Our new tool brings electric car range to life for the journeys that matter to you.
When people think about switching to an electric car, range is often one of the first things they worry about.
You might know the official range for a car, but wonder what that really means in practice. The truth is: real-world range will always vary. Just like how miles per gallon (mpg) varies in a petrol or diesel car.
That’s why we’ve built a tool that helps you understand what range might look like for your life and your journeys.
Try it out or read on to see how it could help you.
Try it with your journeys in mind
Our range tool gives you real, practical insight into what each electric car on the Scheme can do. Here’s what you can do.
Search every electric vehicle (EV) on the Scheme.
Filter by what matters to you, like the number of occupants, or if you’re planning to carry additional weight such as suitcases.
See how far you can go from a starting point: Such as your daily drive, a weekend trip or even a full holiday.
See how that route would work for different cars.
You can even plan your route from start to finish. The tool will let you know if it can be done without stopping for a charge.
And if you do need to use public chargepoints for longer trips, this tool helps you plan where to stop and how long you might need.
Real journeys, not just test conditions
Electric car range is measured using something called the WLTP cycle. It gives a guide, but in the real world, you’re not driving in a lab. You might be on motorways, in cold weather, or have a full boot, all of which affect range.
Here are a few of the factors that can change how far an EV goes on one charge:
- Weather: colder weather can reduce range
- Speed: driving faster uses more energy
- Weight: a fully loaded car uses more power
- Driving style: smoother driving can help save charge
- Terrain: hills and stop-start traffic can have an impact
Our tool takes these things into account, and gives you a more realistic view of what each EV can do.
A good fit for your life
We know this tool will not replace a test drive. But it’s a great first step if you want to understand how an EV might fit into your day-to-day life.
You might find that:
- An electric car can easily handle your weekly journeys
- You can take some longer trips without needing to charge on the way
- The cars with smaller ranges are still more than enough for your routine
Try the tool
You can explore the route and range tool now on our website.
See how far each EV can go, for your journeys, not just test conditions.
Try the tool now.
Check if you’re eligible to join the Scheme
Find out if you’re eligible to lease an EV with the Motability Scheme.
When you lease an EV with us, you’ll get a home chargepoint and standard installation or a subscription to the bp pulse network of public chargepoints included in your lease.
It’s quick and simple to check online.
