Every EV sold in India comes with a claimed range figure — usually from the MIDC (Modified Indian Driving Cycle) or the older ARAI test. Almost nobody gets that number in daily driving, and that's expected, not a defect.
Why the gap exists
Test-cycle figures are measured under controlled conditions: a specific speed profile, no air conditioning, a single occupant, flat terrain, and mild ambient temperature. Real driving rarely matches any of that. The gap between claimed and real-world range for EVs in India is commonly 15-30%, though it can be wider in extreme conditions.
What actually affects your range
- Air conditioning: Running the AC continuously, especially in Punjab's summer heat, is one of the single biggest drains on range — it doesn't just idle like it might in a petrol car with a running engine; it draws directly from the same battery driving the wheels.
- Speed: Aerodynamic drag increases sharply above roughly 80-90 km/h. Highway cruising at higher speeds burns noticeably more energy per km than city driving.
- Driving style: Hard acceleration and hard braking waste energy that gentler driving would keep in the battery (though regenerative braking recovers some of it).
- Temperature: Cold weather (less of a factor in Punjab except winter mornings) reduces battery efficiency; very hot weather increases AC load.
- Payload and tire pressure: A fully loaded car with underinflated tires will use more energy per km than an empty one with correctly inflated tires.
- Terrain: Hilly or undulating routes cost more range than flat ones, though descents can partially recover energy through regeneration.
How to estimate your real-world range
A reasonable rule of thumb: take the claimed range and apply a 20% buffer for typical mixed city/highway driving in Indian conditions, more if you'll run the AC heavily or drive mostly on highways. Our EV Trip Planner lets you plug in your own real-world range estimate (not the brochure number) to plan how many charging stops a longer trip actually needs.
The takeaway
A claimed range of 400 km doesn't mean you'll see 400 km — plan around 280-340 km for that same vehicle in typical daily use, and treat the claimed figure as a best-case ceiling, not a promise. This isn't unique to any one brand; it's how test-cycle numbers work everywhere, for EVs and, historically, for petrol mileage figures too.
General EV efficiency principles compiled from manufacturer test-cycle methodology (MIDC/ARAI) and widely-documented real-world EV ownership patterns — not tied to any single vehicle's specific figures.