How is electric car range worked out?

Electric vehicles must state their standard range according to the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP). All car manufacturers must put their electric models through WLTP.Note that WLTP only takes driving into account when it calculates range, but range is also affected by other factors including air conditioning, driving conditions and what kind of road is being driven on.

The Everyday Commuter

If like many other drivers you regularly use your car for running errands and getting to and from work, you most likely travel around 30 miles a day. Depending on the size of your electric car’s battery this means you’ll probably only need to fully charge once or twice a week. You can do this at home, at work if your employer provides a charging station, or even while you're shopping, with many car parks now offering charging facilities.

Weekend Trips and Short Journeys

Of course, it won’t always be short errands you’ll need your car for. Travelling further afield is more than possible with an electric car. The ID.3, for example, is able to achieve a real-world range of up to 248 miles on the motorway.

The Holidaymaker

Even on longer journeys, an electric vehicle can go the distance. If you are travelling to the continent or heading to the other end of the country, you can use your rest stops as an opportunity to top up your vehicle’s battery at a service station using a fast-charging point.

For more information, please visit the following links below:

Volkswagen Octopus Go

To get you moving, Volkswagen and Octopus Energy are offering the equivalent of up to 4,000 free miles of 100% renewable electric fuel when you sign up to Octopus Go Green, our greener smart tariff for electric car owners. 

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Škoda Octopus Go ​

To get you moving, ŠKODA and Octopus Energy are offering the equivalent of up to 3,800 free miles of 100% renewable electric fuel when you sign up to Octopus Go Green, our greener smart tariff for electric car owners.​

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SEAT Octopus Go

To get you moving, SEAT and Octopus Energy are offering the equivalent of up to 2,500 free miles of 100% renewable electric fuel when you sign up to Octopus Go Green, our greener smart tariff for electric car owners.

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CUPRA Octopus Go

To get you moving, Cupra and Octopus Energy are offering the equivalent of up to 2,200 free miles of 100% renewable electric fuel when you sign up to Octopus Go Green, our greener smart tariff for electric car owners.

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Terms and conditions

*New customers to Octopus Energy who purchase an electric vehicle and who set up an account for gas and/or electricity who sign up via the referral link provided on this page will be eligible for free miles in the form of £45 credit per fuel type on their energy account. To receive £90 credit, customers must switch both fuels to Octopus Energy. If only one account is switched, the customer will receive £45 credit. The credit shall be applied once the account is on supply and the first direct debit payment has been taken. If you qualify for more than one marketing incentive, Octopus reserves the right to give you just one incentive.

**Free miles in the form of a £90 credit: For Example the ID.3 Life 58kWh 204PS ‘Pro Performance’, at Octopus' Go tariff off-peak rate (7.5 p/kWh), £90 credit is equivalent to up to 5,000 miles. This is based on a usable battery capacity of 58 kWh and WLTP range of 260 miles giving an efficiency average of 0.22 kWh/mile. Tariff rates are correct as of 01st April 2022. Additional savings of up to £120: Savings calculated by comparing a typical EV owning household’s consumption on Go Green rates vs. Flexible Octopus rates. Total predicted consumption equates to 4,861kWh (based on a medium household’s consumption as defined by Ofgem and an annual EV mileage of 7,400 miles), and assumes that 95% of EV charging occurs in the cheap charge window. Rates are correct as of 01st April 2022.

To benefit from the Octopus Go Green tariff, the customer must have a SMETS2 smart meter or a SecureTM branded SMETS1 meter that they have agreed to let Octopus receive half-hourly consumption data from. There are some instances where a smart meter installation is not possible, for example, remote areas with poor mobile signal. Where smart meter installation is not possible, customers can sign up to an Octopus standard tariff and still receive the £45 credit per fuel type.

For existing Octopus customers who joined us directly are still eligible for this offer. However, if you joined us via our Refer a Friend scheme or through one of our partners, and have already received a joining reward, unfortunately, you're not eligible for a free miles reward. If you're a gas and electricity customer and haven't received a joining reward from us previously, you'll receive a £90 credit. If you're only with us for one fuel type, you'll receive £45 credit. Drop us an email at existingevoffer@octoenergy.com to take the offer.

^ Four hours of 7.5p/kWh super off-peak electricity: Rates are subject to change. Off-peak rates of 7.5p/kWh electricity are correct as of 01st April 2022.

*** Fuel costs of approximately 2.5p/mile: Based on ID.3 1st Edition with ‘Pro’ with a usable battery capacity of 58kWh and a driving range of 260 miles, fully charged during the cheap charging window.