One day after the announcement of Kia's PV5-Guinness-Weltrekord, I stopped counting how often I was asked how realistic this attempt was. The reactions to the record were fantastic, with congratulations from all over the world, but often followed by comments such as “but of course you wouldn't normally reach this range” or “but not everyone will drive like you.”Of course they are right, for this was a deliberate ecological challenge. You wouldn't show up to a Guinness World Record attempt and simply race around until the battery is empty. Or would you? You would put in the effort. As it turns out, quite a lot of effort. The understandable question that everyone now asks is: How repeatable is the range of 430 miles/693 km for normal drivers?
Without special preparation for the record
Now, if you have read my vollständigen Bericht about the
record attempt, you know that I embarked on this challenge almost without any preparation. I would not describe myself as a particularly economical driver either. In my view, the full payload leveled the abilities of all drivers, since even my gentle acceleration was limited by the weight of the vehicle. If it had been empty, it might have been much harder to control the critical stop-and-go moments. I believe that the Gewicht actually made it easier to drive economically. Of course you are right: That was a deliberate ecological challenge!
Already tested many E-vans
My only advantage over “normal drivers” may be that, over the years, viele Elektrotransporter I have driven many electric vans and know exactly how to optimally use regenerative braking and to coast past hazards as effectively as possible. But if it were your own van, you would quickly become
familiar with regenerative braking and everything else. I dare say you would eclipse me!
Also feasible for "normal drivers"
Is the energy efficiency that my passenger and I achieved attainable for a normal delivery driver? I would definitely say yes. Under the right circumstances, this is possible for anyone, but I want to add a caveat that it depends on where you drive. After having driven in London traffic for 15 years, I would say that this is indeed doable in a busy city where I often drove less than 20 mph. Careful throttle control, using the Eco mode, and avoiding the air conditioning do most of the work and bring you to the 6 miles per kWh (10.5 kWh/100 km) that we achieved.
However, if you perform normal deliveries or work tasks on open roads, you will have difficulty unless you want
to be slower than a tractor. More than the frankly astonishing overall range of the Kia PV5 with a full load is, for me, the Guinness World Record’s symbolism for the usability of all electric vehicles and the changing dynamics of EV adoption. The figures achieved in this record are attainable by anyone, but the record itself significantly helps dispel range anxiety. That, in my opinion, is the real message this world record conveys.
Electric vans are capable of handling every task and purpose, and the best part is that they keep getting better.
George Barrow is the editor of Van Review and a member of the jury for the International Van of the Year Award in the United Kingdom.
Johannes Reichel, head of the LOGISTRA Test & Technik section, is the German representative on the jury of 25 trade journalists from leading
