August 15, 2025: EV motorists cannot always depend on vehicle manufacturers’ lab tests in terms of battery performance, according to new independent analysis by the Australian Automobile Association.
The AAA said in a report released on August 7 tests of five EVs under its ‘real-world testing program’ found their driving range was between 5% and 23% less in real driving conditions than recorded in mandatory lab tests by automakers.
The program was the first to assess whether EVs travel as far on a single battery charge as advertised by vehicle manufacturers.
Potential EV buyers now have an independent indication of real-world battery range to help them understand which cars perform as advertised and which fall short, the association said.
According to the AAA, 60% of respondents surveyed late last month who identified as likely EV buyers said vehicle range and recharging were the main concerns or hesitations that might prevent them from choosing an EV (not a hybrid) for their next car purchase.
The first EV tests found the 2024 Smart #3 EV performed closest to its lab test result with a real-world driving range of 432km, equating to 5% or 23km less than recorded in its mandatory laboratory test, the AAA claimed.
Meanwhile, the 2022 Kia EV 6 and the 2024 Telsa Model Y both had driving ranges of 8% less in the real-world tests than recorded in lab tests, while the 2024 Tesla Model 3 had a real-world range of 441km on a full charge, 14% less than the 513km achieved in the lab.
According to the AAA, the 2023 BYD Atto 3 recorded the largest variation from its lab test — with a real-world range of 369km on a single charge, some 23% less than the 480km recorded in its laboratory test.
To date, the program has released results for 114 internal combustion engine and hybrid vehicles, with 77% of these cars exceeding the fuel consumption recorded in lab tests, and one in five also exceeding noxious emissions limits applicable to lab tests.
The program was launched in 2023, backed by AU$14 million ($9 million) of national government funding. The move came in the wake of the Volkswagen scandal of 2015, which demonstrated that regulation of vehicle emissions incentivized carmakers to optimize their vehicles for performance in the lab, rather than in the real world.
Under the program, cars were tested on a 93km circuit in the state of Victoria using what the AAA said were strict testing protocols based on European regulations “to ensure results are repeatable and to minimize the influence of human factors such as driving style and changing traffic flows”.
Testing measured EV range by quantifying both the energy needed to drive a vehicle around the test route and the energy needed to recharge each vehicle’s fully depleted battery.
The program also measured each vehicle’s energy consumption to determine the cost of operating the vehicle, and which carmakers are legally obliged to report at point of sale.
AAA managing director Michael Bradley said the initiative showed consumers could not always rely on a carmaker’s lab tests as an indicator of real-world performance.
The findings will bring confidence to Australian fleets and families looking to buy an EV, Bradley said.
