Hybrid cars have come under scrutiny in Australian real-world fuel consumption testing, with popular models from Chery and Subaru offering better economy than advertised – while others miss the mark.
Motoring
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Does your electric car match its driving range claim? Latest real-world EV testing results in Australia
How accurate are driving range claims from popular BYD, Tesla and Kia EVs? The latest results from Australia’s Real-World Testing Program show how EVs continue to fall short of the stated mark.
Some of the most popular electric cars in Australia, including EVs from Tesla, BYD and Kia, have failed to match their claimed driving range in the latest round of real-world testing by the Australian Automobile Association (AAA).
The AAA’s Real-World Testing Program (RWTP), which also compares the real-world economy of petrol, diesel and hybrid cars against their claimed laboratory-derived fuel consumption average (see our separate guide), has now assessed 20 EVs and none of them have matched their reported lab test driving range – the travel distance on a single battery charge.
Driving range shortfalls of between 7% and 20% were recorded in the latest round of EV testing with an additional five models tested. Of these, the BYD Atto 3 Essential (-20%) and BYD Dolphin Premium (-19%) were the furthest from the manufacturer’s claimed range, as reported on the windscreen sticker in the new car showroom.
In comparison, the Tesla Model Y Long Range (-7%) was closest to the advertised figure, while two Kia EVs – the Kia EV5 Earth and Kia EV9 Air – both had 11% driving range shortfalls.
“Driving range claims are a useful benchmark but can vary according to the test method the carmaker has applied,” says RACV Motoring Editor Terry Martin. “In virtually all cases, they don’t reflect the actual driving experience of motorists, which makes this real-world testing program an important reference point for buyers.”
Let’s take at look in detail at the results, including real-world vs claimed energy consumption, and the process involved to achieve them.
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How are EVs tested in the real world in Australia?
The AAA Real-World Testing Program for EVs uses a 93km circuit in and around Geelong in Victoria. It adheres to strict testing protocols based on European regulations to ensure results are repeatable and to minimise the influence of human factors such as driving style and changing traffic flows.
The program measures EV range by quantifying both the energy needed to drive a vehicle around the test route and the energy required to recharge each vehicle’s depleted battery.
The EV batteries are recharged in a temperature-controlled chamber using an AC home charger with a 22kW capacity. The charging speed depends on the vehicle’s built-in technology, such as whether it can handle single-phase or a three-phase power supply.
The real-world testing program also measures each vehicle’s energy consumption, which carmakers are legally obliged to report at the point of sale. This helps determine the cost of operating the vehicle.
Manufacturers are required to submit EV range and energy consumption figures in accordance with the federal government’s regulated standard, Australian Design Rule (ADR) 81/02. These reflect the laboratory testing the vehicle undergoes before release on the Australian market and could be based on either WLTP or the more lenient NEDC protocols. The RWTP compares against the range figures provided on the ADR label.
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Claimed vs real-world EV driving range: BYD, Kia, Tesla
| EV range | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
2025 BYD Atto 3 Essential |
410km |
328km |
-20% |
|
2025 BYD Dolphin Premium |
490km |
398km |
-19% |
|
2025 Kia EV5 Earth LR AWD |
500km |
446km |
-11% |
|
2024 Kia EV9 Air RWD |
443km |
395km |
-11% |
|
2025 Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD |
600km |
559km |
-7% |
Note: Manufacturer EV range figures quoted are reported in accordance with ADR 81/02 and published on the Green Vehicle Guide. These could be based on either WLTP or NEDC protocols, depending on what the carmaker has submitted. The BYD figures above are NEDC; all others are WLTP.
BYD Atto 3 Essential: EV range & consumption
The 2025 BYD Atto 3 Essential medium SUV uses a 50kWh battery and has a 150kW single electric motor driving the front wheels. Its claimed driving range on the ADR label is 410km (NEDC). This is equivalent to 345km on the WLTP standard, which better reflects real-world driving conditions – as the Australian RWTP result (328km) shows.
Claimed energy consumption is 148Wh/km (NEDC), compared to the AAA’s higher real-world result of 171Wh/km. When recharging, the BYD Atto 3 Essential was able to charge at 11kW (AC), taking 7h 4min to reach 100% state of charge from 10%.
