- A Norwegian test of 19 new EVs showed just how much battery range each lost in cold weather
- Tesla got one of the worst scores in terms of range loss as a percentage (versus company estimates)
- Luxury brand Polestar, meanwhile, saw range drop just a handful of miles in the freezing cold
There are certain truths in this life: the Swedish are trustworthy; Elon Musk generally isn’t; and electric vehicles don’t eke out their maximum range in cold conditions. We mention these maxims after being reminded of them via a report issued by the Norwegian Automobile Association, a third-party evaluation firm across the pond which regularly conducts EV range tests in conjunction with a local publication called Motor magazine.
Its most recent efforts laid bare some commonly held beliefs about electric cars and frigid conditions; while also serving up some conveniently cite-able empirical data.
Of the test group in its recent trials, no fewer than 19 battery-driven machines promised a total range of over 300 miles (480 kilometres) but only four delivered on that commitment. At the bookends of these results, the Polestar 3 cracked off just 18 fewer miles (29 km) than its suggested range; while the Tesla Model 3 dropped a stunning 106 miles (170 km) off its original estimate. (Those performances are partly what we’re getting at with our lead paragraph, there.)
Nevertheless, despite this disparate gulf in promises, both vehicles ended up within a shout of each other in terms of real distance travelled, with the Polestar covering 330 miles (531 km) and the Tesla managing, um, exactly the same, within a few metres.
At issue is the Swede’s promise of 348 miles (560 km) compared to Elon’s 436-mile (702-km) braggadocio, with the latter shedding nearly a quarter of the distance promised by WLTP range estimates. Talk about writing cheques you can’t cash.
The tests performed seek to replicate realistic winter conditions of the type found in Norway and, to be blunt, much of Canada. This makes the results relevant to our market. All cars started from the same spot and drove the same route in equal conditions, eliminating as many variables as possible. Temps were consistently below freezing, and so the day started with plenty of freezing rain. Toss in winter tires with a higher rolling resistance than factory rubber and this seems like a good real-world test.
Don’t take our word for it, though. All results of the independently conducted event, the El Prix 2025, can be found online. (It might help, though, if you can read Norwegian.)
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