Electric vehicle range is still something that potential EV owners, and even existing owners, pay particular attention to. We've told you on numerous occasions that there are a plethora of variables that impact an EV's range, though temperature and weather conditions are the most obvious.
Autocar range-tested numerous EVs in both winter and summer conditions to learn how much real-world range the cars may lose when it's cold. However, sadly, while the publication was able to test four identical cars in both warm and cold temps, the other vehicles were only tested in the winter, and the real-world winter range was then compared to their official WLTP-rated range where available.
Still, while the study isn't consistent across all models tested, it gives us at least some indication of range loss across the board. The results of the four identical models tested during both seasons reveal a range loss of up to 20 percent, with the Porsche Taycan suffering the most, and the Fiat 500e suffering the least.
The publication notes that the tests were performed on a closed loop. They used a 15-mile route with 2.6 miles of stop-and-go traffic simulation. Then, the drive proceeded for 4 miles at 50 mph and 8 miles at 70 mph. Again, not a true real-world range test from full until empty, but it at least paints people a picture of the obvious loss in cold temperatures. The following details come directly from Autocar's study:
Porsche Taycan 4S Performance Battery Plus
Battery size: 83.7kWh; Summer range: 281 miles; Winter range: 224 miles; Difference: 20.10%.
Ford Mustang Mach-E Extended Range RWD
Battery size: 88.0kWh; Summer range: 302 miles; Winter range: 247 miles; Difference: 18.00%.
Skoda Enyaq iV 60
Battery size: 58.0kWh; Summer range: 207 miles; Winter range: 174 miles; Difference: 15.70%.
Fiat 500 42kWh Icon
Battery size: 37.3kWh; Summer range: 140 miles; Winter range: 118 miles; Difference: 15.20%.
Autocar goes on to say that the range tests also emphasized the importance of a heat pump for dealing with cold-weather range loss. Models with a heat pump had an average winter range loss of about 25% compared to their WLTP-estimated range. Meanwhile, those without a heat pump lost an average of around 34%.
The publication lists a whole host of models with and without heat pumps, so be sure to visit the source link below to see them all. We've listed several below for comparison:
Fiat 500 42kWh Icon
Usable battery size: 37.3kWh; Heat pump: No; Official (WLTP) range: 198 miles; Winter test range: 118 miles; Shortfall: 40.00%.
Ford Mustang Mach-E Extended Range RWD
Usable battery size: 88.0kWh; Heat pump: No; Official (WLTP) range: 379 miles; Winter test range: 247 miles; Shortfall: 34.60%.
Kia EV6 GT-Line RWD
Usable battery size: 72.5kWh; Heat pump: Yes; Official (WLTP) range: 328 miles; Winter test range: 228 miles; Shortfall: 30.40%.
Tesla Model Y Long Range
Usable battery size: 75.0kWh; Heat pump: Yes; Official (WLTP) range: 331 miles; Winter test range: 247 miles; Shortfall: 25.20%.
Porsche Taycan 4S Performance Battery Plus
Usable battery size: 83.7kWh; Heat pump: Yes; Official (WLTP) range: 287 miles; Winter test range: 224 miles; Shortfall: 21.80%.
We've included our own Porsche Taycan 4S cold weather range test below. Check it out, as well as the original Autocar source. Then, share your takeaways with us in the comment section below.
