Recurrent Auto, a US organization that provides used electric vehicle reports, evaluated 13 electric vehicles to see how much range they lost in cold weather.
The organization aggregated automakers’ vehicle telematics data from 7000 vehicles in its community to estimate their electrical range at temperatures between 20 and 30 degrees Fahrenheit (-6 to -1 °C), compared to their range at more than 70 degrees F (21°C)
For some vehicles, it went further, using a combination of on-board devices and real-time usage data to achieve what it calls verified winter range metrics. They also include variables like uneven terrain, old batteries, and varying driving speeds.
You can see Full report here.
Vehicles that it says experience the smallest difference between the warm and freezing ranges include Jaguar I-Pace (-3 percent) and Electronic Audi (-8 percent).
It notes that both of these luxury SUVs use heat pumps to heat the cabin without draining the battery, and can capture waste heat from the electric powertrain.
Vehicles with a much wider gap in the range between cold and temperate conditions include Ford Mustang Mach-E and VolkswagenID.4with winter range numbers verified to be 30% worse than in warmer temperatures.
Sitting in the middle is Leaf Nissan (-21 percent), Tesla Model S P100D (-19 percent) and Long Range Tesla Model 3 and Model X 75D (-17 percent).
Relapse also tested a Model Y the variant not sold here, the Long Range AWD, claims a verified winter range figure of -15%.
The organization also published some tips on how to avoid losing range in the winter, including using any battery pre-conditioning features where your EV must warm up the battery before charging and using the seat. and the heated steering wheel consumes less energy instead of increasing the heat in the cabin.
Recurrent isn’t the only organization testing electric vehicle ranges in freezing conditions. car and Consumer Newspaperamong others, has also put EVs to the test, and says tests have consistently shown EVs to experience a reduction in range under such conditions – although by how much depends on the model.
