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How to compare electric cars: range, consumption and charging step by step

How to compare used electric cars on real-world range, energy consumption, battery capacity and charging. A step-by-step guide with a table by use.

November 5, 2026

How to compare electric cars: range, consumption and charging step by step

Key takeaways

Treat the WLTP range as an upper limit. In a winter road test, 31 electric cars covered 11–32% less distance than their WLTP figures. On short trips at −7°C, range fell by around 40% on average.
Calculate range from the usable battery capacity, not the gross figure. For the Volkswagen ID.3 Pro Performance 1st Max, that means 58 kWh rather than 62 kWh.
Only compare consumption in kWh/100 km when it has been measured with the same method and at the same temperature. In the same test, the Peugeot e-208 used 26.2 kWh/100 km at +20°C and 31.7 kWh/100 km at 0°C.
For charging, look at two things. On the road, it is the 10–80% charging time (Hyundai quotes 18 minutes for the Ioniq 5) and how the charging power holds up. For charging while parked, it is the on-board charger: an 11 kW unit uses three phases at 16 A, while a single-phase charger manages roughly a third of that on the same supply.
With a used car, also compare the battery's current condition, because batteries lose an average of 2.3% of their capacity a year. For some electric cars on Carvago, the battery health (SOH) or a battery certificate is shown directly in the listing.

Comparing electric cars is trickier than comparing two petrol cars. Spec sheets list figures that look alike, but each describes something different. Range comes from a laboratory cycle, battery capacity is often given as two values, and consumption is measured both with and without charging losses. When it comes to charging, more numbers matter than the maximum power in kW. The steps below put these figures in order, so you can compare two used cars according to how you will actually use them.

1. Start your electric car comparison with your own journeys

First, separate your typical day from the most demanding trip you make regularly. A commuter car that you charge while parked needs different qualities from a family car that spends a lot of time on the motorway.

How the car is used	Most important figures	What matters less
Town driving and commuting, charging at home or at work	Consumption on short trips, usable capacity, on-board charger power and number of phases, heat pump	Maximum rapid-charging power
Longer daily commute	Real-world range on your route, in winter too, energy reserve, charging time while parked	The WLTP figure on its own
Frequent motorway journeys	Motorway consumption, 10–80% time, charging power curve, battery preconditioning	Short-lived peak charging power
No charging point of your own	DC charging speed, 10–80% time, low consumption	On-board AC charger power
Used car with higher mileage	Current battery condition, equipment of the specific car	Catalogue capacity of the new battery

A bigger battery adds range, but also weight and cost. It brings nothing to a driver who covers a few dozen kilometres a day and charges at home. Anyone who often drives on the motorway will appreciate a longer first leg and more freedom in choosing where to stop and charge.

2. Separate WLTP range from range on your own route

WLTP is a standard European test procedure, which makes it a good starting point for comparison. It does not, however, promise the distance you will cover at motorway speeds or in freezing weather.

In a winter road test in January 2022, 31 electric cars fell 11–32% short of their WLTP range. The Tesla Model 3 Long Range covered 521 km, roughly 15% less than its official figure. Range drops even further on short trips in the cold. In a short test cycle at −7°C, with the car cooling down repeatedly, range was around 40% shorter on average than at +23°C. The causes, and ways to limit the loss, are covered in the article Electric car range in winter.

That gives a simple rule for comparisons. The difference in loss between cars (11% or 32%) can be greater than the difference in their WLTP range. A car with a tenth more range on paper may well cover a shorter distance in winter. So put results from the same type of driving side by side. Do not compare one car's motorway measurement with another's town driving, and do not compare driving in mild weather with short trips in the cold.

You can work out your own range estimate like this:

Range in km ≈ usable capacity in kWh ÷ consumption from the battery in kWh/100 km × 100

The formula needs consumption from the battery, not consumption including charging losses. It assumes the battery is run completely flat, so when planning a journey, keep a reserve for arrival.

3. Look for the usable battery capacity

Manufacturers and tests quote battery capacity as two values:

gross capacity is all the energy the cells can hold,
usable capacity is the share the system makes available for driving.

The difference is a protective buffer. Even when the display shows 0 or 100%, the cells are neither fully empty nor fully charged.

The Volkswagen ID.3 Pro Performance 1st Max from the first 2020 production run has a gross capacity of 62 kWh and a usable capacity of 58 kWh. For calculating range, 58 kWh is the figure to use. Always compare like with like. If you set one car's gross capacity against another's usable capacity, the first car gains an unfair advantage of several kWh. Capacity also often differs between battery versions of the same model, so look in the listing for the figure that applies to the specific version.

4. For consumption, distinguish energy from the battery and energy from the grid

An electric car's consumption is given in kWh/100 km. A lower number means less energy over the same distance. That only holds, however, when both values have been measured in the same way and in similar conditions.

Figure	What it describes	What it is used for
Consumption on the trip computer	Energy drawn from the battery while driving	Estimating range
Consumption including charging losses	Energy drawn from the grid to replace the energy used	Comparing running requirements
Consumption in a motorway test	What the car needs at a high, steady speed	Planning long journeys
Consumption on short trips	Driving with repeated heating or cooling of the cabin	Daily commuting

During charging, some energy is lost in converting the current and some is used by the battery's thermal management. Consumption from the grid is therefore always higher than the trip computer figure, and this is not a measurement error.

Consumption is very sensitive to temperature. In the same 100 km test, including charging losses, the Peugeot e-208 used 26.2 kWh/100 km at +20°C and 31.7 kWh/100 km at 0°C, which is 21% more. So do not compare one car's summer test figure with another's winter result. Nor does a figure including losses belong next to a trip computer reading.

