Terrassa. November 2nd 2021 – AUTOBEST has chosen Terrassa, near Barcelona as the location for its first real traffic range test for electric vehicles from November 4th to 6th. The ‘ECOBEST Challenge Electrified by Vinfast’ will give European customers trusted data on the real range of 15 mainstream electric cars currently on sale.
The AUTOBEST jury members, representing the biggest European motoring jury in geographical terms (32 journalists from 32 different countries) will drive the cars on motorways, roads and city environments in the Valles Occidental region, close to the Spanish city of Barcelona.
A total of 15 cars from 13 different brands will be driven in specific conditions until their batteries are completely depleted to establish the real range of each one in a daily condition use. All the cars will run with air conditioning and radio on and in normal mode when in roads and motorways, and in Eco mode when running in the city. To avoid any difference due to the driving style, drivers will switch between cars every 25 kilometres. The use of a GPS tracking system will help to establish the total range.
“The vehicle’s range is one of the barriers for a lot of people who may be considering the purchase of an electric car but don’t trust the official homologated figures. The ‘ECOBEST Challenge electrified by VINFAST’ will deliver accurate information on the range that a buyer can expect from the car. We encourage all of our test drivers to behave normally, like in their real life driving, benefiting from all the technologies on board, from air con and radio to navigation systems and other connected technologies. The entire method comes down to an average based on the ‘human random factor’ defined by AUTOBEST and based on the diversity of members coming from all around Europe. Following the other awards delivered by AUTOBEST, the primary goal of this test in to provide trusted information about the range of the mainstream EV cars on sale in Europe” says Dan Vardie, Founder & Chairman of AUTOBEST.
The ‘ECOBEST Challenge Electrified by VINFAST’ will include two identical tests using a mixed route of 51 kilometres with motorways (50%), roads (20%) and city environment (30%). Results from the first test with a workday traffic will be released on November 4th, and the second one at the weekend on November 6th. Results will be based on an average of the two measurements.
Partnering for the first time with ECOBEST Challenge, VINFAST is the Vietnamese car brand, which will launch two electric SUV in Europe next year starting in German, French, and Dutch markets. `We are very happy to partner with VINFAST for our dear project of ECOBEST Challenge. We share the same vison on the future of electromobility and the need for a fair chance for everyone to embrace zero emissions vehicles.` Dan Vardie added.
According to Bich Tran, CEO of VinFast Europe, “For VinFast, this collaboration with AUTOBEST is a fantastic opportunity to drive the global electric vehicle revolution. Although VinFast is not showcasing any cars in “ECOBEST Challenge – Electrified by VinFast,” this involvement conveys our desire to collaborate with other car manufactures to promote the transition from internal combustion engine vehicles to electric vehicles in Europe. We are delighted to collaborate with AUTOBEST to organize this first real-traffic test.”
“We want to reproduce the normal electric car use in an average European city including travel to work, shopping trips, covering a radius of 50 kilometres. Most European car users cover no more than 30 or 40 kilometres daily and are ready to move to the electric mobility. For these people, knowing the real range they can expect from an electric car is crucial in making this change. It is for this reason that we want to deliver the most trusted information on the range of the mainstream electric cars,” said Joan Dalmau, AUTOBEST Spanish jury member and coches.net editor in chief.
To get all the cars charged before the test and to measure the recharge process, AUTOBEST will have the technical contribution of Circutor, a leading Spanish company specialising in manufacturing domestic and public charging points for EVs. At its headquarters in Viladecavalls (Barcelona), Circutor has enough charging points to accommodate the test and the technology to monitor the charging process of each car. Real capacity of batteries and data from the recharging process will be also included in the test results.
“Contributing to the first edition of EcoBest Challenge Electrified by Vinfast is a huge opportunity for Circutor and participating in this real data release that will help people to take the decision to move to the electric mobility. But, for us, as a charging points manufacturer, it is a good opportunity to analyse the charging process of each model. Some of our technicians will participate as a drivers in the November 4th test to also obtain the driving impressions of all the cars tested,” said Pere Soria, Head of Business Strategy at Circutor.
CARS SELECTED FOR THE EN REAL RANGE TEST IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER:
Brand and model Range Battery Power Price in Spain
Citroën ë-C4 352 km 50 kWh 100 kW From 33.270 €
Cupra Born 424 km 62 kWh 150 kW From 37.400 €
Dacia Spring 230 km 27.4 kWh 33 kW From 18.420 €
Fiat 500 e 320 km 42 kWh 87 kW From 27.400 €
Honda e 222 km 35.5 kWh 111 kW From 37.390 €
Hyundai Kona e 484 km 64 kWh 150 kW From 39.650 €
Kia e-Niro 455 km 64 kWh 150 kW From 38.410 €
Nissan Leaf 385 km 62 kWh 160 kW From 37.770 €
Mazda MX-30 200 km 35.5 kWh 107 kW From 33.165 €
Opel Corsa-e 315 km 50 kWh 100 kW From 28.990 €
Opel Mokka-e 324 km 50 kWh 100 kW From 35.400 €
Peugeot e-208 340 km 50 kWh 100 kW From 29.950 €
Peugeot e-2008 322 km 50 kWh 100 kW From 33.250 €
Renault Zoe 389 km 52 kWh 100 kW From 33.535 €
Volkswagen ID3 421 km 62 kWh 107 kW From 36.800 €
About AUTOBEST
The AUTOBEST organisation was created in 2001 with the revolutionary concept of finding the ‘Best Buy Car’ available on the European market. For a car to become an AUTOBEST winner, it must represent the best offer for most European customers. Price, service network, spare parts distribution and versatility are the most important criteria in the voting process. Design and new technologies are also becoming a more critical factor for voting. AUTOBEST uses a transparent voting system, with a complex matrix of 13 criteria to decide the winner.
About VINFAST
VinFast – a subsidiary of Vingroup – is the leading automobile manufacturer in Vietnam and also the first Vietnamese automobile brand to enter the global market. Established in 2017, VinFast owns a factory complex in Hai Phong (Vietnam) with advanced technology and 90% automation. This is also one of the largest complexes in Southeast Asia. With a vision to become one an EVs brand strongly accelerating the global EV evolution, VinFast is producing e-scooters and e-buses in Vietnam, and launching a range of EV models in 2022.
Contact:
Bianca Hurduc
