Range on the dash - what does it really mean?

[Velomobile]

I just picked up a 2016 Spark on Saturday. I'm in California and the price + rebates offered equated to a lease with a total cost to me of about $1,500. (including the end of lease fee) I decided to go for it at that price!

What I don't quite understand is the range shown on the dash. From the dealer it showed 70+ miles. The dealer was 35 miles away and it was uphill all the way home. (Over 2,500' of elevation) I charged up that night and don't recall the mileage number shown after it. I just charged up after a few days of short commutes and now it shows 68 miles right off the charger. Is the stated range based on past driving history? I don't expect to get the maximum, I used to hypermile a toyota corolla and I know my commute isn't ideal. It's uphill all the way to work and I gain range on my drive back home. (I checked this morning, cold out and defroster running resulted in 71mpge to work. I know I can get 150mpge + round trip and still need to adjust tire pressure and get the hang of driving this in the best manner.)

I see some stating different numbers after a fresh charge - so how exactly is that number calculated?

 

[Taxman]

It's called a Guess-O-Meter, but seems to be basing its guess on the assumption that you always drive uphill, and therefore are going to use more kWh per mile than the usual driver, because in the car's limited experience, you always drive uphill.

 

[SparkE]

It's a guess based on 'recent' driving patterns. If you 'fully' charge the vehicle at home and then drive down hill, you wan't be able to use regen to put electricity in the battery (it is already full). Only charge up to about 90%.