On long journeys, low consumption pays off twice. It stretches the distance between stops and shortens each of them, because you have less energy to put back in.

5. Compare charging separately for parking and for travelling

An electric car charges in two ways. While parked, it usually uses alternating current (AC); on the road, it charges faster with direct current (DC). Each method has its own yardsticks.

AC charging: the on-board charger sets the speed

With AC charging, the car's on-board charger converts the current for the battery. A more powerful charging point therefore will not speed things up if the on-board charger can handle less.

The number of phases matters too. An on-board charger rated at 11 kW uses three phases at 16 A. A single-phase charger uses only one phase on the same supply and manages roughly a third, around 3.7 kW. The difference is noticeable. Taking a battery with a usable capacity of 58 kWh from 10 to 80% means adding over 40 kWh. At 11 kW, that takes a little under 4 hours; on a single phase, around 11 hours. Charging losses add a bit more time.

If the car spends the night in a garage, slower charging will do. If you charge during shorter stops, for example at work or at the supermarket, you will appreciate a three-phase charger. Power and the number of phases can vary with version and equipment, so check them for the specific used car you are considering, not for the whole model range.

DC charging: the maximum in kW is just one point on the curve

When rapid charging, the on-board charger does not limit the speed. What matters is what the car and the charging station can handle, along with the temperature and state of charge of the battery.

The charging curve shows how the power changes as the state of charge rises. A car that reaches a high peak for just a few minutes can end up spending longer at the charger than one that holds a lower power for most of the session. That is why the 10–80% charging time is more telling. When it launched the Ioniq 5 in 2021, Hyundai quoted 18 minutes for this window on a suitable rapid charger.

The same percentage window means a different amount of energy for batteries of different sizes. For travelling, combine three figures: charging time, the amount of energy added and motorway consumption. Only then will you know how many kilometres each stop adds.

What 400 V and 800 V architectures bring

A higher voltage carries the same power at a lower current, so cables and cells heat up less. An 800 V architecture, such as the one in the Hyundai Ioniq 5, therefore allows high charging power for a longer part of the session. The length of a stop still depends on the battery cells, their cooling, charging management and the station used. Treat voltage as a technical feature, not as a ranking of cars by speed. For comparisons, the 10–80% time and the shape of the curve carry more weight.

6. Factor in the equipment and condition of the specific used car

A heat pump heats the cabin using less energy than conventional resistive heating, so it helps most in winter and on short trips. Battery preconditioning before rapid charging brings the cells to the right temperature so the car can accept high power. These are two different functions, and one does not replace the other. On many models, both were cost options, so two listings with the same model name can differ in equipment, on-board charger and software.

The catalogue capacity describes a new battery. According to a Geotab analysis covering more than 22,700 electric cars, batteries lose an average of 2.3% of their capacity a year, so two identical used cars can differ considerably depending on age and how they have been used. Find out the measured battery health (SOH) of the specific car and have the whole car inspected as part of CarAudit™.

What to watch out for when comparing electric cars

Mixing up versions. Do not apply the result of one battery or one version to the whole model range.
A ranking based on one number. The longest WLTP range says nothing about motorway consumption or the length of charging stops.
Confusing kW and kWh. Kilowatts measure power, kilowatt-hours measure energy. For charging, you need both.
Charger output instead of car capability. A station may offer more than the car can accept at that moment.
Tests that cannot be compared. Speed, temperature, wheel size and route length all change the result. The cleanest comparison comes from a joint test under the same conditions.

Specific models by budget and use are covered in our articles on the cheapest electric car, small electric cars, electric SUVs and the best electric car. Pairs of models go head to head in comparisons such as Hyundai Ioniq 5 vs Kia EV6 and Tesla Model 3 vs BMW i4.

Carvago: comparing used electric cars, battery condition included

Carvago has the widest selection of used electric cars: tens of thousands of cars from dealers in several European countries. The selection shown varies from country to country. That means you do not have to take the first car that happens to be available, but can look for a model with a specific battery version, a three-phase charger or a heat pump.

For some electric cars on Carvago, the battery health (SOH) or a battery certificate is shown directly in the listing. For such cars, alongside the catalogue figures, you can therefore also compare how much energy the battery of a specific car can actually hold today.

Before sale, a technician inspects every car as part of the CarAudit™ inspection with up to 270 checkpoints, including diagnostics and a test drive. You see the result before you decide to buy, and Carvago guarantees the condition of the car stated in the CarAudit™ certificate.

Once the purchase is approved, Carvago uses a power of attorney to register the car in your country and delivers it to your door as standard. You can drive off as soon as it is handed over.

FAQ

Does a more powerful motor always mean higher consumption?

No. Maximum power tells you what the drivetrain can deliver under full load, not how much energy it draws in normal driving. Consumption depends more on drivetrain efficiency, weight, aerodynamics, tyres and driving style.

Does the 10–80% time cover the whole stop at the charger?

No, it covers the charging itself. A stop also includes leaving your route, any waiting, plugging in and starting the session. The location of charging stations therefore affects journey time as much as the car's charging specifications.

How much weight should regenerative braking carry in a comparison?

Regenerative braking feeds some energy back into the battery when slowing down. It makes the biggest difference in town and in hilly terrain, and hardly any at a steady motorway speed. The number of regeneration levels says nothing about efficiency; consumption in the same driving mode is more telling.

Is a shorter winter range a sign of a worn battery?

No. In the cold, chemical reactions in the cells slow down and the battery temporarily delivers less energy. Once it warms up, the range comes back. A permanent loss of capacity, meaning battery ageing, only shows up when its condition is measured. There is more on this in the article on electric car range in winter.