EV terms, in plain English
Range and WLTP
WLTP gives you a useful way to compare EVs, but don’t expect to achieve the brochure number on every drive.
WLTP stands for Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicles Test Procedure. It’s a standardised laboratory test used to estimate how far an EV can travel on a full battery.
Its biggest value is comparison. If one EV has a WLTP range of 600 km and another has 400 km, you can reasonably expect the first to travel further under similar conditions. But neither figure guarantees how far you’ll actually travel.
Real-world range changes with speed, temperature, hills, wind, passengers, luggage, tyres and how you drive. Highway driving at 110 km/h generally uses considerably more energy than driving around town.
As a simple planning guide, ShortlistEV estimates real-world range at around 80% of the published WLTP figure. So an EV rated at 500 km WLTP might be treated as roughly a 400 km car for everyday planning.
That’s deliberately conservative. You may get more — or less.
Why it matters: don’t buy purely on the biggest range number. Think about your normal driving, your longest regular trip and where you can charge. An EV with 400 km of usable everyday range may be more than enough if most of your driving is 50 km a day and you can charge at home.
Ready to narrow it down? Tell us what matters and we’ll shortlist up to three EVs that fit.