Range anxiety remains a top concern for electric vehicle (EV) buyers. As battery technology and battery management systems advance, EVs are delivering longer ranges, easing this worry for potential owners. Leading the charge in battery innovation, BYD’s latest offering, the eMax 7, is now entering the Indian market, promising to take range capabilities to new heights.

The BYD eMax 7 comes in two variants, each equipped with a robust battery pack. The Superior variant, with its 71.8 kWh battery, claims a range of up to 530 kilometres, while the Premium variant offers a 55.4 kWh battery with an expected range of 420 kilometres.

One of the common challenges with EVs is that real-world driving range often falls short of what manufacturers advertise. This discrepancy typically arises because manufacturers report ranges based on MIDC (Modified Indian Driving Cycle) tests, conducted in controlled conditions that may not reflect everyday driving scenarios. Consequently, these tests can produce optimistic numbers that don’t always translate to the road.

However, as EV technology improves, manufacturers are closing the gap between claimed and actual ranges. With BYD’s expertise in battery technology, especially in energy-efficient designs and advanced battery management systems, the eMax 7 has the potential to deliver a range much closer to its official figures.But how realistic are BYD’s range claims for the eMax 7 in everyday Indian conditions? Let's find out.

BYD eMax 7: Real world range

We recently got the chance to test drive the BYD eMax 7 in Chennai. The variant that we were driving was the Superior six seater version with the 71.8 kWh battery pack. The particular variant comes with a claimed range of 530 kms on a single charge. The version generates 201 bhp and 310 Nm of torque.

At the start of the drive, the vehicle had 99 per cent charge left with 136.8 kms on the odometer and 527 kms of range remaining. We had the vehicle for about 6.5 hours. During this time we drove the vehicle across Chennai on busy streets during office hours as well as open highways leading to Mahaballipuram.

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For most of the time, the BYD eMax 7 was on the ‘Normal’ mode, which balances the range and the performance of the electric MPV. By the end of the day we covered around 63.8 kms with 200.6 kms on the odometer. At the end of the trip, the eMax 7’s battery percentage was down to 76 per cent with 391 kms of range left.

This means that with 23 per cent of the battery used, the eMax 7 travelled 63.8 kms. 23 per cent of the total battery capacity (71.8 kWh) is 16.514 kWh, indicating an energy consumption of 0.259 kWh per kilometre. Extrapolating this to the full battery capacity, the estimated range of the BYD eMax 7 that we were driving was approximately 277 km.

While it is much lower than what BYD claims, there are few things to keep in mind. While we had the vehicle for 6.5 hours, most of our time was spent on shooting with the vehicle. During the shoot, the vehicle was kept running with all the lights on along with AC set on 22 degree celsius and both the ventilated seats switched on. This surely had taken a toll on the battery efficiency. Moreover, for most of the driving time, the regeneration braking was set to its lowest and we did keep pushing the vehicle from time to time to get the maximum performance.

So, in ideal situations, the BYD eMax 7 can easily travel anywhere between 350 kms to 400 kms. This turns out to be about 75 per cent of the claimed range, which most of the EVs in the market also achieve.

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