The drives are done, the numbers crunched and the rankings are in for annual efficiency competition
EV charging – Everything you need to know
However, the efficiency number for an all-electric vehicle — measured at kWh/100km, or how much battery energy is required to travel 100 kilometres — still is a mystery for many. In addition to driving a number of 2024 EVs, the assembled journalists who logged hundreds of kilometres over two days in Quebec’s magical Eastern Townships also drove select 2024 plug-in hybrids and hybrids to see which ones used the least amount of gas. And a nod of appreciation to all the automakers who supplied vehicles and support to the event, along with the sponsors, including title sponsor Electric Mobility Canada, FLO, Electric Circuit and Ingenext.
Before we dive into the top five from the 2024 AJAC EcoRun, which featured 14 vehicles, a couple of caveats. First, there is a competition aspect to EcoRun. The journalist with the lowest combined efficiency number from the 10 vehicles they drove is awarded the coveted green jersey (congrats to Automotive Innovation Magazine l’Automobile’s Isabelle Havasy), so while not exactly hyper-miling, the driving style is on the conservative side. Meaning the efficiency numbers cited here might not represent your driving tendencies. And second, in the case of the gas-powered vehicles, while it might seem that lumping in plug-in hybrid with garden-variety hybrids gives the former an advantage, the only leg that the PHEVs enjoyed a benefit of fully charged battery was the first each day, as they were not charged during the day’s drive.
Finally, the cost per 100 kilometres was derived using the rounded off average of 10 cents for a single kWh and $1.60 for a litre of gasoline. This number, which is in brackets following the vehicle efficiency rating, is what it would cost to travel 100 kilometres in the respective vehicle.
Most efficient all-electric vehicle: Lucid Air Pure: 7.1 kWh/100 km ($0.71)
Most efficient plug-in-hybrid vehicle: Lexus RX 450h: 5.2 L/100 km ($8.32)
Most efficient HEV: Lexus UX 300h: 4.7 L/100 km ($7.52)
Impressive Pickup Truck: Toyota Tacoma Hybrid Trailhunter: 10.1 L/100 km ($10.10)
Impressive three-row hybrid: Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid: 5.9 L/100 km ($9.44)
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