It's that time of year. It has become cold again. And electric cars suffer from that. The Norwegian NAF has found out how it goes beyond the range.
A Norwegian investigation carried out by NAF and Motor has focused on how cold affects electric cars. The study, which tests the range of different electric car models in winter conditions, shows a significant variation in range loss.
In the test, where the cars start from a heated garage, the electric cars lose an average of 24 percent of the range compared to the official WLTP figures. The WLTP test, which informs the cars' official range, is normally always carried out at plus 23 degrees.
The results from the Norwegian survey show large differences between the different car models.
The Tesla Model S fared best with a 16 percent loss, while the Toyota bZ4X lost 36 percent of its range.
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An American study, which Boosted also mentioned, showed similar results. Here, the Audi e-tron performed best with a loss of 16 percent, while the Volkswagen ID.4 lost the most with 46 percent.
The reasons for this range loss are both chemical and physical. The battery chemistry works worse in cold temperatures, as the cold inhibits the chemical reactions in the battery.
In addition, electric cars use a significant amount of energy to heat the cabin.
– "A car with a combustion engine uses waste heat from the engine, while electric cars are so efficient that there is not much waste heat that can be used. The heat must instead be generated with an element or with a heat pump," experts explain.
To optimize the range of your electric car in winter conditions, you can follow these tips:
- Storage: Park the car in a heated garage or warm it up while charging.
- Preconditioning: Use the car's preconditioning function to preheat the battery.
- Cabin temperature: Keep a moderate temperature in the cabin and use seat and steering wheel heating.
- Heat pump: Choose an electric car with a heat pump for efficient heating.
- Navigation: Use the navigation system to plan the route and preheat the battery for fast charging.
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