Real‑World Energy Consumption Comparison Between a Diesel Vehicle and a Battery‑Electric Vehicle
M. Fike, A. Predin, A. Roger Faculty of Energy Technology, University of Maribor, Krško, Slovenia 2026-06-27

Abstract

This study presents a real‑world comparison of energy consumption between a battery‑electric vehicle (BEV), the Skoda Enyaq iV80, and a conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle, the Skoda Octavia 2.0 TDI. Both vehicles were driven over identical rural, suburban, and motorway routes to capture representative driving conditions, including uphill and downhill segments. Data acquisition was performed using OBD‑II logging for the diesel vehicle and vehicle‑integrated telemetry for the BEV. The diesel vehicle exhibited fuel consumption patterns strongly influenced by engine load, gear selection, and transient driving events, whereas the BEV showed energy usage highly dependent on speed, elevation change, and opportunities for regenerative braking. Across all environments, the BEV demonstrated significantly lower energy consumption on a tank‑to‑wheel basis compared to the ICE vehicle. The results confirm the inherent efficiency advantage of electric drivetrains in real‑world operation, particularly in low‑speed and variable‑speed driving scenarios such as suburban routes. The study provides practical insight into the performance of both vehicle types under everyday driving conditions and contributes toward understanding the energy implications of transitioning from ICE to electric mobility.

Key words: Battery electric vehicle, Internal combustion vehicle, real-world driving, energy consumption.

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https://doi.org/10.3390/en18081933