. A minimum for the worst condition and maximum for the best condition. And these numbers should reflect distance traveled, not energy that could be converted to move the car.

As others have stated the EPA numbers are not great, but still not as bad as WLTP that others use. I prefer a more consistent test like InsideEVs.

What's The Real World Highway Range Of Today's Electric Cars? We Test To Find Out

 

[804son]

Out of Spec Studios does a great job of putting most EV's through their 70 mph Range test, with consistent standards. I feel that their range testing gives you a much better idea of what the vehicle is truly capable of performing. Given that the Pure range on a single charge isn't the "End all be all" of traveling the charging curve and charging network are equally important.

 

[dsm363]

EPA estimates are just that...estimates.

It is useful (but not exact) to compare the EPA estimates between different vehicle to make you buying decision.

Once you own your car, you will note that the Tesla on board computer will constantly be adjusting your range, due to variabilities encountered, in real time. That is the real range your vehicle will obtain with you driving it, and the conditions it will be experiencing.

Do not get hung up on EPA estimates. They are of course only estimates, and as stated...Your Mileage may vary.

Some fast driving owners of course will not obtain the "average" while dedicated hyper-milers will exceed the average.

I think the problem is the EPA doesn't test production cars at even 25% of the cars. They trust the companies to be honest (remember VW here). And if the testing they are doing only applies to lets say 20% of owners in production cars in real world situations (the way most people drive) then maybe it's not a helpful number for consumers. They should adjust whatever testing method they give to reflect the experience of most owners. Not test preproduction models and only 15% of them at that.

 

[jabloomf1230]

I think the problem is the EPA doesn't test production calls and even 25% of the cars. They trust the companies to be honest (remember VW here). And if the testing they are doing only applies to lets say 20% of owners in production cars in real world situations (the way most people drive) then maybe it's not a helpful number for consumers. They should adjust whatever testing method they give to reflect the experience of most owners. Not test preproduction models and only 15% of them at that.

Forgetting about BEVs, a Consumer Reports study in 2016 found that 80% of vehicles that CR tested came within 1 mpg of the EPA estimate . As to BEVs:

CR’s Real-World EV Range Tests Show Which Models Beat EPA Estimates - Consumer Reports

Consumer Reports' real-world electric car range tests show how far an EV can go on a highway road trip before the battery runs out.

www.consumerreports.org

Those deviations could be explained by testing methodology, but who's to say what methodology is best?

 

[dsm363]

Forgetting about BEVs, a Consumer Reports study in 2016 found that 80% of vehicles that CR tested came within 1 mpg of the EPA estimate . As to BEVs:

CR’s Real-World EV Range Tests Show Which Models Beat EPA Estimates - Consumer Reports

Consumer Reports' real-world electric car range tests show how far an EV can go on a highway road trip before the battery runs out.

www.consumerreports.org

Those deviations could be explained by testing methodology, but who's to say what methodology is best?

I think giving people more data is best. One number does not fit all.

With battery electric cars, people need more education. Even though physics are the same (drive faster, get worse range), people can't seem to grasp that with EVs and the penalty for not paying attention his higher because it takes far longer to refuel.

 

[KJD]

I think the problem is the EPA doesn't test production calls and even 25% of the cars. They trust the companies to be honest (remember VW here). And if the testing they are doing only applies to lets say 20% of owners in production cars in real world situations (the way most people drive) then maybe it's not a helpful number for consumers. They should adjust whatever testing method they give to reflect the experience of most owners. Not test preproduction models and only 15% of them at that.

Have you looked at the Edmunds range test? Not perfect but a lot closer to real life numbers than EPA.

Edmunds Tested: Electric Car Range and Consumption | Edmunds

 

[KenBlub]

I have a model 3 LR and my average wh/mi is 238 and that’s up from my summer average because of cold weather. I precondition before I start my winter trips, turn on my heated seats and put my heater at 68F. Tesla didn’t lie to me. I understood the EPA tests before I bought and also understood the impact of weather and speed on mileage.

 

[Flaky6669]

Just so we are clear, the reason we don’t have more practical EPA range tests is because Detroit lobbied to keep the “highway” test at 48mph so their 7000lb bricks can be advertised at getting 21mpg on the “highway.”

This is not a Tesla problem, other than a more robust gasoline infrastructure makes running out of gas early not as big a deal. Even then, your Tesla will tell you exactly where to stop and unless you have some pathological need to pick the absolutely furthest points between stops, you’ll make it.

That gets back to the OP's original point. The EPA needs to use more realistic numbers for measuring mileage. I'd say 65 or 70 mph would be more accurate. Or even showing a simple graph of mpg vs speed.