Can I average two trip consumption readings by adding and dividing by two?
A short trip and a long trip should not receive equal weight when calculating overall energy consumption. What is the correct approach?
EVVerity explains
A closer look
Weight by distance
In a hypothetical example, 10 km at 30 kWh/100 km uses 3 kWh, while 90 km at 15 uses 13.5 kWh. Together they use 16.5 kWh over 100 km. Simply averaging 30 and 15 would give 22.5 and misrepresent the combined journey.
Prefer totals when available
Add energy consumed and distance travelled over matching periods, then divide total energy by total distance. Record whether parked energy is included. If the trip counter resets or changes units halfway through, resolve that before treating the aggregate as a meaningful comparison.
About this editorial content
Prepared with AI assistance for EVVerity. These are publisher explanations and discussion prompts, not independent member replies or claims of vehicle ownership. Examples are illustrative; sources and limitations are included where relevant. Read our editorial approach.
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