The “1,000 km of autonomy” electric car arrives in Europe

The Zeekr 001, one of the most interesting electric car models of the moment, will finally be marketed in Europe. Six months after the Chinese exit of this sedan, the manufacturer has just announced the factory release of a first version intended to be sold in our countries. The Zeekr 001 is not an “more Chinese electric car” to land on the European market, it has a major argument. Its manufacturer has communicated since the formalization of this model on a record autonomy of 1032 km. The Break -like electric sedan therefore arrives in our regions. This European version has left the Ningbo factory and is about to be delivered in Sweden and the Netherlands. But, because there is one but, the reality of this Zeekr 001 could be quite far from the initial promise. We explain to you why.

Everything you need to know about the autonomy of electric cars

The autonomy of an electric vehicle constitutes, without a doubt, one of the first criteria for choosing electro-automatists. Determining sale argument for manufacturers, the latter varies according to the type of vehicle, the quality of the battery, the time and the charging cycles carried out. But concretely, what is ? Full headlights on the autonomy of electric cars and some good tips to optimize it.

Summary :

What is the autonomy of an electric car ?

The autonomy of an electric car corresponds to the number of kilometers that this vehicle can travel in a single load. It essentially depends on the capacity of lithium-ion batteries present on most vehicles. In short, the higher the capacity of the auto battery, the greater its autonomy ! Current electric models have autonomy between 135 and 730 km in WLTP cycle, a distance of 100 to 600 kilometers in real conditions. Figures, let’s say it, rather reassuring when you know that at the end of 2018, 80 % of French people rolled within 50 km per day (source Ipsos). Increasingly, electromobility adapts to the uses of motorists to simplify their trips.

Good to know: what is the WLTP cycle ?

In Europe, the use of the WLTP (Worldwide Harmonized Light-Duty-Veho Procedure Harmonized (Worldwide Harmonized (Worldwide Harmonized) was made compulsory on January 1, 2019. It gradually replaces the old homologation cycle NEDC (New European Driving Cycle). It measures the levels of consumption and pollution with carbon dioxide as well as the battery life. To do this, laboratory tests and tests in love with real conditions are carried out.

Autonomy of electric cars: what method of calculation ?

To know the autonomy of an electric vehicle, two calculation methods are used. The first, simple, consists in dividing the capacity of the battery (kWh) by the average consumption of the vehicle (kWh/100 km) by multiplying everything by 100, or: Autonomy = battery capacity / consumption x 100 Take the example of a Kia Niro EV (Gen 2). The consumption of its battery is 64.8 kWh and its average consumption is 13.9 kWh / 100 km. Its autonomy is therefore (64.8 / 13.9) x 100 = 467 km. The second method comes from WLTP tests. This approval procedure measures the consumption of a vehicle, its polluting emissions and the autonomy of electric vehicles. The WLTP cycle covers circulation in urban, extra-urban or mixed cycles. More concretely, the tests carried out take place in the laboratory on roller benches. And to be as fair as possible, the WLTP method takes into account the different options offered by certain vehicle models that can modify the weight and performance of electric vehicles.

Good to know :

In addition to the WLTP indicator, the RDE test (real driving emission, in French) 2 was made compulsory. This takes into account multiple situations capable of occurring during your motorized journeys: weather, land, load supported by the car, driving style, type of roads taken.

What elements influence the autonomy of an electric vehicle ?

• Speed: fast or slow;
• The driving style adopted: sports, flexible, ecoconduite;
• The topography of roads used: city center, country roads, motorways, mountain roads. ;
• The use of vehicle options: air conditioning, heating, power steering. ;
• The load conveyed: goods, suitcases, number of passengers. ;
• And the outside temperature: very hot times tend to reduce the battery life between two charges;

Did you know ? The State of Health (SOH) indicator allows you to assess the condition of a battery.

The SOH is an essential indicator for the condition of the battery of a used electric car and more specifically, its level of deterioration. Autonomy, power, charging time. This percentage allows you to estimate the reliability of the engine and put it in perspective with the price of the vehicle.

New batteries display a 100 % SOH.

What electric cars have the greatest autonomy ?

In general, the SUVs and electric sedans are equipped with a more powerful battery and have greater autonomy. They are also more expensive !

The city cars arrive at the bottom of the rankings but they are placed at the rank of the cheapest electric cars on the market . For example, a Renault Zoé displays a maximum autonomy of 300 km and the Dacia Spring, a performance of 182 km.

Discover the results of the electric vehicle performance study carried out by Argus in October 2022.

Model

Autonomy (km)

Consumption. (kWh/100 km)

Battery (kWh)

The “1,000 km of autonomy” electric car arrives in Europe

It has intrigued for months and will finally arrive in Europe, but we are very very far from the 1,000 km of autonomy announced.

The Zeekr 001, one of the most interesting electric car models of the moment, will finally be marketed in Europe. Six months after the Chinese exit of this sedan, the manufacturer has just announced the factory release of a first version intended to be sold in our countries. The Zeekr 001 is not an “more Chinese electric car” to land on the European market, it has a major argument. Its manufacturer has communicated since the formalization of this model on a record autonomy of 1032 km. The Break -like electric sedan therefore arrives in our regions. This European version has left the Ningbo factory and is about to be delivered in Sweden and the Netherlands. But, because there is one but, the reality of this Zeekr 001 could be quite far from the initial promise. We explain to you why.

The 1,000 km of autonomy car does not exist

To those who hoped for the whole heart of the arrival of the 001 to cross France without taking the slightest charging break, we are sorry to learn that the rest of this article could shower their ardor. Zeekr seems well condemned to disappoint, for several reasons.

