Comparable range estimates
The model estimates how far an EV can go under fixed reference scenarios so different cars can be compared on the same basis.
This page explains how BEV Database turns official WLTP and EPA data into comparable BEVDB estimates, where those estimates are used, and where the model stops. It is the main reference page for "real-world estimate", "BEVDB estimate", and "not official test results" labels across the site.
The model estimates how far an EV can go under fixed reference scenarios so different cars can be compared on the same basis.
It converts official anchor data into scenario consumption and then into scenario range using usable battery energy.
It also publishes a single combined estimate for faster shortlist-level comparison across large catalogs.
The BEVDB model is designed for standardized comparison. It is not a trip-specific promise, not a live telemetry feed, and not a guarantee for an individual route.
The model prefers reported usable battery capacity. When that is missing, BEV Database can estimate usable capacity from calibrated nominal-to-usable ratios and mark it as estimated.
Europe uses WLTP-rated consumption or WLTP range as the main anchor. If only NEDC-era data exists, BEVDB normalizes that input as a fallback instead of treating NEDC as directly equivalent to WLTP.
USA uses EPA range and EPA energy-use style inputs as the main anchor. When multiple EPA-style fields exist, the model prefers the most stable battery/range basis and falls back to wall-basis metrics when needed.
| Market | Primary official anchor | Native public unit | Reference highway speed | Default combined weighting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | WLTP consumption / WLTP range | km | 110 km/h | 54/46 city-highway, 65/35 mild-cold |
| USA | EPA range / EPA energy-use fields | mi | 70 mph | 55/45 city-highway, 70/30 mild-cold |
This matters across the whole site: Europe pages should read as WLTP-plus-km pages, while USA pages should read as EPA-plus-mi pages. Cross-region assets only normalize back to kilometers when a single comparison scale is needed.
The public BEVDB range card is built around four fixed reference scenarios. Those scenarios exist to separate speed impact from climate impact without turning the page into a trip planner.
| Scenario | Reference speed | Reference temperature | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| City (Mild) | 50 km/h or 30 mph | +20 C | Lower-speed urban use without strong heating penalty |
| Highway (Mild) | 110 km/h or 70 mph | +20 C | Steady higher-speed travel in moderate weather |
| City (Cold) | 50 km/h or 30 mph | -10 C | Urban driving with winter battery and cabin-heat penalty |
| Highway (Cold) | 110 km/h or 70 mph | -10 C | Worst mainstream road-use case on the public card |
The model internally uses region-specific anchor logic. For example, the USA combined weighting starts from EPA city/highway weighting, while Europe uses its own empirically stable combined weighting.
Combined does not mean one official lab number copied from a source. It is a BEVDB comparison value created from the scenario grid.
USA defaults to a 55/45 city-highway weighting that aligns with EPA weighting. Europe defaults to a 54/46 split for the public combined point.
USA combined range defaults to a 70/30 mild-cold mix. Europe defaults to a 65/35 mild-cold mix.
Combined energy use is derived so the displayed combined consumption and combined range remain internally consistent with effective capacity and cold-weather derate.
| Label on site | Type | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| WLTP range / EPA range | Official source value | Published regulatory or official-cycle figure |
| Real Range (est.) | BEVDB estimate | Scenario-based estimate built from official anchors |
| Combined real range (estimate) | BEVDB estimate | Weighted aggregation of city/highway and mild/cold outputs |
| Usable battery (estimated) | BEVDB estimate | Fallback usable-capacity estimate when reported usable kWh is missing |
| Tool inputs | User input | Values entered or adjusted by the user inside a planner or calculator |
| Planner defaults | Tool assumption | Comparison defaults or routing assumptions used by a tool when no direct source row exists |
| No data / unavailable | Unavailable | No defensible public or modeled value is currently published for that field |
When a car page says "These figures are not official test results", it refers to the estimate rows above, not to the official WLTP or EPA source rows.
Real Range (est.), combined estimate language, and estimate disclaimers on car pages point back to this methodology page.
The Europe Road Planner and Europe Money Economy pages use the WLTP-plus-km side of the estimate layer and should reference this page for scenario assumptions and source boundaries.
The USA Road Planner and USA Money Economy pages use the EPA-plus-mi side of the same methodology, with region-specific anchors rather than a Europe-first shortcut.
Data-led assets such as the real-world EV range report link back here as the canonical explanation of the estimate layer.
Current public range-model version: v13.6