What does a range of 120 kilometers mean?
2 Answers
Driving range refers to the total distance that vehicles such as cars or ships can travel continuously under maximum fuel reserve. For electric vehicles, the driving range is the distance traveled from a fully charged state of the power battery to the end of the test under standard conditions. A range of 120 kilometers means that, under ideal road conditions, wind speed, temperature, and other factors, the vehicle can travel 120 kilometers at a constant speed on a full charge or tank of fuel. Additional information: Below is an introduction to the relationship between driving range and vehicle speed: 1. Air resistance: When a car operates at high speeds, most of the power is used to overcome air resistance. The magnitude of air resistance is determined by factors such as frontal area and speed. Frontal air resistance = (drag coefficient x air density x frontal projected area x square of speed) ÷ 2. It is evident that higher speeds result in greater air resistance, which increases power consumption and directly reduces the driving range. 2. Structural reasons: Pure electric vehicles are significantly different from traditional fuel-powered vehicles because their power source is the battery, and most are equipped with a single-speed transmission, meaning a fixed gear ratio. The disadvantage of a single-speed transmission is that it cannot cover a wider range of speeds like multi-speed transmissions. During high-speed driving, the fixed gear ratio is relatively large, which also increases energy consumption and thus reduces the driving range.
A few days ago, my neighbor asked me a similar question. I explained that a range of 120 kilometers basically means the car can run about 120 kilometers on a full charge or tank of fuel, mainly depending on official test results. I personally drive an electric car for my daily commute and find this distance just enough for five days of work, roughly 30 kilometers a day, and might need a charge over the weekend. In actual use, urban conditions like traffic congestion can reduce the range, and using the AC in summer might drop it to just over 100 kilometers. So, I think beginners need to get used to planning charging stops—don’t wait until you’re down to the last few kilometers to panic, as that can easily lead to trouble. When choosing a car, it’s also important to consider charging speed; fast charging can replenish most of the range in about half an hour, which is quite convenient. Overall, 120 kilometers isn’t a long range, but it’s sufficient for city commuting.
