Filed under: EV/Plug-in, AutoblogGreen Exclusive

We recently got the following query from reader Felipe about electric vehicles (EVs) and we thought the answer would be of interest to many readers who are considering purchasing or leasing one of the upcoming crop of plug-in vehicles:
Hi, do you have any info for EV performance in hill terrain (paved roads). I believe all MPG testing is done on flat roads, and where i live most of the roads are high slope streets, so an underpowered engine is less efficient than a big one.

Felipe's assumption about mileage testing on flat ground is essentially correct. The standard drive cycles used in various countries all simulate acceleration, braking and steady-state driving on a flat surface. It's also true that running a smaller engine at its upper limit can result in lower efficiency than using a larger engine working at the sweet spot of its operating range. Read on after the jump to learn about the effects on EVs.

Continue reading Ask AutoblogGreen: What's up (and down) with electric vehicle performance in hilly terrain

Ask AutoblogGreen: What's up (and down) with electric vehicle performance in hilly terrain originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sat, 04 Sep 2010 17:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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