New Electric Vehicle Range Norms In India Explained Feat. Tata EVs

Automakers are now required to declare both driving range for urban and highway test cycles as per the revised range-testing criteria

If you own an EV, whether it's a mass-market model or a luxury, you might have often wondered why there's such a discrepancy between the claimed driving range and the actual range you can achieve on a full charge. Automakers have explained that testing agencies measure the driving range of EVs under specific, predefined conditions to determine the maximum possible range, known as the claimed range. In reality, these ideal conditions are nearly impossible to meet, which is why the actual driving range of your EV reduces.

However, the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) has now introduced some guidelines to reduce the discrepancy between the claimed and actual driving range of EVs. These updated standards will help automakers provide more accurate claimed driving range figures, based on mixed testing cycles.

What Are The Changes

Most of the EVs sold in India are tested on MIDC (modified Indian drive cycle) testing cycle. This test cycle includes two parts: Urban (P1) and Extra Urban (P2). The Urban category simulates city-like driving conditions, while the Extra Urban cycle reflects how EV owners are likely to drive on the highway. Until now, EVs were only tested for the first category, and the results for this cycle were declared as their claimed range. But the latest guidelines by MoRTH have made it mandatory for all automakers to test and declare the driving range with both test cycles, namely P1+P2 (City + Highway).

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Tata Responds To The Updates

In the mass-market segment, Tata has been a frontrunner in the EV revolution in India. Among all mainstream automakers, Tata has become the first to respond to these changes and has now updated the driving range of its popular EVs. Tata has also stated that it will continue to provide the C75 range for its electric cars, which represents the near real-world range that 75 percent of customers can expect based on their usage.

Now let’s have a look at the parameters on which these different EV range figures are tested, and also why there is a difference in each of these range figures.

As shown in the table above, each test cycle is conducted under different conditions and parameters. In the P1 test, which simulates city driving, the speed is restricted to 50 kmph, while in the P1+P2 test, it combines city and highway driving and the speed is capped at 90 kmph. Although both tests have the AC turned off and maintain the same load (150 kg), the P1+P2 range is typically lower than the P1 range, primarily due to the difference in the maximum speed.

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On other hand, the C75 range, which offers the approximate real-world range for 75 percent of customers, includes a maximum speed of up to 120 kmph and an increased load of up to 250 kg. To more accurately simulate real-world conditions, this range is tested across varying temperatures. As a result, the C75 range typically ends up being the lowest but a lot more accurate of the three test cycles.

For a better understanding, now let’s have a look at the updated range figures for Tata EVs:

Consider the Tata Punch EV with a 35 kWh battery, which has an MIDC-claimed range of 421 km. Under mixed city and highway conditions (P1+P2), this MIDC range decreases to 365 km. In contrast, the C75 range is between 290 km and 310 km, closely aligning with our real-world test results. This difference of around 130 km in P1 range and C75 range is mainly due to the varied driving conditions including speed, load, driving pattern and temperature.

Do you think other automakers should also disclose the C75 range like Tata? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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