Electric vehicle brochures and ads like to lead with range because buyers only need to remember one number.

A claim of 500 kilometers sounds reassuring, and customers can compare figures before they even look inside the vehicles.

While that number may tell buyers how far the battery can take the car, it says little about how well the battery will handle the trip, especially on our less-than-ideal roads.

Most EV batteries are installed beneath the cabin, which creates more room for passengers and helps keep the vehicle stable.

However, that also leaves one of the most valuable parts of the car close to the road.

This makes it worth asking what protects the battery underneath.

China’s updated safety standard for EV batteries took effect on 1 July. One requirement involves striking the bottom of the battery pack and checking that it does not catch fire or explode.

The battery also undergoes 300 fast-charging cycles before another safety test.

Although this rule does not apply in the Philippines yet, it shows that buyers should look beyond range when considering an EV battery.

An EV battery must also withstand repeated charging and the occasional hard hit from below.

Our roads already provide enough of a stress test, especially in Metro Manila where rough surfaces and uneven patches are common.

It does not get any better with the extra-high humps that someone may have built to make sure every vehicle slows down in front of his house.

Steep parking entrances can be just as unforgiving.

When a steep entrance or a barangay hump shaped like a small hill leaves that familiar scrape under the car, an EV owner has another reason to worry because the battery pack may sit close to the point of contact.

The range in kilometers will not tell the driver what to do after that scrape.

A driver may know that the car can travel from Metro Manila to Baguio, but he should also know what to do after it strikes the edge of a ramp or takes a hard hit underneath.

The new Chinese bottom-impact requirement is relevant because it tests the same kind of strike a driver may encounter on the road.

The test also puts the battery through 300 fast-charging cycles to see whether it remains safe after years of use, not just when it is new.

This does not mean EVs are unsafe, but buyers should look at more than the distance printed in flyers and advertisements.

The range figure will continue to be the most prominent graphic element in flyers and advertisements because it is easy to understand and even easier to sell.

Before signing, buyers should know how the battery is protected underneath and what inspection is needed after a hard strike.

Five hundred kilometers sounds impressive, although one badly shaped barangay hump can make the owner forget the range and start looking for a service center.