Consumption of "fuel": the Tesla Model 3 beats all its competitors

© US Environmental Protection Agency

According to figures provided by an independent American agency, the latest version of the Model 3 would be the most energy-efficient electric car. It would have dethroned the Hyundai IONIQ, thanks to the recent improvement of its autonomy.

How to compare the consumption of electric vehicles, in that they are not powered by liters of fuel? In order to compete with the different models, one usually uses a specific unit of measure: the MPGe. Decryption.

An American unit of measure

Before explaining what the MPGe, it is necessary to understand the unit that gave birth to him: the MPG (no relation with a game of fantasy football). In Europe, it is most often expressed consumption via the L / 100 km, the famous "liter to 100", which corresponds to the volume of fuel required to travel 100 kilometers. But in the United States, we do not really appreciate the metric system. Americans, therefore, have their own consumption unit, miles per gallon (MPG), which works similarly, with the following approximate equivalences: 1 mile = 1.61 km, 1 US gallon = 3.79 L.

MPGe ( miles per gallon gasoline equivalent) is directly inspired by this system. The unit is based on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the US Environmental Protection Agency, which states that the power consumption of 33.7 kWh is equivalent to one gallon of gasoline. The MPGe, therefore, focuses on measuring the distance traveled with such a large amount of energy.

The Hyundai IONIQ loses its crown

The EPA has released indicators for two electrical models. To my left: the multiple defending champions, the Hyundai IONIQ, in its 2020 edition. On my right: the challenger, the Tesla Model 3, which has recently seen its autonomy slightly increased.
And the winner is ... the Model 3, with 141 MPGe, against 136 MPGe for his rival. It should be noted, however, that the figure taken for reference is the one combining driving in the city and highway. If we only consider urban travel, then the Hyundai IONIQ wins, 150 MPGe to 148.

Ultimately, this means that the Model 3 is the most energy-efficient electric car in the market. This may induce a lower need for batteries, and therefore potentially lower manufacturing costs, with equivalent autonomy, for Elon Musk's company.

Source: Electrek