A day after Kia's PV5-Guinness-Weltrekord was announced, 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 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, because this was a conscious eco-challenge. You wouldn't show up for a Guinness World Record attempt and simply race around as fast as possible until the battery is drained. Or would you? You would make an 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?
No 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 preparation. I would not describe myself as a particularly economical driver either. In my view, full payload leveled the abilities of all drivers, as even my gentle acceleration was constrained 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 conscious ecological challenge!
Schon viele E-Vans erprobt
My only advantage over “normal drivers” perhaps lies in the fact that, over the years, I have driven viele Elektrotransporter and know exactly how to make the most of 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 outshine me!
Auch für "normale Fahrer" machbar
Is the energy efficiency that my co-driver and I achieved achievable for a normal delivery driver? I would definitely say yes. Under the right circumstances it is possible for anyone, but I would like to add a caveat that it depends on where you drive. After driving in London traffic for 15 years, I would say that this is quite doable in a busy city where I often drove less than 20 mph. Careful throttle control, using Eco mode, and foregoing air conditioning do most of the work and bring you to the 6 miles per kWh (10,5 kWh/100 km) that we achieved.
If, however, you perform normal delivery or work tasks on open roads, you will have difficulty unless you want to be
slower than a tractor. More than the overall, frankly astonishing range of the Kia PV5 with full load is, for me, the Guinness World Record more a symbol of the usability of all electric vehicles and the changing dynamics of the introduction of electric vehicles. The values achieved in this record are achievable for everyone, but the record itself significantly helps dispel range anxiety. That, in my view, is the real message this world record conveys.
Electric vans are suitable for every task and every 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.
LOGISTRA Test & Technik editor-in-chief Johannes Reichel is the German representative on the jury, which comprises 25 trade journalists from leading