In earlier testing, the 2023 BYD Atto 3 Extended Range was found in real-world testing to use 21% more energy than the mandated lab test and to have a 23% shorter driving range than claimed (369km vs 480km).
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BYD Dolphin Premium: EV range & consumption
Like the BYD Atto 3 SUV, the 2025 BYD Dolphin Premium hatchback uses a 150kW electric motor that drives the front wheels. It does, however, have a bigger 60kWh battery for a longer 490km claimed driving range (NEDC) – a figure that was found to be much more generous than the 398km achieved in real-world testing. For the record, the Dolphin’s WLTP claim is a more accurate 427km.
The Dolphin’s lab-derived energy consumption is 142Wh/km (NEDC), which is a much rosier figure than the real-world 177Wh/km average found in the RWTP. When recharging, the BYD Dolphin Premium charged at 7kW (AC) and took 8h 54min to replenish the battery from 10-100%.
In previous testing results, the entry-level 2025 BYD Dolphin Essential (70kW) was found to use 29% more energy than the mandated lab test and had 24% less electric driving range (313km vs 410km).
Research and compare BYD Dolphin models on sale: prices, EV specs, running costs, features, safety
Kia EV5 Earth: EV range & consumption
The 2025 Kia EV5 Earth has a 234kW dual-motor powertrain, with one electric motor at each axle providing four-wheel drive. Kia’s medium-sized electric SUV has a claimed 500km driving range (WLTP) from its 88kWh battery, but this lab result was found to be 11% higher than achieved in real-world driving conditions (446km).
Energy consumption was similarly higher in real-world testing, up 9% compared to the mandated lab tests at 219Wh/km compared to 201Wh/km claimed. When charging, the Kia EV5 Earth LR AWD was able to charge at 11kW (AC), taking 7h 52min to reach 100% state of charge from 15%.
For comparison, previous rounds of testing included the 2025 Kia EV5 Air (160kW single motor, front-wheel drive) which was closer to the manufacturer’s claimed mark, using 3% more energy than the mandated lab test and finishing only 3% above the claimed driving range (537km vs 555km).
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Kia EV9 Air: EV range & consumption
The 2024 Kia EV9 Air was also included in the latest round of real-world testing, assessing the Korean brand’s claims for the battery-electric large SUV’s 160kW single-motor/front-wheel drive layout. Under lab conditions, the EV9 Air has a 443km driving range (WLTP) from its 76kWh battery – 11% higher than the 395km achieved in real-world conditions.
Efficiency was a much closer affair with just 2% separating the official WLTP energy consumption claim (195Wh/km) and the real-world test result (199Wh/km). Charging with an 11kW (AC) power supply, the Kia EV9 Air RWD took 5h 34 minutes to reach 100% state of charge from 25%.
Research and compare Kia EV9 models on sale: prices, EV specs, running costs, features, safety
Tesla Model Y Long Range: EV range & consumption
The 2025 Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD medium SUV is the mid-series variant in Australia’s top-selling EV, which was also found to be Australia’s safest EV – and safest car overall – in ANCAP testing in 2025/26.
How does Tesla’s Model Y LR AWD – with a 378kW dual-motor powertrain, all-wheel drive and 79kWh battery – stack up in terms of driving range and efficiency? For range, the Model Y LR had the narrowest margin between the manufacturer’s claimed driving range and its real-world result compared to other EVs in the latest round, with a 7% discrepancy – 600km (WLTP) vs 559km (RWTP).
The Model Y was also the only EV among this cohort to consume less energy in the real world than its official mandated lab test figure, using 5% less at 151Wh/km compared to the 159Wh (WLTP) claim on the sticker.
Charging times show the Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD was able to charge at 11kW (AC), taking 6h 30min to reach 100% state of charge from 19%.
This isn’t the first time the Model Y has been tested in the program. A pre-upgrade 2024 Tesla Model Y LR AWD returned similarly strong results, using 1% less energy in the real world compared to the mandated lab test, and falling 8% short with the driving range (490km vs 553kW).
