EV range prediction Hybrid T7 California

[WelshGas]

One thing that VW don’t mention in the Handbook for the Hybrid. My VW Dealership , nor VWUK, new this.
The predicted milage for a full 100% charge of the EV battery is a dynamic calculation based on a number of factors.

Volkswagen hybrid vehicles (like the Golf GTE, Passat GTE, or the newer PHEV models) calculate the predicted electric-only (EV) mileage from a full charge using a dynamic algorithm that takes several real-time and historical factors into account. Here’s how it generally works:


1.
Recent Driving Behavior

• Acceleration patterns: If you’ve been accelerating aggressively, the car will predict lower EV range.
• Speed: Frequent high-speed driving (e.g., on highways) reduces predicted EV range.
• Braking and regeneration: Efficient use of regenerative braking can increase estimated range.

2.
Climate Control Usage

• Heating and air conditioning (especially in extreme temperatures) significantly impact EV range. If you had them running during your last trips, the system assumes similar energy consumption.

3.
Topography and Route History

• Driving uphill uses more energy; downhill or flat terrain extends range.
• If you’ve recently driven on hilly roads, the system may predict lower EV mileage.

4.
Ambient Temperature

• Cold weather reduces battery efficiency and increases energy use for heating, lowering predicted range.
• Warm temperatures can also impact range, especially if A/C is heavily used.

5.
Battery Condition and Charge Level

• While the car may say 100% charge, the usable battery capacity (called SoH – State of Health) may decline over time, especially with aging batteries.
• VW uses buffer zones in the battery to prevent full charge/discharge cycles, which also affect the maximum theoretical range.

6.
Driving Mode

• If the car is in “GTE” or “Sport” mode, it assumes more power usage.
• In “E-Mode” or “Eco,” it predicts higher EV range.

The resulting predicted EV mileage is thus not a fixed number, but rather a smart estimate—similar to a fuel range prediction in ICE vehicles. You may see it fluctuate from one drive to the next even with a full charge.

 

[thatsnotmynaim]

Do people here have a good log of what they've been getting real world?

We've just got sent our Cupra Formentor PHEV lease car back, the range was often predicted at 28 miles when 100% charged, but we'd be lucky to get anywhere near that, so 3 - 4 school run trips and a trip to our local Tescos for milk / bread in each day would be good. I'd estimate 15-17 miles max per day with slowish, traffic filled local runs, which means we had to charge it daily from 0% to 100% which is surely bad practice as not great for the battery longevity. Also as we charge off peak, so 11:30pm -> 5:30am + 3kwh, that means we had no spare time / days to charge the EV once a week, unless I got up at 3-4am to switch them over or just ran the PHEV on petrol one day. I think the Cupra PHEV battery was a bit smaller + 12.8kWh and whilst getting small range may be more than enough tbh, I think it was actually quite an inefficient system, I'd say estimate 1.4 miles / kWh or 5p per mile, where our Enyaq got closer to 4 miles / kWh or 1.75 p per mile, so ~3 times more efficient and cheaper to run on electric.

 

[WelshGas]

Do people here have a good log of what they've been getting real world?

We've just got sent our Cupra Formentor PHEV lease car back, the range was often predicted at 28 miles when 100% charged, but we'd be lucky to get anywhere near that, so 3 - 4 school run trips and a trip to our local Tescos for milk / bread in each day would be good. I'd estimate 15-17 miles max per day with slowish, traffic filled local runs, which means we had to charge it daily from 0% to 100% which is surely bad practice as not great for the battery longevity. Also as we charge off peak, so 11:30pm -> 5:30am + 3kwh, that means we had no spare time / days to charge the EV once a week, unless I got up at 3-4am to switch them over or just ran the PHEV on petrol one day. I think the Cupra PHEV battery was a bit smaller + 12.8kWh and whilst getting small range may be more than enough tbh, I think it was actually quite an inefficient system, I'd say estimate 1.4 miles / kWh or 5p per mile, where our Enyaq got closer to 4 miles / kWh or 1.75 p per mile, so ~3 times more efficient and cheaper to run on electric.

On my Multivan Hybrid I get 3.7 to 3.8 miles/ kWh. During winter my range dropped from 30 to 16 miles on full charge. VW Dealership and VWUK couldn't explain why . I expected a drop with lower temperatures but not 47%. Then I found out how the milage was predicted and it all made sense, especially the use of topography data. We are surrounded by hills. Visited my daughter in the Fens, no hills, and predicted milage jumped to 30 same ambient daytime temperatures combined with lower speeds on their undulating roads.
This was in full EV mode and I was getting to within +1/-1 of the predicted milage.
Unfortunately VW technical don't state how the milage is predicted in the Handbook. Took a bit of digging.

 

[Lambeth Cali]

How big is the battery?

3.7 miles/kWh is very good for a big vehicle carrying an ICE engine. I get 4 m/kWh from my much smaller and lighter BMW i3. A lot of quite advanced EVs do nearer 3. Our 33kW battery varies from 120-130 miles now to 95 when very cold. The batteries are very sensitive to temperature.

