EV Range Converter
The same car is quoted with wildly different range figures depending on which laboratory cycle measured it. A car rated 420 km in Europe is a 512 km car in China — nothing about the vehicle changes, only the test.
That matters here more than most places. Most electric cars sold in Pakistan are Chinese imports quoted in CLTC, the most optimistic of the four standards, so the number on the brochure sits well above what the car will actually do.
Enter a quoted figure, tell it which standard the figure came from, and you get the equivalent in all four — EPA, WLTP, NEDC and CLTC — with a plain reading of how realistic each one tends to be.
Use it before you buy, to compare two cars quoted under different standards, and before a long drive, to work out what range you can actually plan around.
Convert from
Enter a range figure to convert it.
Conversions use the standard ratios between test cycles, normalised through WLTP. Real-world range depends far more on speed, terrain, temperature and air conditioning than on the test cycle.
Why one car has four different range figures
Range is not measured on the road. It is measured on a rolling road, following a prescribed speed profile at a prescribed temperature. Change the profile and the number changes, without anything about the car changing at all.
That is why the same vehicle can be advertised at 420 km in Europe and 512 km in China. Neither figure is a lie; they are answers to different questions. The problem for a buyer in Pakistan is that listings mix all four standards freely, so two cars on the same page may not be comparable.
The four standards
| Standard | Used in | vs WLTP | How realistic |
|---|---|---|---|
| EPA | United States | 86% of WLTP | Most realistic |
| WLTP | Europe | baseline | Realistic |
| NEDC | Europe (legacy) | 118% of WLTP | Optimistic |
| CLTC | China | 122% of WLTP | Least realistic |
EPA is the strictest because its cycle includes higher speeds, harder acceleration and a cold start, and it applies an adjustment factor on top. CLTC is the most optimistic because its cycle is dominated by slow urban running, where an electric car is at its most efficient.
What you will see on Pakistani listings
Most electric cars sold here are Chinese imports, so the figure quoted is usually CLTC or, on older models, NEDC. Both flatter the car. A 500 km CLTC figure converts to about 350 km EPA, and real mixed driving with the air conditioning on will land below that again.
European and Korean models tend to quote WLTP; anything homologated for the United States quotes EPA. When you are comparing a BYD against a Kia, you may well be comparing CLTC against WLTP, which is a 20% handicap before you start.
Turning a quoted figure into a realistic one
- Convert to EPA first. It is the closest of the four to real driving.
- Then plan on about 80% of that between charges, so you have a buffer for detours and for a charger being busy or out of service.
- Subtract more for motorway running. Sustained 120 km/h can cost 25 to 30% against a mixed-driving figure.
- Subtract more for air conditioning. In Pakistani summer city traffic, 10 to 20% is normal.
A car quoted at 500 km CLTC is therefore a comfortable 260 to 290 km car on a summer motorway run — still perfectly usable, but a different trip plan from the brochure figure.
Why this matters more here than in Europe
Pakistan's charging network is growing but still thin outside the major cities and motorway corridors. A 20% optimistic range figure in a country with a charger every 50 km is an inconvenience; the same error on a route where the next DC charger is 180 km away is a stranded car.
Check the actual network on the live charger map before relying on any range figure, and see the national charging guide for how the corridors are covered.
Common questions
What is the difference between WLTP, EPA, NEDC and CLTC?
They are four laboratory test cycles used to quote electric car range, run at different speeds and temperatures and with different assumptions. EPA is the strictest and closest to real driving. WLTP is the current European standard. NEDC is the retired European test and runs optimistic. CLTC is the Chinese cycle and is the most optimistic of the four. The same car can be quoted with four figures differing by 40% or more.
Which figure should I trust?
EPA is the closest to what you will actually see. Most cars sold in Pakistan are imported from China and quoted in CLTC or NEDC, so the brochure figure is usually well above what the car delivers. Converting the quoted number to EPA gives a far more honest expectation.
Why does Pakistan see CLTC figures so often?
Because most electric cars sold here come from Chinese manufacturers, and CLTC is the Chinese homologation standard. It is not a marketing choice so much as the number the manufacturer already had. CLTC is the most optimistic of the four cycles, which is why a CLTC figure should be discounted heavily.
How much lower is real range than the quoted figure?
As a rough guide: from a CLTC figure expect roughly 70% in mixed real driving; from NEDC roughly 75%; from WLTP roughly 85%; from EPA roughly 90 to 95%. Motorway speed, air conditioning and hills push all of these lower.
How accurate is this conversion?
It uses the standard ratios between the test cycles, the same ones built into the ChargePK app. They are a sound guide for comparing cars, but they are averages. Two cars with identical WLTP figures can differ in the real world depending on how efficient they are at speed.
Why is my real range lower than all four figures?
Every one of them is a laboratory number measured in controlled conditions with a gentle drive cycle. Heat, hills, motorway speed and air conditioning all reduce range. Pakistani summer conditions with the air conditioning running are harder than any of these cycles, so landing below even the EPA figure is normal.
Does range drop in Pakistani summers?
Yes, mainly because of air conditioning rather than the heat itself. Running the AC hard can cost 10 to 20% of range in city driving. Very cold weather affects range more severely, but that matters less in most of Pakistan.
Does motorway driving use more battery?
Considerably. Electric cars are most efficient in town, where regenerative braking recovers energy, and least efficient at sustained high speed where aerodynamic drag dominates. A car quoted at 400 km may manage nearer 280 to 300 km at a steady 120 km/h on the M-2.
What is a realistic range for planning a trip?
Convert the quoted figure to EPA, then plan on using about 80% of that between charges. It leaves a buffer for detours, a charger being occupied or out of service, and the fact that charging the last 20% is slow.
Do PHEV and REEV electric ranges use the same standards?
Yes, and they are quoted the same way, but the figure covers electric running only. Once the battery is depleted the petrol engine takes over, so a plug-in hybrid never strands you the way a low battery in a pure EV can.
Which standard will replace NEDC?
WLTP already has, in Europe. NEDC was retired because it was measured at unrealistically low speeds and gentle acceleration. You will still see NEDC figures on older listings and on some imports, which is exactly the case where converting is worth doing.
Working out charging time instead? Try the EV Charging Time Calculator →