Manufacturer range claims for EVs get repeated as settled fact constantly. Real Australian testing tells a more consistent story: they're optimistic, by a fairly predictable margin.

Who tested it: the Australian Automobile Association, the peak body over RACV, RACQ, NRMA and the other state motoring clubs, runs the federally co-funded Real-World Testing Program. In its most recent round, it tested 20 electric vehicles against their official claimed range.

The result: not one of the 20 matched its claimed range. Shortfalls ranged from 7% to 20%. The BYD Atto 3 claimed 410km and returned 328km. The best result of the 20 was the Tesla Model Y Long Range, claiming 600km and returning 559km, still 7% short.

The bottom line: if you're weighing up an EV, for towing, for a long regional run, for fleet use, don't plan around the number on the window sticker. Plan around 80–93% of it.