Here’s how much cold weather can affect an EV’s range
What Car? magazine’s study found some cars are affected worse than others.
When it comes to buying an electric vehicle, how far it can travel between charges is often an important factor.
While most people don’t travel too far each day, the occasional longer drive could prove quite frustrating if you’re constantly topping up the batteries.
However, the range figure isn’t always indicative of what you’ll get in the real world, because batteries don’t work as well in colder conditions – something UK drivers will have to contend with regularly.
To see whether cold weather performance is a legitimate concern for EV buyers, consumer magazine What Car? brought together 10 EVs on a test circuit that simulated some stop-start urban driving, country lane speeds as well as motorway stints.
Each car started the test with a full battery and the outside temperature ranged from three to seven degrees.
The magazine conducted a similar test during the summer, which found that achieving the official range figures varied from car to car, with some a long way off the target and others quite close. Significantly, none achieved their stated range.
It was a similar story in winter, with the Fiat 500 grinding to a halt first. That’s not surprising, because it had the smallest battery in the test, but its 118-mile stint was a massive 40 per cent short of official figures, the largest percentage difference in the test.
The Ford Mustang Mach-E Extended Range RWD travelled the joint second-longest distance, but at 247 miles that meant it was the second-farthest from its official figure, down almost 35 per cent.
The Tesla Model Y Long Range went the same distance as the Ford, but this was only down a quarter on its official figure. The Model 3 Long Range went further than any other car at 281 miles, which was also about a quarter below its rating.
The MG 5 Long Range Exclusive was the least expensive car on the test and was the second car to run out of juice. Its 167 miles was down a third on its official range. Meanwhile, the Porsche Taycan 4S Performance battery Plus was the closest to its quoted range, being 22 per cent short at 224 miles.
Drawing conclusions, What Car? looked at the Fiat 500, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Porsche Taycan and Skoda Enyaq iV, because these were also included in the summer test.
They were an average of 17 per cent down on the figures they achieved on the same course in warmer weather, meaning you should factor in a drop of around 15 to 20 per cent in range when the temperature drops.
In icy and snowy conditions, however, this figure is likely even higher.