Hybrids often seem to have a predicted 30 miles but get nearer 15.

 

[WelshGas]

How big is the battery?

3.7 miles/kWh is very good for a big vehicle carrying an ICE engine. I get 4 m/kWh from my much smaller and lighter BMW i3. A lot of quite advanced EVs do nearer 3. Our 33kW battery varies from 120-130 miles now to 95 when very cold. The batteries are very sensitive to temperature.

Hybrids often seem to have a predicted 30 miles but get nearer 15.

13Kw on my 1.4 tsi multivan. The California version has 19kw but is 4 motion.

 

[thatsnotmynaim]

Arh, I suspect that's the exact same battery / phev system we had in our Formentor then, we thought it was 12.8 kWh useable. For us with the car estimating 28 miles range, that should equal 2.2 miles per kWh efficiency. However we usually only ever got 15-18 miles, so if 18 mile then more like 1.4 miles per kWh. Your 3.7 m/kWh x 12.8 kWh = 47 mile range which sounds amazing.

 

[WelshGas]

Arh, I suspect that's the exact same battery / phev system we had in our Formentor then, we thought it was 12.8 kWh useable. For us with the car estimating 28 miles range, that should equal 2.2 miles per kWh efficiency. However we usually only ever got 15-18 miles, so if 18 mile then more like 1.4 miles per kWh. Your 3.7 m/kWh x 12.8 kWh = 47 mile range which sounds amazing.

Now I know how VW predicts the range if I use the same route as I last used it is very accurate but if I use a different route it can be more or less as we are surrounded by hills of varying heights. In the Fens it was very accurate.

 

[vbk1975]

On my Multivan Hybrid I get 3.7 to 3.8 miles/ kWh. During winter my range dropped from 30 to 16 miles on full charge. VW Dealership and VWUK couldn't explain why . I expected a drop with lower temperatures but not 47%. Then I found out how the milage was predicted and it all made sense, especially the use of topography data. We are surrounded by hills. Visited my daughter in the Fens, no hills, and predicted milage jumped to 30 same ambient daytime temperatures combined with lower speeds on their undulating roads.
This was in full EV mode and I was getting to within +1/-1 of the predicted milage.
Unfortunately VW technical don't state how the milage is predicted in the Handbook. Took a bit of digging.

@WelshGas, does the Multivan PHEV allow preconditioning when plugged in ? Most PHEVs and BEV will benefit in the Hot or Cold from preconditioning the battery when plugged in, ie getting the HV battery to the best temperature for optimal efficiency using the external power source and not the HV battery itself.

The geographical data is also an interesting factor with EV, as the hit of assent and then descent isn’t as bad as a pure engine, but not a good as a flat section. PHEV is really complex as it has a minimum engine run time, so as soon as the engine kicks in it is used for period even if strictly not required for all of it.

 

[pjm-84]

Thats impressive. The ID3 would do about 4.4miles per kWh on a run whilst the X5 PHEV is circa 2.4miles per kWh, however its 2.5 tonnes and AWD. That said the BMW range from the 22.7kwh usable battery is impressive. Drove it to the garage and back a few weeks ago and I clocked 38miles on battery / coasting and had 25mile range left when I parked up. Started on a predicted 40mile EV range.

 

[WelshGas]

@WelshGas, does the Multivan PHEV allow preconditioning when plugged in ? Most PHEVs and BEV will benefit in the Hot or Cold from preconditioning the battery when plugged in, ie getting the HV battery to the best temperature for optimal efficiency using the external power source and not the HV battery itself.

The geographical data is also an interesting factor with EV, as the hit of assent and then descent isn’t as bad as a pure engine, but not a good as a flat section. PHEV is really complex as it has a minimum engine run time, so as soon as the engine kicks in it is used for period even if strictly not required for all of it.

If you set a Departure time or switch on AirCon 30 minutes before Departure remotely then it does pre-condition.
I don't know about minimum run time for the IC engine but when Ive used Kickdown to accelerate when in EV mode the IC engine provides power until I've stopped accelerating and then shuts down. It doesn't continue . In Hybrid mode, where you can set how much battery to use on the trip it does continue for longer but starts charging the EV battery if the additional power not required.

 

[Californication69]

More information here.

https://www.vwpress.co.uk/releases/5213

 

[Melyn]

I asked vw Commerical for exact battery specs, runtime, usage etc and your average draw (and expected camping time for a full battery) and it went back and forward for a while (as part of my ongoing complaint)

The official wording was “there are many factors that affect this, especially the cold would decrease battery usage - as such we have no figures we can provide you”

 

[WelshGas]

I asked vw Commerical for exact battery specs, runtime, usage etc and your average draw (and expected camping time for a full battery) and it went back and forward for a while (as part of my ongoing complaint)

The official wording was “there are many factors that affect this, especially the cold would decrease battery usage - as such we have no figures we can provide you”

Same experience, either they know and aren't telling or they don't know. Problem is laboratory and R&D figures don't relate to the real world as there are so many variables.