Watts per mile versus mile per kw?

[iwannam3]

Why is our power use displayed in watts per mile units? The higher the number, the lower the efficiency. It is the equivalent to gallons per mile in an ICE vehicle. Miles per kw (mpkw) would be equivalent to mpg, the higher the number, the higher the efficiency.

 

[iluvmacs]

Neither of those work, actually. It's watt-hours per mile vs. miles per kilowatt-hour.

 

[HankLloydRight]

First, just FYI, it’s kWh and Wh not kW and watts. Second, miles/kWh would be in the single digits and you’d need 2 or 3 decimal places for the same accuracy as Wh/mile and decimals are messy. Just my guess.

 

[mblakele]

Good points already. Using gal/mi or Wh/mi also makes it easier to calculate cost/mi — and that's what we really want to know, isn't it?

There's more here: Why We Should Measure by Gallons per Mile, Not Miles per Gallon

 

[KiwiME]

Perhaps this once in a lifetime, paradigm shift in transport technology that we are all witnessing would be a perfect moment to introduce metric units to Americans? Then the discussion can center around kWh/100km, Wh/m, km/KWh, or even Joules per meter.

 

[iwannam3]

We had started the transition with mph/kph speed limit signs, but grandpa Reagan stopped along with taking solar panels off the White House roof.

 

[SageBrush]

OP: it really is past time that you learned the basic units.

To your question: you are used to distance/energy and you want your EV to display that way. Here is one reason to ditch that ratio:
Say your old car reported 40 mpg from A to B with wind at your back and 20 mpg from B to A. Imagine that your want to know your average mpg, how would you calculate it ?

 

[GeoX750]

This article explains the rationale in a different context.

Why We Should Measure by Gallons per Mile, Not Miles per Gallon