Chevrolet Volt at EPA’s National Fuels and Emissions Laboratory
How far an electric car can go on a single charge is one of the hottest numbers in the automotive industry.
There are potential flaws in the official government processes used to test and certify these ranges.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has been testing vehicles since 1971, but only started testing EVs in 2012. EV technology is still very new and changing rapidly. EPA engineers say it’s an exciting time, but it can also feel like the “wild west.”
EPA only tests a small percentage of the entire vehicle. The fact that any vehicle can be tested at any time obliges automakers to meet EPA standards.
Some in the auto industry argue that, at least for U.S. roads, EPA ratings are more accurate than ratings issued by other government agencies. However, an independent body found that its own testing yielded results that differed from the EPA’s official range rating.
Critics argue that the agency’s label contradicts that used for gasoline vehicles, in part because the test doesn’t take into account how people actually drive. Ranges on labels appear larger than they actually are. Automakers can also use the method of inflating range numbers.
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