Silverstone dream racer? EV range advances highlighted via Tour de Electric

27 October 2022  

The improving range of electric cars from a single charge was recently demonstrated in an imaginary ‘Tour de Electric’ endurance race around Silverstone, with a number of Volkswagen vehicles being put through their paces with a view to helping address consumer concerns, and show that EVs are catching up with internal combustion engine vehicles.

A fully charged 77kWh Volkswagen ID.3 will deliver up to 340-miles of range depending on use, against the 356- 475-miles capacity of the Golf 8. Based on a 290 mile median range, the ID.3 can run 79 laps of the 3.66 mile Silverstone circuit on a single charge, while a single tank of fuel for the Golf 8 will allow it to complete 114 laps.

Meanwhile, an Audi Q4 e-Tron 40 offers a 316-mile range as opposed to the ICE Audi Q5 which can provide up to 520 miles depending on use. At the same time, the Skoda Enyaq 80 delivers 339 miles of range capacity compared to the Skoda Kodiaq SE L at 525 miles. Lastly, the Porsche Taycan fields a 193 mile range, as opposed to the Porsche 911 which can manage 440 miles on a full tank.

Emma Loveday, Senior Fleet Consultant at Volkswagen Financial Services UK, said: “As battery technologies continue to advance and range capacity increases across the new EV models being released in to the market, the current mileage range gap will continue to close. As we look to further support the Climate Change Committee’s target that at least 55% of light vehicles on UK roads should be battery operated by 2032, and if range parity is a consideration, this should provide further encouragement to would-be purchasers looking at EV options for the first time.”

Research conducted by Volkswagen Financial Services UK shows that range anxiety has now been replaced by charging anxiety. This is despite the fact that according to data from Zap-Map, with 20,534 charging locations across the UK, as opposed to 8,378 traditional filling stations, there are actually more places to charge a battery than fill a tank. At the end of August 2022, there were 33,996 individual EV charging points across the UK, 34% up on August 2021.