MPGe stands for “miles per gallon of gasoline equivalent.” It is a measurement meant to capture the fuel efficiency of plug-in electric vehicles, and is used in place of the “miles per gallon” metric.
MPGe was developed after the U.S. Energy Independence and Security Act in 2007, which was created to help foster the research, development, and production of alternative fuel vehicles. As new types of vehicles began to enter the market, we needed a new way to measure fuel efficiency.
The Environmental Protection Agency worked with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to create the MPGe metric based on focus groups, research, and testing of alternatively fueled vehicles.
How is MPGe Calculated?
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) determines MPGe by measuring how far a vehicle can go on a unit of electricity that has the same energy content as one gallon of gasoline.
The EPA determines this based on a set of five tests: a city driving test with no HVAC, a highway test with no HVAC, a high-speed highway test, a high temperature test at 95 degrees fahrenheit with AC, and a cold temperature test at 20 degrees fahrenheit with heat and defrost. They then average the scores of all five tests to determine a vehicle’s miles per gallon of gasoline equivalent.
Since charging an electric vehicle is not 100% efficient, the EPA also factors charging loss into their MPGe ratings. Charging loss is a process in which you lose small amounts of energy via the charging cable of your vehicle due to heat and energy conversion.
What Does MPGe Mean for Charging Cost?
MPGe is a great way to understand an electric vehicle’s efficiency and potential charging costs when combined with an electric vehicle’s rated range. A vehicle with higher MPGe is more “fuel efficient” and thus will cost less to charge. A vehicle with higher range will need to be charged less often. These two factors can offer you higher savings on refueling/recharging your vehicle.
However, it is also important to consider the cost of electricity in your area. A higher cost-per-killowatthour will result in a higher total amount spent on charging. You can check your state’s electricity rate on the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s website.
What MPGe Do Tesla Vehicles Have?
For a quick overview of current Tesla model MPGe ratings, check out our chart below:
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Conclusion
MPGe is an important metric to understand Electric Vehicles and how they will perform in real-world scenarios. Factoring MPGe in when making used Tesla purchase decisions can help you find the right model and trim level for your life.
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Sources:
Environmental Protection Agency
