8 Cheap EVs Were Driven Until They Died. One Stood Out

Small, cheap EVs typically don't have the best range. It's just the nature of them at the moment. Batteries are expensive and heavy, so it's difficult to fit large ones in smaller, cheaper cars. However, they doesn't mean they can't use their impressive efficiency to overachieve and provide some very useful range. Carwow recently found out just how far most of the cheap EVs in the U.K. could go on a single charge, and some of the results were surprising. Most impressive were the Fiat Grande Panda and the Microlino, which overachieved in their own ways.

The test involved the Fiat Grande Panda, Microlino, Honda Super-N, Citroen e-C3, Dacia Spring, BYD Dolphin Surf, Leap Motor T08, and Hyundai Inster. Each car started out with 100% state-of-charge (SoC), and each was driven at highway speed limits until it neared the end of its battery life. When their batteries got really low, the drivers pulled off the highways and found safe places to run out of battery. 

The Microlino is an interesting admission here, because it isn't really a car. It's technically considered a quadricycle, and is registered as such. Since it isn't a real car, it doesn't have real car stuff, like ABS or many typical safety features. It's also a two-seater, has a single bench seat, and just one door. It's designed to look like the BMW Isetta (or Iso Isetta), and so it's incredibly impractical. However, it's also incredibly efficient, getting 7.7 miles per kWh, the best in the test by far. The next most efficient were the BYD and Dacia, both doing 4.8 miles per kWh. So the little Microlino might be less than ideal for long distance driving, it's surprisingly efficient doing it.

All the cars did pretty decently, but only two cars exceeded their manufacturer's claimed range. The Microlino managed to do 115 miles in a single charge, which is 101% of its claimed range. While the Fiat Grande Panda did 202 miles, which is 102% of what Fiat says it can do.

But the Fiat wasn't the range champ. That was the Hyundai Inster. It covered 212 miles, representing 95% of its official range. So the Fiat overachieved more than anyone else.

The Grande Panda was also one of the most enjoyable cars to drive, although Carwow's Mat Watson said the Hyundai would be his choice. All of the cars proved that small EVs can still be good at a bit of distance driving, but I'm impressed by the little Fiat. It isn't as well known for making EVs as some of the other brands but it proved that it knows what it's doing. 

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