MG Comet EV Range Test Challenge : 220km With 95% Battery Usage

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

• ARAI certified range is 230km
• Range as per online reviews & videos varies from 140-190km only
• Our test included traffic, highway, expressway, hills & off-road

Range anxiety. This means the number one hindrance when it comes to making up our mind for purchasing an electric vehicle in India. The same also holds true for the MG Comet EV that was recently launched in India. While the ARAI (automotive research association of India) certification stands at 230km on a full charge, a lot of videos and reviews have stated the range to be in the region of 140 to 190km. Isn't this too low? We asked ourselves the same question and set out to find the answer via a unique MG Comet range test challenge. Do see the video below.

Driving Conditions Involved

For the MG Comet EV range test challenge, We started from early in the morning when Delhi's roads offered less traffic. The drive from West Delhi to South Delhi was smooth and from there on we moved towards Gurugram. By now, morning rush hour traffic was our companion and we soon found ourselves on the Delhi - Gurgaon highway. A left from Rajiv Chownk saw us hitting the newly opened elevated highway that led us to the Mumbai Expressway. A quick dash on the open stretch and we moved towards the popular hills of Pandala. We even left the mountain roads for a quick off the road detour. From Pandala hills we left back for my place via the longer route of Dwarka.

As you can see above, we did end up driving the MG Comet EV across various terrains. As for the A/C usage, it was used for about 60% of the total journey during the range test. There were two people on board and including our shoot equipment, the total weight in the car was about 180 kg.

Battery Usage

During the MG Comet EV range test challenge, we decided to note down the trip details after every 10% of the battery usage. The same can be seen below. At the 50% mark, we had covered 125km which meant hitting the 250km mark on full consumption was possible. However, our average kilometer per 1% charge started coming down as we cross the last remaining 25% battery charge.

So, can it really do 230km

Certainly yes but there are a few things you must understand. First is to drive with Comet EV with a light right foot. Don't accelerate hard and keep it in Eco mode. Next, understand traffic around you and use regeneration to charge the batteries back (even if by a small fraction). Lift off the right pedal when you see traffic ahead or a red signal for example. It is safe to assume that if you drive the MG Comet EV in pure traffic conditions, the range might not be as much as we got. Likewise, cruising on open roads at higher speeds of 70-80km/h will also bring down the average km per 1% charge factor.