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Real-World Data Show Speed, Not A/C, Is the Biggest EV Range Drain

AAA lab tests find summer heat trims EV range by about 9 percent through A/C load plus battery protection.

Overview

  • Geotab analyzed more than three million electric‑vehicle trips and found that range falls fastest as cruising speed rises.
  • The dataset shows a 65 kWh delivery van dropping from about 230 km at 80 km/h to 142 km at 128 km/h, a loss near 40 percent.
  • The driver is aerodynamic drag, which climbs with the square of speed and outweighs the energy used by air conditioning at highway pace.
  • AAA’s April lab tests on a Tesla Model Y, Ford Mustang Mach‑E and Chevrolet Equinox EV measured about 10.4 percent lower efficiency and 8.5 percent shorter range at 35°C, with losses tied to A/C demand and automatic battery heat safeguards.
  • Cold proved far harsher in the same tests, with efficiency down 35.6 percent and range down about 39 percent at −7°C, while drivers can curb heat losses by parking or charging in shade or a garage, pre‑cooling while plugged in, and planning extra range.