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Battery

Usable vs nominal capacity

Nominal is all the energy that physically fits; usable is what the car lets you use, keeping a reserve buffer to protect the battery.

Makers keep a buffer at the top and bottom of the battery β€” they don't let you reach a true 0% or 100% β€” because charging to the brim or draining it fully ages it faster. That buffer is the gap between nominal and usable capacity.

For almost everything a driver cares about β€” range, comparisons, consumption math β€” usable is what rules. When you see two kWh figures for the same model, that's why.

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