EV Range Calculator
Calculate real-world electric vehicle range based on battery size, driving conditions, and weather.
Find this on your vehicle's battery nameplate or manual. Example: 60 kWh
Check your vehicle's official range from the manufacturer. WLTP is the official testing standard.
Why WLTP Range Is Optimistic
The WLTP figure on the brochure is run on a test cycle at mild temperatures with no accessories on, no roof box, no headwinds, and a gentle acceleration profile. Real driving rarely matches that, especially in UK weather. As a rule of thumb, expect around 85% of WLTP in summer mixed driving, 70% in cold winter motorway driving, and as low as 60% in extreme cold with the heater on full. A 300-mile WLTP car typically delivers 200 to 270 real-world miles depending on conditions.
The calculator applies derating factors for driving condition (city, mixed, motorway), temperature, accessory use (heating draws around 2 to 3 kW continuously, AC about 1 kW), and vehicle load. Combine these and you get a realistic range figure for your actual journey rather than the lab-test number.
Cold Weather Is the Biggest Factor
Lithium-ion battery chemistry simply does not perform as well below 5°C. Internal resistance rises, the heat pump or resistive heater draws cabin warmth from the battery itself, and you lose 25 to 30% of usable range vs the same drive in mild weather. A 250-mile WLTP EV that returns 220 miles in spring may only do 160 to 180 miles on a frosty January motorway run.
Heat pumps mitigate this significantly. An EV with a heat pump (Tesla Model 3, Polestar 2, Hyundai Ioniq 5, most newer mainstream EVs) loses around 10 to 15% in the cold; one with resistive heating only (older Nissan Leaf, some entry trims of newer cars) loses 25 to 35%. If you are buying an EV for UK winter use, a heat pump is genuinely worth paying extra for.
Motorway Speed Is the Second Biggest Factor
Aerodynamic drag scales with the cube of speed. At 70 mph, an EV uses roughly 35 to 40% more energy per mile than at 40 mph in town. The 'motorway' setting in the calculator applies a 30% derating because the energy needed to push through the air rises rapidly above 60 mph.
This is why EV road trip stops are spaced around 130 to 180 miles in real motorway driving rather than the brochure 250 to 300. Slowing down 5 mph (from 75 to 70) gives back 10 to 15% of range for a small time penalty; on a long trip, that can save a charging stop. Compare against [petrol vs electric total cost calculator](/petrol-vs-electric-total-cost) to see how this affects total trip cost.
Realistic Range from a 60 kWh Battery (300-mile WLTP car)
| Conditions | Multiplier | Realistic Range |
|---|---|---|
| Summer city driving (mild, no AC) | 0.95× | 285 miles |
| Summer mixed driving | 0.85× | 255 miles |
| Mild motorway (15°C) | 0.70× | 210 miles |
| Winter mixed (cold, heater on) | 0.65× | 195 miles |
| Cold motorway (0°C, heater) | 0.55× | 165 miles |
| Extreme cold (−5°C, heater, headwind) | 0.45× | 135 miles |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a roof box cost in range?
A standard roof box typically costs 10 to 20% of range at motorway speed because it disrupts the car's aerodynamics significantly. A bike rack on the roof or back is similar. An EV that does 250 miles unloaded might do 200 to 225 with the box on. The penalty drops sharply at slower speeds; in town driving, the loss is closer to 5%.
Does air conditioning use less energy than heating?
Yes, by a significant margin. AC typically draws 0.5 to 1.5 kW; resistive heating draws 3 to 7 kW. A heat pump cuts heating draw to 1 to 3 kW. In summer with AC, expect around 5% range loss; in winter with resistive heating in cold weather, expect 20 to 30% loss. Pre-conditioning the cabin while still plugged into the wallbox softens this by using grid power instead of battery power.
Does the calculator work for any EV?
Yes. Enter battery capacity in kWh and WLTP range; the tool calculates efficiency (miles per kWh) automatically. From there, the derating factors apply regardless of make. Tesla, Hyundai, MG, Polestar, BMW, Audi all behave similarly under the same conditions. The exception is brand-new ultra-efficient EVs (Hyundai Ioniq 6 long range, Tesla Model 3 Highland), which can outperform older cars by 10 to 15% on the same battery size.
What about regenerative braking?
Regen recovers around 20 to 30% of the energy used to accelerate, which is already baked into the WLTP figure and into real-world miles per kWh. The calculator does not need a separate regen input; it is captured in the underlying efficiency you provide. Regen is most useful in city driving and least useful at constant motorway speed, which is one reason motorway range is shorter even before accounting for aerodynamic drag.
Can I rely on the trip computer's predicted range?
Mostly. Modern EV trip computers learn from your driving style and weather over recent days and produce a fairly accurate prediction. They struggle when conditions change abruptly (sudden cold snap, motorway after a week of city driving, headwind appearing on a long trip). For trip planning, use this calculator with worst-case conditions for your route, then add a 20% buffer; that lands you at the next charger with comfortable margin.
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