The first is due to the approval of its electric sedan. Admittedly, the model with the largest battery, a huge block of 140 kWh has been certified as capable of exceeding 1,000 km. Unfortunately, this is a CLTC approval, the Chinese equivalent of our WLTP standard. This is deemed to be very generous, much more than our European standard already strongly criticized. There is therefore no hope almost that the reality of the figures does not confirm the official version. It is rumored by this version that goes along autonomy, it is difficult to exceed 900 km, which is still a hell of a performance.

We would have loved being able to judge the real autonomy of this Zeekr 001, but again, we will have to change your mind. The second disappointment comes from the fact that for the time being, version 140 does not seem planned for Europe. The Dutch Configurator of the Geely brand references three levels of finishing with much more contained autonomy:

• Privilege (all -wheel drive and double engine): 580 km of autonomy
• Performance (all -wheel drive and double engine): 590 km of autonomy
• Large autonomy (1 propulsion engine): 620 km of autonomy

We are therefore far from the 1032 km proudly announced during the formalization of the car, which should not condemn this ZEEKR 001, however. With autonomies close to what a Tesla Model S offers for example, but a significantly more accessible rate (from 59,490 euros), the Chinese could still play some bad tricks on the rare electric semones on the market.

Not before 2026 in France

It remains to be seen whether Geely, the owner of Zeekr will one day want to market on the European market his great autonomy version. Moreover, the manufacturer has still not communicated on the modifications which had to be made to adapt the vehicle to European requirements and also does not indicate if these changes have had consequences on autonomy.

The fact remains that the Zeekr 001 will arrive by the end of the year in Sweden and the Netherlands. The Chinese brand then plans to extend its marketing to Norway, and Denmark, before tackling Germany … and France. With us, this marketing would not intervene before 2026 and could even be doubled from another model, the Zeekr X, a compact SUV.

Top 10 electric cars with the greatest autonomy

With more than 5.6 million electric vehicles on the world, this type of car is more and more popular. Infrastructure, today’s households, etc., are influenced by the expansion of electric vehicles, which will only grow in the future. The batteries will be at the cutting edge of the technology and the electric counter of your home will become smarter. Your house may even be able to produce electricity for your electric car. We are going to enter an exciting era.

If you don’t have an electric vehicle yet, it’s time to get there. To choose your electric vehicle, you probably look at design, functions and in particular driving autonomy. Is it the autonomy of electric vehicles that dissuade you from buying a ? No need to worry about this: we have listed for you the 10 electric cars offering the greatest autonomy.

1. Tesla Model S – Over 500 km of autonomy

Autonomy: 593 km

The Tesla Model S is a fully electric large 5 -door sedan, made by Tesla Motors. It ranks third at the acceleration speed charts for series cars and has a higher autonomy than all other electric vehicles: 593 km.

2. Tesla Model 3 – Luxury electric car

Autonomy: 560 km

The Tesla Model 3 Long Range allows you to travel 560 km without recharging the battery. It has the capacity to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds and offers advanced functions.

3. Tesla Model X – Spacious electric sports

Autonomy: 470 km

The Tesla Model X is a medium -sized luxury crossover, completely electric. It is unique with its butterfly doors and its driving autonomy of 470 km.

4. Jaguar I -Pace – Electric crossover with an elegant design

Autonomy: 470 km

The Jaguar I-Pace is an elegant and very aerodynamic crossover SUV. It allows you to go from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds and has a driving range of 470 km.

5. Audi e -tron – First Audi entirely electric

Autonomy: 417 km

Audi e-tron is the first entirely electric model produced by Audi. This SUV combines space and comfort in an innovative design and has an autonomy of 417 km.

6. Hyundai Kona – Cheap electric SUV

Autonomy: 400 km

The Kona is the Hyundai sport SUV which allows you to go from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.6 seconds. Its autonomy is 400 km.

7. Kia Niro – Family electric car

The highly anticipated Niro, produced by Kia, has an electric motor with an estimated power at 201 horsepower and offers a range of 380 km.

8. EQC Mercedes – Compact electric SUV perfect for road trips

Autonomy: 355 km

The EQC Mercedes-Benz (N293) is a compact luxury SUV fully electric with clean lines. With its autonomy of 355 km, it is the first member of the fully electric EQ family signed Mercedes.

9. Nissan Leaf E+ – Perfect electric city car

Autonomy: 355 km

The Nissan Leaf E+, expected for the summer of 2019, is a version of the Leaf offering greater autonomy. Its autonomy goes from 240 km for the basic version at 355 km on a single battery load.

10. Opel ampera -e – Small compact electric car with large autonomy

Autonomy: 345 km

Ampera-e is the entirely electric compact vehicle produced by Opel. Ampera-e offers innovative technology, associated with a range of 345 km.

The average driver generally travels less than 50 km per day, he is still recharging the best autonomy. Electric vehicles offering the lowest autonomy are therefore not the first choice. You want to drive in all relaxation, without having to regularly search for a charging station in the surroundings.

In the same way as certain factors influence the autonomy of petrol and diesel cars, the same goes for electric vehicles. The autonomy of all electric vehicles is calculated in the laboratory. We found that battery life is actually lower and depends on several factors, such as weather, road conditions and temperature. In very cold or very hot weather, the battery capacity is influenced by the additional energy used for heating or air conditioning. Driving with open windows, under-inflated tires and transporting heavy loads also influences driving autonomy.

If your budget does not allow you to buy a Tesla, do not worry: there are many other electric vehicles offering good autonomy at lower prices.

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