The impression is repeatedly given that electric cars are useless in winter. It is true that the consumption of electric cars increases in winter, but modern vehicles can now cover a few kilometers even in winter thanks to aids such as heat pumps or sophisticated thermal management systems. As a general rule, cold weather demands more from the vehicle, the engine and the heating system, regardless of the drive type, so that consumption increases in the cold season regardless of the vehicle and drive type. A current winter test in Europe is testing the range of various electric cars under extreme conditions. According to a test by the Finnish newspaper Tekniikan Maailma (TM) Tesla's electric vehicles are among the electric cars that perform best in icy cold conditions. In principle, the specified range "WLTP range" is tested in the laboratory at a temperature of approx. +23 °C according to the so-called WLTP standard, regardless of the type of drive. The aim of the Finnish newspaper's test was therefore to find out how far the popular electric cars can actually drive in sub-zero temperatures.
During the range test, the weather was particularly cold with temperatures of around -20 degrees. Ten electric vehicles took part in the test, including the new Tesla Model 3 Long Range Dual Motor, the Volkswagen ID.7 Pro Elegance, the BWM i5 eDrive 40 M Sport, the BYD Dolphin Comfort, the Hyundai Kona Electric 65 kWh Premium and the MG4 Luxury.
Tesla is the winner🥇
- Nicklas 🇸🇪🚗T🐂📈🍀♻️🚀 (@NicklasNilsso14) January 21, 2024
The winter have been cold in many places this year, both in Canada, US and the Nordic countries.
The amount of headlines with dead EV's have been all over the place!
Here are some FACTS about Electric cars, mainly Tesla in the cold winter.
A real test in... pic.twitter.com/mkPc3UfVGo
The Finnish newspaper's test did not take place in a laboratory, but on public roads under real-life conditions: Each vehicle was driven until it could no longer drive. Accordingly, the Hyundai Kona Electric stopped when only 7 percent of the battery capacity was left. Other electric cars such as the MG4 and the Volkswagen ID.7 initiated energy-saving measures when their battery was empty and switched off the interior heating at 15% and 10% respectively.
The new Tesla Model 3 Long Range Dual Motor AWD continued to drive even though its battery showed 0%. The vehicle covered over 300 km despite the icy weather. And although the total range during the test was well below the estimated WLTP range of 629 km, it was still a flagship vehicle among its competitors. Ultimately, the new Tesla Model 3 clearly won the Finnish newspaper's winter driving test based on its overall performance.
