Watt hours per mile (Wh/mi)

Keywords

What does 'watt hours per mile (Wh/mi)' mean?

Watt hours per mile (Wh/mi) is one of many metrics used to determine how efficient an electric car is. It tells us how much electricity a car uses to travel one mile, with around 250Wh/mi a sign of an efficient car.

Most cars give readings in mi/kWh (we have a separate explainer for that), but Tesla uses Wh/mi, and because they’re so popular, it’s another measurement worth knowing.

Unlike mi/kWh and mpg (for petrol/diesel cars), the lower the number of Wh/mi, the better because it means less energy is used to travel a mile.

You might also see Watt hours per kilometre (Wh/km) if you’re in Europe.

Related Jargon

What does 'kilowatt hours per hundred miles (kWh/100mi)' mean?

How much energy an electric car uses to travel one mile – a measure of how efficient it is.

What is meant by kWh in an electric car?

KiloWatts per hour (kWh) is the measurement of energy that an electric vehicle can store in its batteries.

What does 'miles per kilowatt hour (mi/kWh)' mean?

How far a car will go on one unit of electricity – a measure of how efficient it is.

What is a battery electric vehicle?

A battery electric vehicle (BEV) uses the electrical energy from rechargeable batteries to power an electric motor (or motors).

What does 'watt hours per mile (Wh/mi)' mean?

How much energy an electric car uses to travel one mile – a measure of how efficient it is.

What is a plug-in hybrid car?

A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) is a vehicle that has a slightly larger battery than a regular hybrid, so it travels further just using electricity.

How does an electric vehicle work?

An electric car, also known as a battery electric vehicle or EV, uses one or more electric motors to move the vehicle.