What does 'range' mean on the car dashboard?
3 Answers
The 'range' on the car dashboard refers to the cruising mileage of the vehicle. The introduction and function of the range indicator light are as follows: Introduction to the range indicator light on the car dashboard: It indicates the number of kilometers that can be driven, theoretically representing the remaining fuel's driving range. Function of the range indicator light on the car dashboard: It serves to remind the car owner to perform timely vehicle maintenance. From a design perspective, this feature is very convenient for owners to monitor their vehicle's condition. After understanding how to observe the car's fuel gauge, the range value can be used as a reference to assess fuel consumption. However, the range indicator may sometimes malfunction. If the range warning light remains on even when the fuel tank has sufficient fuel, it indicates a fault in the range system, typically caused by a faulty fuel level display sensor. The basis for the distance displayed by the range is the car's remaining fuel level; the range estimates how much farther the car can travel based on the remaining fuel.
As a veteran driver with twenty years of experience, I frequently check the Range display. Simply put, it shows how many kilometers you can still drive with the remaining fuel. It's a number automatically calculated by dividing the fuel left in the tank by the current fuel consumption. In traffic jams, the number drops rapidly, while it lasts much longer during highway cruising. Before long trips, I always keep an eye on this number to plan refueling stops, but here's a reminder: it's just a reference! Sudden hard acceleration or turning on the air conditioning can reduce the actual range by up to 20%. Once, I trusted it too much while rushing and ended up running out of fuel three kilometers from the service area, pushing the car until my legs went weak. The safest habit is to refuel when there are about 100 kilometers left.
Last time I rode in a friend's electric car, I noticed their range algorithm is more complex. The remaining battery level is divided by the past average consumption, but in winter when the heater is on, it directly drops by 30%. The numbers on the dashboard were jumping so much it triggered my OCD: during traffic jams, the range showed 382 km, but after driving two kilometers out of the congestion, it changed to 375. The worst part is when the battery level drops below 20%, the estimated range plummets dramatically. Once, they almost got stranded on the elevated highway. If you frequently take long trips, it's recommended to switch the range display mode in the car settings to dynamic calculation, which is much more accurate than the fixed NEDC standard.
