Government Announces New Testing Cycle For More Accurate EV Claimed Ranges, Tata Becomes The First To Adopt The New Norms

If you own an electric vehicle, or have driven one, then you must be aware of the fact that the real-world range you get from your EV is much less than the figure claimed by the manufacturer. The reason for this difference is that these EVs are tested in controlled environments and the parameters for the tests are much different than what you would get in your day-to-day driving. 

Also, cars from different brands can sometimes have claimed ranges tested using different standards such as ARAI, WLTP, CLTC, MIDC, and more, which have different testing parameters, and provide varying results. 

Also Read: You Can Now Book The MG Windsor EV At Select Dealerships

To streamline this process, India’s Ministry of Road, Transport, and Highways (MoRTH) has made the MIDC testing parameters standard for all EVs, and have also updated the testing conditions to give the cars more accurate claimed ranges. Here is a breakdown of the old and the updated parameters.

Old MIDC Testing Parameters

The older testing parameters, known as “Urban” or “P1” parameters, tested the claimed ranges of the EVs in extremely controlled environments, the tests were done at much less speed than what you would usually drive at, and these tests were done for city use only. 

Due to these standards, the claimed ranges were much higher than the real range you would get from your mixed driving conditions. To rectify this and bring the claimed ranges close to real world ranges, MIDC has improved the testing parameters.

New MIDC Testing Parameters

In the new testing parameters, MIDC has included highway driving and has increased the average speed of the car. These new parameters provide a slightly more accurate claimed range, one which is closer to what you will get in your day-to-day driving.

Also Read: Tata Curvv vs Hyundai Creta: Should You Pick The Stylish SUV-coupe Or The Top-selling Compact SUV?

All EVs in India will now be tested using this new “Urban + Extra Urban” parameters, and all manufacturers have been asked to declare the new claimed ranges of their EVs as per the updated testing standards.

However, as you can see, these testing parameters are still far away from the real world conditions, and for that, Tata has come up with their own parameters, called “C75”.

C75 Testing Parameters

These testing parameters are even more stringent and apart from a higher load, they also account for the use of AC and regenerative braking along with the varying temperature conditions. 

From here on, Tata will reveal the C75 range of its EVs along with the claimed range as per new MIDC standards, and here are the new ranges claimed by Tata.

Here, you can get an understanding of how these parameters affect the claimed driving ranges, and you can also get an idea of why there is such a difference between the claimed and real-world ranges. If tested in ideal and controlled conditions, the claimed range will be much higher, but once you start to factor higher speeds, more load, and the use of features like air conditioning, the actual range comes down dramatically.

Also Read: 2024 Tata Curvv EV: Is The Rear Seat Comfort As Good As The Overall Experience?

Tata’s C75 ranges appear to be the closest to real-world conditions, and are the most accurate. However, these only apply to Tata models, and other brands will now have to update the ranges of their EVs according to the new MIDC parameters. Do you think other carmakers should follow Tata’s charge in giving more realisting range figures for more transparency? Let us know in the comments below.