Drivers opting to listen to relaxing classical music are likely to get a far higher real-world driving range out of their electric vehicles than people listening to the latest pop tunes.

The award-winning all-electric Kia EV6 was used for the trials

Research carried out by Kia in partnership with Dr Duncan Williams, a lecturer at the University of Salford’s School of Science, Engineering and Environment, revealed that up-tempo pop, hip-hop and even soul ballad pop impacted EV range due to the effect these genres have in influencing driver behaviour and driving style.

The trial saw participants – all of whom had never driven an all-electric vehicle prior to the study – get behind the wheel of an EV6 to complete a predefined test route. Over the 18-mile route, a fixed playlist was played through the car’s Meridian Audio sound system, featuring different music genres and songs.

The tests found that listening to Beethoven’s Symphony No.9 can make drivers four times more efficient. In comparison, the Weeknd’s ‘Blinding Lights’ depleted battery power quickest.

“What we found from only two days of testing was that music really can have a dramatic influence on the real-world driving range of an electric vehicle,” said Dr Williams.

Before taking the EV6 on the 18-mile test run, each participant was fitted with an Empatica E4, a medical grade wearable device that records biometric measurements.

Dr Williams – who also co-founded WaveTrace, a psychoacoustic consultancy specialising in biometric tracking of human responses to sound and music stimuli – oversaw the analysis and data measurements from the Empatica E4, with the device focusing on infrared thermopile (shifts in skin temperature), electrodermal activity (fluctuating resistance of the skin that is altered by sweat), and blood volume pulse using a PPG optical sensor. Heartbeat and heat rate variability were also calculated.

“Different songs resulted in varying electrodermal activity and blood volume increase for each of the participants,” added Dr Williams. “This had a knock-on effect on driving style, and ultimately influenced the real-world driving range of the EV6.”

At the centre of the research study was the Kia EV6 – winner of this year’s Great British Fleet Awards’ Best EV Compact Executive car title.

The all-electric crossover, which is the first of 14 EVs that Kia plans to launch globally by 2027, offers a real-world battery range of up to 328 miles and is one of the few EVs currently on the market that features ultra-fast charging tech that allows the car to replenish its battery pack from 10 to 80% in 18 minutes. The test was carried out in the top-specification ‘GT-Line S’ model, which features a 14-speaker premium sound system from Meridian Audio.

Summarising the findings, Dr Williams said: “In short: if you want to go further, listen to the likes of Beethoven and other relaxing classical music; if you’re not worried about range dropping a little more quickly, by all means put on some more high-tempo tracks.”