Every new EV is sold with an official WLTP range figure, tested under lab conditions designed to be consistent between cars rather than to match how you'll actually drive. In everyday UK use, most electric cars fall well short of it — by design of the test, not because anything's wrong with the car.
What actually eats into your range
| Condition | Typical range vs WLTP | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Mixed UK driving | 70–80% | The baseline gap — Which? testing found a 16% average shortfall even in careful lab-style conditions, and ordinary driving is less careful than that |
| Motorway, ~70mph | ~65–80% | Aerodynamic drag rises sharply with speed and becomes the dominant factor on a motorway |
| Motorway, ~80mph | ~60–70% | Drag increases further — even 10mph extra makes a noticeable dent |
| Winter, heater on | ~55–75% | Cold reduces battery efficiency directly, and cabin heating alone can draw 3–5kW continuously |
Two real examples
Independent testing has found the Tesla Model 3 achieving roughly 75–82% of its WLTP figure in real-world driving, and the Hyundai Ioniq 6 — one of the more aerodynamically efficient EVs on sale — achieving roughly 77–84%. Both sit toward the better end of the typical range, which illustrates the point: even efficient, well-regarded EVs don't hit their sticker figure in everyday use.
We haven't built a full model-by-model comparison table yet — published real-world test results vary a fair amount between test publications (driving style, weather, and route all affect the number), so we'd rather point you to a specific, dated test for your shortlisted models than publish numbers that might not hold up. What Car? and Auto Express both publish real-world range tests regularly — worth checking before you buy.
What this means in practice
- Use the WLTP figure to compare cars, not to plan a journey. It's consistent between models, so it's fine for "which of these two EVs goes further," just not for "will I make it to Newcastle without stopping."
- For a rough real-world estimate, multiply the WLTP figure by about 0.75 for typical mixed driving, and knock off another chunk for winter or sustained motorway speeds.
- If motorway range matters to you (long commutes, regular long trips), look specifically for a car's motorway-speed test result rather than its WLTP figure — the gap between models widens a lot at speed.
- Plan winter road trips with extra margin — a car that easily manages a route in summer may need an extra charging stop in January.