13 new cars from 13 different manufacturers were evaluated in real real life, real traffic, similar and reproducible conditions and passed through 7 different types of tests, the results of which are of greatest interest to electric vehicle users. The large-scale event is called the ECOBEST Challenge and is made by the independent organization Autobest.
Tests carried out this year show big improvements compared to last year in some areas, such as fast charging times, but none in the key area of energy efficiency, which urgently needs to become a major focus for electric car manufacturers. vehicles.
If overall electric mobility is making good progress at a much higher pace than expected by most, this progress is not homogeneous, as shown by the fact that 6 different cars from 6 different brands (Volvo twice, Kia, Audi, Opel , Honda and Mini) took victory in 7 categories of tests and indices of the ECOBEST Challenge.
Another surprise is the fact that despite being the leader and benchmark for electric mobility for several years, Tesla does not dominate any category in 2024.
In alphabetical order, here are the 13 cars that the Autobest jury tested: Audi Q4 Sportback 45 e-tron, BMW i5 Touring, BYD Dolphin, Fiat 600e, Honda e: Ny1, Hyundai Kona, Kia EV9, Lancia Ypsilon , Mini Cooper SE, Opel Corsa, Tesla Model Y, Volkswagen ID.7 and Volvo EX30.
• HUGE IMPROVEMENT IN DC FAST CHARGING: The best standout result of this release is the short DC fast charging time for all 13 cars in the test – between 7 minutes and 18 minutes to charge for 100 km. Kia EV 9 is ranked number 1 with 7 minutes per 100 km! This comprehensive presentation shows how far all EV manufacturers have advanced in this sensitive approach to car users.
• AMBIVALENT RESULTS WITH AC CHARGING TIMES: Less impressive, the AC charging capabilities of the cars tested ranged from 59 minutes - the best of this edition, the Volvo EX 30 - for 100km range to 2 hours: 27 minutes for the same 100 km. Quite interestingly, last in the AC charging ranking is the KIA EV 9, which is the best in DC Fast Charging.
• MANUFACTURERS PUBLISHED RANKING CLOSER TO REAL LIFE (EcoC1 test): In this edition of the ECOBEST Challenge, none of the 13 models in the test exceeded the homologated range on the WLTP cycle. With an EcoC 1 index of 98.95%, the Audi Q4 Sportback 45 e-tron is the closest real-world mileage to the WLTP in this edition and one of the best in the history of the ECOBEST Challenge. 6 of the remaining EVs are between 80% - 90% and the remaining 6 are between 73% and 79.8%. There is no car in test below 73% in this edition.
• BETTER CHARGE BEFORE THE BATTERY SAYS EMPTY: As the ECOBEST Challenge pioneered the claim that there is life in the battery after the gauge reads 0km/0%, 12 of the 13 cars demonstrated a strategic reserve of electricity between 2 and 24 kilometers. The Volvo EX 30 is the winner in this measurement, but it is a long way from the record of 45 km measured in last year's edition. Also, only one car that stopped after the battery indicator showed zero on the dash.