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

28 January 2023
The test includes more than 40 models, including contenders from Tesla and Mercedes.

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  • Anonymous

jrharbort, 31 Jan 2023ICE vehicles also take a range hit in freezing temperatures, it's simple physics. Not as ... moreDifference is negligible and mostly comes from winter tires anyway (which you'd also have to use on EV). My car is 5.5L/100km in summer, 5.7L/100km in winter. I live in north Europe where we have real winters.

jrharbort, 31 Jan 2023ICE vehicles also take a range hit in freezing temperatures, it's simple physics. Not as ... moreTBH, the effect on ICE / hybrids is fairly minimal, compared to EV - for ICE you can add up 1–2 litres of fuel consumption extra due to heating and tires + you can still fill the tank same speed during winter or summer.

EV rely on recuperation a lot, and that does not work particularly well in winter.
EV motor is an incredibly efficient one (even one made by VW), so every inefficiency in the power train adds up big time - tires - slash at least 10% or range, no recuperation -20% or range, heating -10% range etc...

Anonymous, 30 Jan 2023It's not poor journalism, it's important information that buyers should be aware of ... moreICE vehicles also take a range hit in freezing temperatures, it's simple physics. Not as bad as it is on EVs, but still significant. I expect the difference to be nullified once we can finally move to solid state technologies to increase battery capacities.

Now nobody will buy EV car and EU pushes that law for nothing.
So in 2035 people will be forced to have EV cars with average range of 600 but actual range of 250 in cold months.

  • Anonymous

maximus, 29 Jan 2023Title shood be: Poor journalism, drives away potential EV drivers. Adertised range should spec... moreIt's not poor journalism, it's important information that buyers should be aware of before spending loads of money on a car. My wife has been looking at EVs and didn't even know that there was range loss in winter before i told her

  • Matt

Ok so that's a good study for the average temperature of canada. I want to see the -20 to -30 range. And also how they perform in -40 and below.

  • Anonymous

EV propaganda makes me sick in my stomach. EU is pushing for everyone to buy them. But in 10-20 years they will change tune and say EV manufacturing is destroying the planet and will start banning them. Imagine what kind of diesel cards we would have now if companies still spent as much on diesel R&D. We would probably be driving 1L/100km hybrid diesels and you would laugh in winter as ICE efficiency in cold temperatures stays almost unaffected.

  • Anonymous

maximus, 29 Jan 2023Title shood be: Poor journalism, drives away potential EV drivers. Adertised range should spec... moreI totally doubt it. A friend of mine used to own an EV until he goes back to modern ICE cars. Needless to say, he doesn't miss his EV ownership at all. If anything, he's considering a hybrid in the list.

  • maximus

Title shood be: Poor journalism, drives away potential EV drivers. Adertised range should specify clearly the driving cycle, in order to compare the degradation.

CLTC estimates 20% more range than WLTP, which estimates 10% more than EPA. Now the % degradation vs EPA estimate in winter is much lower. CLTC cannot even be achieved in Spring.

Anonymous, 29 Jan 2023That's why ice engines are good just need cleaner feul You mean hybrids :-D

  • Anonymous

That's why ice engines are good just need cleaner feul

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