E-car range: winter test reveals how bad it is
Many interested parties are less concerned about the range of e-cars. But it’s not completely gone, especially when the temperatures drop below zero. Because in winter, the range of electric cars shrinks – and not so little, as it turns out.
Cold affects e-cars: 25 percent loss of range is not uncommon
The ADAC counterparts from Switzerland (TCS) and Norway (NAF) jointly determined in a test how much some popular electric cars lose their real range. On average, the tested e-cars have a whole lost a quarter of their maximum WLTP range, when temperatures drop below zero.
At first glance, the result frightens electric car drivers and those who want to become one. But it has to be put into perspective: because e-cars can cover the WLTP range in everyday life anyway almost impossible to reach. It only indicates the maximum value under ideal conditions.
But also in comparison to the e-car test in the summer the difference is significant: Six months earlier, the e-cars tested averaged only one minus 5 percent compared to the WLTP value. The best model in the test is the Model S Dual Motor from Tesla. It comes to 530 km despite cold weather. A total of 28 models were tested, including those from BMW and VW, but also Chinese brands such as Nio and BYD.
The reason for the differences between summer and winter is clear: E-cars have to use some of the stored energy from the battery in winter for the Heating spend. This leaves less than in the summer for driving.
E-car drivers have to accept losses in winter
One detail in particular is particularly revealing in the comparison: the testers made sure that the tests from summer and winter were easy to compare and are therefore the drove the same route. The comparison is therefore particularly reliable and shows very clearly how much electric cars have to struggle in winter.
Chinese e-cars do not need to hide when it comes to range or safety:
However, there is also good news: According to the TCS, none of the models tested showed such a drop in range that they would lose their suitability for everyday use. The e-cars lose a few kilometers in the cold, but they are by no means only useful in summer.