The 2025 Tesla Model Y RWD (255kW single motor, rear-wheel drive) was also assessed in a previous round and returned similarly strong results: 148Wh/km consumption (better than the 153Wh/km WLTP figure) and 450km real-world range, which compares to the 466km WLTP claim.
Research and compare Tesla Model Y EVs on sale: prices, EV specs, running costs, features, safety
| EV efficiency | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
2025 BYD Atto 3 Essential |
148Wh/km |
171Wh/km |
+16% |
|
2025 BYD Dolphin Premium |
142Wh/km |
177Wh/km |
+24% |
|
2025 Kia EV5 Earth LR AWD |
201Wh/km |
219Wh/km |
+9% |
|
2024 Kia EV9 Air RWD |
195Wh/km |
199Wh/km |
+2% |
|
2025 Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD |
159Wh/km |
151Wh/km |
-5% |
Which EVs have been tested for real-world range?
Other electric cars tested in Australia’s Real-World Testing Program include popular EVs such as the:
You can see the full results on the RWTP website.
More: Electric Vehicles in Australia: Complete buyer and ownership guide
Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series undergoing real-world testing for fuel economy and emissions.
Australia’s Real-World Testing Program: FAQs
Buying and running a car is a major expense and consumers are entitled to expect reliable information on a vehicle’s fuel efficiency and, in the case of EVs, driving range. Motorists are potentially paying significantly more each year for fuel (or, to a lesser extent, electricity) than they would expect from the stickers based on laboratory results.
Overseas lab testing for fuel consumption, CO2 and noxious emissions usually don’t reflect the actual results of driving on Australian roads, and the differences are often substantial.
Yes. The testing system has been designed to give an accurate and consistent portrayal of vehicles’ fuel consumption and CO2 emissions – or driving range and energy efficiency for EVs – in Australian on-road driving conditions.
Tests are conducted in compliance with strict guidelines based on European Union legislation and developed in consultation with Australian regulators and industry. This ensures the results are repeatable and mitigates the influence of human factors such as driving style and changing traffic flows.
The Real-World Testing Program’s 93km route runs through parts of Geelong in Victoria and its outskirts. It includes urban roads (up to 60km/h), rural roads (60-80km/h) and a motorway (up to 100km/h), covering a range of road and traffic conditions.
The test results are derived from the average of at least two drives along the route. GPS tracks the vehicle location and speed for data analysis and to ensure the test complies with AAA protocols.
In developing the test route, the program’s reference car (a Toyota RAV4) underwent 23 tests. All up, fuel consumption variability was found to be less than 2.5%.
The Real-World Testing Program prioritises high-selling vehicles for testing. It aims to test two variants of each model with the most popular powertrains – for example, one petrol and one hybrid, one petrol and one diesel, or one single-motor EV and one dual-motor EV.
This provides broad market coverage to ensure as many consumers as possible can benefit from the results as soon as possible. Special-interest vehicles, such as new models or new technology offerings, are also considered for testing as this could provide useful benchmarks and insights.
Vehicles used in the program are registered and generally one to three years old with about 10,000-20,000km on the odometer. The combustion-engined vehicles use fuel (ULP, PULP or diesel) that can be bought at any service station. The specification of the fuel used is tested to ensure any impact on results due to fuel quality is controlled.
The Australian Automobile Association (AAA) runs the Real-World Testing Program on behalf of the Federal Government. The AAA is the nation’s peak motoring body, supported by state and territory motoring clubs, including RACV.
Vehicle brands have been consulted about the testing protocols and are kept up to date with the program’s progress, but they provide no funding for it. Vehicle brands are provided with test results, but they have no influence over the vehicles chosen for testing or publication of the results.
The information provided is general advice only. Before making any decisions please consider your own circumstances and the Product Disclosure Statement and Target Market Determinations. For copies, visit racv.com.au. As distributor, RACV Insurance Services Pty Ltd AFS Licence No. 230039 receives commission for each policy sold or renewed. Product(s) issued by Insurance Manufacturers of Australia Pty Ltd ABN 93 004 208 084 AFS Licence No. 227678.
