Although electric vehicles have enjoyed significant progress in recent years, range anxiety remains an issue. It’s one of the main reasons why some people are sticking with their gas cars for the time being, with another factor being the underdeveloped EV charging infrastructure. If you’re ready to make the jump to a zero-emission vehicle but have concerns about efficiency, Consumer Reports conducted an extensive test.
While an electric vehicle’s EPA rating is generally more realistic than the WLTP standard, it’s still far from being entirely accurate. CR took no fewer than 22 EVs and tested them in the real world during a highway road trip. There were two BMWs on the extensive list, and both of them managed to overachieve compared to their official EPA ratings.
Equipped with 19-inch wheels, the 2023 i4 M50 managed to cover 318 miles (511.7 kilometers) before running out of battery juice. The exact specification of the electric M Performance i4 is rated by the EPA at only 271 miles (436.1 kilometers), meaning CR drove it for an additional 47 miles (75.6 kilometers) compared to the official rating. It was a similar story with the 2023 iX xDrive50 since it covered 370 miles (595.4 kilometers), up by 46 miles (74 kilometers) from EPA’s 324-mile (521.4-kilometer) rating.
If you’re wondering how the cars were tested, both had anywhere between 2,000 to 15,000 miles (3,218 to 24,140 kilometers) on the clock and were fully broken in. The battery capacities were still at 100% and the tire pressure was adjusted according to BMW’s specifications. CR preconditioned the cars in their garage and set the AC to 72° F (22.2° C). The cars were driven in the summer in 70 to 90° F (21.1 to 32.2° C) temperatures in clear weather, so pretty much the ideal conditions. They didn’t test the EVs during the winter since we all know cold weather impacts an electric car’s range differently from one car to another.
The i4 M50 and iX xDrive50 were driven at a steady 70 mph (112.6 km/h) by using cruise control, with a separate GPS onboard to verify the real speed. Interestingly, the SUV continued to cover 30 miles (48.2 kilometers) even after the trip compute started to display zero miles of range left. Most of the other EVs tested came to a halt shortly after the instrument cluster showed no range was left.
Check out the full results at the source link below.
Source: Consumer Reports