Huge real life test shows EV range loss at -15°C

Ro, 28 January 2023

Last week, we saw a rather comprehensive winter test done in China, comparing different EVs and how they handle the cold. However, that test was carried out in rather mild winter conditions ranging between 8-10 °C. Now, the same crew did a winter test in true winter temperatures from -10°C to -15°C. And as you'd expect, the actual range drops significantly.

Another winter test shows that EVs lose about half their range in the cold

Unlike in the previous test, all cars were tested with the climate control set to 24 °C in auto mode. The test was done on rural roads with the average speed around 50 km/h. All vehicles were driven until depleted.

This time around, the test includes more than 40 models and a bit more global models, including contenders from Tesla and Mercedes.

As you can see, the average retention rate is about 50%, with only a few models getting closer to 60%. The BYD Han EV 4WD did the best, retaining 60% of its advertised range. The Nio ET7 100kWh is another familiar name, taking third place with 55% retention. Tesla's Model Y didn't fare all that well in the test, as retaining just 48% of its range.

Model	Advertised range	Actual range	% of advertised range	Average kWh/100km consumption
BYD Han AWD	610km 379mi	366km 227mi	60%	23.3
BAIC ArcFox Alpha S	500km 311mi	293km 182mi	58%	25.4
Nio ET7 100kWh	675km 419mi	376km 234mi	55%	25.4
IM L7	615km 382mi	328km 204mi	53%	28.3
XPeng P5	600km 373mi	323km 201mi	53%	22.1
BYD Yuan Plus	510km 317mi	272km 169mi	53%	22.2
BYD Seal 4WD	650km 404mi	341km 212mi	52%	23.3
Nio ES7 100kWh	575km 357mi	302km 188mi	52%	33.2
Smart #1 Brabus	500km 311mi	260km 162mi	52%	25.4
Leap C11	550km 342mi	284km 176mi	51%	31.7
BYD Dolphin	401km	208km	51%	21.6
Zeekr 001 YOU	650km 404mi	327km 203mi	50%	30.6
Leap C01	630km 391mi	316km 196mi	50%	28.5
GAC Aion S	602km 374mi	302km 188mi	50%	23.1
XPeng G9 Performance	650km 404mi	323km 201mi	49%	30.3
Nio ET5 100kWh	640km 398mi	312km 194	49%	32.1
Tesla Model Y LR AWD	660km 410mi	319km 198mi	48%	24.6
XPeng P7	562km 349mi	270km 168mi	48%	30.0
Hozon Neta S	650km 404mi	310km 193mi	47%	29.4
GWM ORA Lighting Cat	600km 373mi	285km 177mi	47%	29.3

When it comes to total range, however, the Nio ET7 100kWh takes the lead with 376km. The Mercedes-Benz EQE takes a fourth place with 331 km mostly due to its big battery since its range retention is just 46%. The Model Y and Model 3 Performance reached only 319km and 312km, respectively, before dying.

Model	Advertised range	Actual range	% of advertised range	Average kWh/100km consumption
Nio ET7 100kWh	675km 419mi	376km 234mi	55%	25.4
BYD Han AWD	610km 379mi	366km 227mi	60%	23.3
BYD Seal 4WD	650km 404mi	341km 212mi	52%	23.3
Mercedes-Benz EQE	717km 446mi	331km 206mi	46%	29.0
IM L7	615km 382mi	328km 204mi	53%	28.3
Zeekr 001 YOU	650km 404mi	327km 203mi	50%	30.6
XPeng G9 Performance	650km 404mi	323km 201mi	49%	30.3
XPeng P5	600km 373mi	323km 201mi	53%	22.1
Tesla Model Y LR AWD	660km 410mi	319km 198mi	48%	24.6
Leap C01	630km 391mi	316km 196mi	50%	28.5
Tesla Model 3 Performance	675km 419mi	312km 194mi	46%	25.1
Nio ET5 100kWh	640km 398mi	312km 194	49%	32.1
Hozon Neta S	650km 404mi	310km 193mi	47%	29.4
GAC Aion S	602km 374mi	302km 188mi	50%	23.1
Nio ES7 100kWh	575km 357mi	302km 188mi	52%	33.2
BAIC ArcFox Alpha S	500km 311mi	293km 182mi	58%	25.4
GWM ORA Lighting Cat	600km 373mi	285km 177mi	47%	29.3
Leap C11	550km 342mi	284km 176mi	51%	31.7
BYD Yuan Plus	510km 317mi	272km 169mi	53%	22.2
XPeng P7	562km 349mi	270km 168mi	48%	30.0

But range isn't the only issue for EVs in harsh environments. Charging is also a problem in winter times. Batteries require to be in optimal operating temperatures for charging, which means the systems responsible for the battery conditioning will work extra hard and draw more power.

This means that and ultimately, less juice will be directed to the cell. But how damaging is that to the overall experience? Quite a bit, the numbers show. While the BYD Seal took the crown with a 69 minute full charge time, the Tesla Model 3 took over 100 minutes for a full charge and never got near its advertised 250kW peak rate. And then there's the Toyota bZ4X, which was a proper distaster in the freezing temperatures.

Model	Battery capacity in kWh	Time to full charge in min	Average charging rate in kW	Maximum charging rate in kW
BYD Seal 4WD	82.50	69	80.49	117.91
Changan Deepal SL03	58.10	69	49.60	84.52
BYD Yuan Plus	60.48	76	50.59	73.78
BYD Dolphin	44.90	77	39.45	66.63
BYD Han AWD	85.40	80	68.87	94.64
Nissan Ariya	90.00	81	65.58	77.23
Leap C11	89.97	82	63.92	105.50
Mercedes-Benz EQE	96.10	83	68.10	91.61
Nio ET7 100kWh	100.00	87	64.64	92.29
Nio ET5 100kWh	100.00	88	65.50	87.42
GAC Aion S	69.90	90	44.59	67.91
Leap C01	90.00	93	63.06	105.89
Tesla Model Y LR AWD	78.40	93	55.55	97.29
Geometry E	39.40	94	22.31	34.74
GWM ORA Lighting Cat	83.49	95	51.25	88.66
Zeekr 001 YOU	100.00	96	61.04	108.87
Nio ES7	100.00	96	59.14	68.08
Tesla Model 3 Performance	78.40	101	29.97	97.29
XPeng G9	98	103	62.11	86.20
XPeng P5	71.40	112	39.97	64.58
Hozon Neta S	91.00	117	48.07	56.45
XPeng P7	80.90	120	36.17	46.71
BAIC ArcFox Alpha S	74.59	183	27.28	60.63
Smart #1 Brabus	66.0	193	20.83	35.83
IM L7	93.0	208	27.81	87.26
Feifan R7	90.0	214	26.89	105.90
Toyota bZ4X	66.70	423	10.53	42.92
Chery QQ Ice Cream	13.90	339	2.06	2.20
Wuling Mini EV	9.30	452	1.38	1.50
Changan Lumin	17.65	549	1.97	2.10