Electric car features - did you already know these facts about electric cars?

Despite a thorough test drive, not all features of an electric car become familiar in one or two drives. For example, weather conditions relatively heavily affect the overall electric driving experience. It is good to understand that the features of electric cars may feel significantly different compared to combustion engine cars.

Also, the majority of driver-assistance functions are required by EU directives, so automakers cannot choose what functionalities to include in the cars. Therefore, new features bring with them differences. The functionalities according to the directives are expected to increase significantly in the future.

The consumption values for car models are measured with a test defined by EU legislation at an independent research institute. In electric cars, the range is measured with WLTP tests. WLTP provides an estimate of how far a car can drive on a single charge under certain conditions, such as city and highway driving, at a certain speed, and in certain climate conditions. The WLTP range is therefore theoretical and serves mainly as a comparative figure between different car models rather than describing the actual operational radius of the car.

In practical driving situations, consumption and range are affected by various factors including:

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  The proportion of electric driving (hybrids),
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  Charging
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  Driver's driving style
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  Driving speed
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  Low temperature
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  Preheating
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  Weather and driving conditions
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  Use of air conditioning or heating
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  Load
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  Services performed on the car

Due to these variables, consumption and range can significantly differ from the reported WLTP value. In Finnish winter conditions, the reading can drop to less than half. As a rule of thumb, the reported WLTP should be double the distance you want to be able to drive without recharging the car.

Tip: The Finnish website FLTP.fi collects data on the range of electric cars in Finnish weather conditions. The site features a database and comparison of almost all models

One of the unique features of electric cars is regenerative braking, where the car recovers energy for itself. Regenerative braking occurs when the driver lifts their foot off the accelerator. In some cases, the brake pedal is not needed at all, and merely lifting off the accelerator slows the vehicle sufficiently.

In some models, braking can feel unpleasantly harsh, but often the intensity of the braking can be adjusted from the car's settings. Regenerative braking also acts as a safety feature in electric cars, as it often shortens the braking distance. The reaction time to start braking significantly reduces when merely lifting off the accelerator initiates the braking.

The actual charging time and power can vary from the stated guide value. The charging time is significantly affected by the power of the charging station used and the number of cars charging simultaneously.

Charging power can be significantly lower than usual due to the battery temperature, for example in Finnish winter conditions or on a hot summer day. Additionally, the car's energy consumption may increase if the battery temperature needs to be raised or lowered to a suitable level for charging.

The battery should always be preheated for charging. Often, preheating works by navigating to the charging station using the electric car's navigator. This way, the car can preheat the battery to achieve the best charging power and the battery charges faster. A cold battery does not accept charge as efficiently as a warm battery. Not all electric cars have the option to preheat the battery for fast charging, which can result in particularly modest fast charging power in winter.