New analysis of the impact of temperature and speed on electric vehicle range is now available to operators.

Geotab’s analysis of real-world EV data illustrates the relative range impact of temperature and speed

The free interactive resource has been developd by Geotab and uses real-world EV data from three million EV trips and 550,000 hours of driving time to better understand the relative range impact of temperature and speed.

The analysis compares the range of two vehicle body types by modelling an electric sedan and a light cargo van, both adjusted to represent a 65kWh battery.

The data, which has been de-identified and aggregated, reveals two significant factors that impact range: outdoor temperature and a vehicle’s drag at different speeds.

But the study also shows the speed at which vehicles drive influences the relative impact of temperature. At low speeds, temperature can significantly impact range, and at higher speeds, temperature becomes much less relevant.

The size and shape of the vehicle also influence the optimal conditions to maximise EV range, and larger vehicles lose range more quickly with increased speed.

Based on the insights, Geotab says the best strategy to optimise EV range should take in the context of the trip. For a highway route, avoiding speeding will be the best strategy to conserve range, especially for larger vehicles. For slower routes, there will be more seasonal variability in range, so mitigating the impact of temperature will have the best results.

The firm also said that understanding the functional range of an EV helps increase confidence that vehicles are operating efficiently and that the right vehicle is selected for the job and present conditions.

“Electrification is an important component in reducing carbon emissions in fleets. To help businesses feel confident about integrating EVs into their fleet, Geotab provides exceptional data insights that support informed decision-making,” said Charlotte Argue, senior manager of fleet electrification at Geotab. “Backed by real-world EV data, the analysis is intended to be used as a resource to help educate users on factors that impact EV range and build awareness of strategies to optimise EV deployment.”

The new analysis draws on Geotab’s expertise and scale in helping fleets resolve latest challenges such as electrification, helped by one of the largest data science teams in the industry and its work to process more than 100 thousand data points per second. The company’s website has a range of resources to help fleets and it also offers a full suite of tools powered by one of the largest datasets for real-world EV performance to help companies make objective and sustainable decisions.

To read more about the free and interactive analysis, click here.