Boosting EV efficiency with Lightfoot tech

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【Summary】Lightfoot, a technology company, has found that the efficiency of electric vehicles (EV) used as company cars has improved by 35% in the past year. Through technology advances and coaching with telematics, the average efficiency of EVs has increased from 2.75 miles per kWh in July 2022 to 3.72 miles per kWh in June 2023. This improvement in efficiency has resulted in a significant increase in real-world range and cost savings.

FutureCar Staff Oct 01, 2023 6:21 AM PT

Boosting EV efficiency with Lightfoot tech

Lightfoot, a company specializing in telematics, has reported a significant increase in the efficiency of electric vehicles (EV) used as company cars. Through the use of their technology, Lightfoot analyzed hundreds of cars in their system and found that average efficiency has improved by 35% in the past year. In July 2022, the average efficiency was measured at 2.75 miles per kWh, while in June 2023, it had increased to 3.72 miles per kWh.

Paul Hollick, the managing director of Lightfoot, expressed his excitement about these findings, stating, "These figures show the incredible strides the fleet sector is making in the adoption of EVs. What our data clearly shows is that businesses and their drivers are combining our system with the new EV technology available and hugely improving efficiency and range."

To illustrate the impact of this increased efficiency, Lightfoot provided an example. In 2022, a driver operating a car with a 60 kWh battery and an efficiency of 2.75 miles per kWh would have a real-world range of 165 miles. However, by the middle of 2023, a car with a similarly sized battery would be able to travel 223 miles on a single charge, nearly 60 miles further.

All drivers in the study had the Lightfoot driver management system installed, which provided them with feedback on their driving style to improve efficiency and range. Hollick emphasized the transformative effect of the Lightfoot system on EVs, noting that it has been proven to reduce fuel consumption in petrol and diesel vehicles and is now having a similar effect on electric cars.

In addition to the increased range, the improved efficiency also has a financial impact. Assuming a 60 kWh battery car charged at 30p per kWh in 2022, it would cost 11p per mile to run. However, in 2023, with the increased efficiency, the cost per mile would decrease to 8p. Over 20,000 miles a year, this translates to a savings of £580 in electricity costs when using Lightfoot technology.

Lightfoot's telematics data also revealed the impact of external factors on EV efficiency. During a record-breaking heatwave in July and August 2022, efficiency dropped from 3.0 miles per kWh to 2.4 miles per kWh due to the heavy use of air-conditioning. This demonstrated that air conditioning has a greater impact on EV range than colder weather during winter months.

Hollick emphasized the importance of considering these external factors in efficiency and cost predictions. He concluded, "As we learn more about how EVs operate in the real world, it's not always the most obvious assumptions that prove to have the most effect. But this data shows for certain: Lightfoot's driver coaching and telematics make EVs cheaper to run and go further."