V9323042071494_1

Technical Service Bulletin
93-23-04 - Service Information, Electric Vehicle Range Too Low
Transaction No:
2071494/1
Release date:
9/21/2023
Condition
Applicable Vehicles
Model(s)
Year
Eng. Code
Trans. Code
VIN Range
From
VIN Range To
e-Golf
2015 - 2019
All
All
All
All
ID.4
2021 - 2024
All
All
All
All
Revision Table
Instance Number
Published Date
Version Number
2071494/1
9/21/23
93-23-04
Reason For Update
Original publication.
The range of an electric vehicle is a complex function, with several contributing factors. When diagnosing
a customer complaint related to the remaining range of an electrical vehicle, all of the possible influencing
factors need to be considered in the diagnosis.
This information-only document supports this diagnosis by providing an overall summary of the range and
contributing factors. It details how the EPA estimated range is determined, which external factors
contribute to the calculated range, which customer behaviors influence the calculated range, and how the
customer may better improve their energy efficiency through various best practices.
Sections:
1. The EPA estimated range of an electric vehicle
2. Calculation of the remaining range
3. Factors influencing the energy consumption
4. How can the customer influence / increase their range?
Page 1 of 4
© 2023 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and
other intellectual property rights of Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any
time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the
publisher.
Technical Service Bulletin
93-23-04 - Service Information, Electric Vehicle Range Too Low
Transaction No:
2071494/1
Release date:
9/21/2023
Technical Background
1. The EPA estimated range of an electric vehicle
The methods to calculate the range of an electric vehicle are outlined by the EPA.
The defined EPA process is as follows:
1. A vehicle with a fully charged battery is driven continuously over the EPA city cycle until the battery is
depleted and the vehicle can drive no further. The distance driven is recorded. This is repeated, again
starting with a full charge, over the EPA highway cycle, again recording the distance driven when the
battery is depleted. This “single cycle” test consists of multiple repeat drives of the city or highway
cycle.
2. Automakers also have the option of doing a multi-cycle test, which consists of four city cycles, two
highway cycles, and two constant speed cycles.
3. All testing is done in a laboratory on a dynamometer.
4. The city and highway driving ranges determined from this testing are adjusted to account for realworld factors that are not represented on the laboratory test procedures. These factors include such
things the impact of air conditioning, of cold temperatures, and of high speed and aggressive driving
behavior. Although the regulations allow some optional approaches, the most common approach is to
use a factor of 0.7 to adjust all the test parameters, including range. For example:
 An EV achieves 200 miles on the highway laboratory test. Real-world highway driving range →
200 x 0.7 = 140 miles to account for aggressive driving and HVAC use.
5. The adjusted city and highway range values are weighted together by 55% and 45%, respectively, to
determine the combined city and highway driving range that appears on the EPA fuel economy label.
For example:
 Assume an adjusted city range of 168 miles and an adjusted highway range of 140 (from example
above). The official combined range value → (0.55 x 168) + (0.45 x 140) = 155 miles (values
are rounded to the nearest whole number).
[Fuel Economy and EV Range Testing | US EPA. (2023, August 17). US EPA.
https://www.epa.gov/greenvehicles/fuel-economy-and-ev-range-testing]
The conditions for these tests are precisely defined and exactly specified, and the same for all
manufacturers, including:
 The ambient temperature
 The load / special equipment
 The speed during the drive cycle
 The rate of stop / go
 All electrical consumers are switched off
A standardized driving cycle such as this cannot give customers precise information about their actual,
individual energy consumption and the related range, because every trip and driver are unique.
Page 2 of 4
© 2023 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and
other intellectual property rights of Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any
time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the
publisher.
Technical Service Bulletin
Transaction No:
2071494/1
Release date:
9/21/2023
93-23-04 - Service Information, Electric Vehicle Range Too Low
Tip:
The official estimated range of an electric vehicle is not suitable to predict the customer-specific
energy consumption, because every customer has their own unique driving style.
2. Calculation of the remaining range
The calculation of the displayed remaining range is based on the most recent driving cycles.
Therefore, the remaining range can depend on:
 The vehicle speed
 The customer’s driving style (for example frequent strong acceleration)
 The use of electrical consumers
 The ambient temperature
 The load / special equipment
 The topography (road surface, hills, etc)
3. Factors influencing energy consumption
Approximately two-thirds of the energy consumption of a vehicle is determined by its design and by
external factors that cannot be influenced. External factors are environmental, such as weather,
temperature, topography, or road surface. These cannot be changed, but sometimes may significantly
influence the range.
The remaining third of energy consumption can be influenced by the driver through their personal driving
habits and use of the vehicle. Every driver can positively influence their individual energy consumption –
for instance, by reduced load, lowering air resistance, or through efficient use of electrical consumers.
The additional consumers (including heating/air conditioning) do not depend on the vehicle speed, as
they are supplied with energy by the high-voltage battery. That's why the electric range also may continue
to decrease while the vehicle is stopped.
Greatest influence on the range in the electric drive mode:
Range loss in %:
Heating/air conditioning:
Up to 30%
Additional equipment (seat heating, heated rear window, radio): Up to 10%
Tires (dimension, summer/winter tire):
Up to 10%
Page 3 of 4
© 2023 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and
other intellectual property rights of Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any
time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the
publisher.
Technical Service Bulletin
93-23-04 - Service Information, Electric Vehicle Range Too Low
Transaction No:
2071494/1
Release date:
9/21/2023
4. How can the customer influence / increase their range?
“Energy Recovery” – When braking, slowing down while coasting, or driving downhill, the electric drive
motor generates electric energy which is stored in the high-voltage battery. In this mode the drive motor
is acting as a generator, creating an effect similar to engine-braking. This is referred to “energy
recovery”. Energy recovery feeds energy back to the high-voltage battery, where it had originally been
used to set the vehicle in motion. This is a multiple energy conversion, which always results in energy
losses due to inefficiencies.
“Coasting Function” – Depending on the vehicle model, the intensity of the energy recovery can be
adjusted to different levels, or even switched off altogether. The “coasting function” is when the energy
recovery is switched off completely. The coasting function avoids the multiple energy conversion from
energy recovery, and instead preserves the vehicle’s kinetic energy.
Each mode should be used in different scenarios, to maximize energy efficiency. The coasting function is
preferable when a complete stop is not needed. Energy recovery should be used in predictable braking
scenarios, such as approaching traffic lights. Mastering this behavior will increase the energy efficiency,
and limit the driver’s individual energy consumption.
In addition to these functions, the driver can also use pre-conditioning climate controls before driving,
while the vehicle is still connected to a charger. This ensures that the energy needed for the initial
heating (or cooling) of the passenger compartment does not have to be provided by the high-voltage
battery, maximizing the energy available for the overall range of the vehicle.
Production Solution
Not applicable.
Service
Not applicable.
Warranty
Not applicable.
Required Parts and Tools
Not applicable.
Additional Information
All part and service references provided in this Technical Bulletin are subject to change and/or removal.
Always check with your Parts Dept. and Repair Manuals for the latest information.
Page 4 of 4
© 2023 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and
other intellectual property rights of Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any
time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the
publisher.