Further to the recent episode where the
Delhi government suspended subsidy on the Tata Nexon EV based on user complaints about its real-world efficiency, we delve deeper into one of the most-discussed topics – driving range of EVs. More specifically, the certification process, to find out how manufacturers arrive at their published range figure and why it differs so much from what you get in the real world. The responsibility of testing and certifying vehicles in India rests with the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) – a Government-recognised autonomous testing and certification agency that homologates every vehicle under its purview. Amongst all the tests it undertakes, there is the range/efficiency certification process, which is done in a lab on a ‘rolling road’, with standardised conditions strictly maintained.