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Big EV test in Norway’s freezing cold: Lucid Air comes furthest, but this is the real winner

February 7, 2026

The El Prix winter test in Norway ranks as one of the toughest field tests for electric cars. After all, electric cars don’t like the cold. At low temperatures, a battery can hold less energy and performance drops. Car manufacturers try to prevent this shortcoming by using battery heating, but how effective is it in practice?

Every year, this winter test provides surprising insights into how electric cars really perform in freezing temperatures. They all drive the same route under the same conditions in the same conditions. But never before have the conditions been as extreme as this year. A caravan of 24 electric models set off from the Norwegian capital Oslo via Lillehammer toward Dombås, and back down again via Folldal. Temperatures were continuously well below zero, and near Folldall the mercury even dropped to -31 °C.

Lucid Air comes furthest, but still disappoints

Due to the extreme cold, EVs got much less range this year than in previous years. On average, the cars lost 38% of their initial range. Last year it was 18% when the test was conducted in temperatures between -6 and +8 °C.

Of the 24 participating EVs, the Lucid Air Grand Touring eventually came the farthest. The American model achieved a distance of 520 km. This put it 99 km further than the number 2. But of all the models in the 2026 test, the Lucid Air also has by far the largest battery, good for a range of up to 960 km according to the official measurement (WLTP). It even gets 251 km further on paper than the Mercedes-Benz CLA, the car with the second largest WLTP range in the test (709 km).

So the fact that the Lucid Air managed to cover the greatest distance in the 2026 El Prix winter test is not a remarkable achievement. In fact, it is a bit disappointing. With a distance of 520 km, it achieved the fewest kilometers (-46%) in percentage terms of its original range out of all the participants.

These are the real winners

The real winners of the 2026 El Prix winter test are the MG S6 EV and the Hyundai Inster. These came closest to their original range, as measured according to the official WLTP methodology under normal conditions. The MG S6 EV achieved 345 kilometers and the Hyundai Inster 256 kilometers – in both cases “only” 29% less than their stated WLTP range.

In doing so, the winter edition of El Prix not only shows that WLTP figures are unrealistic in the cold, but that even smaller, cheaper or lesser-known EVs can perform surprisingly well. For winter drivers, this test provides a valuable indication of what they can really expect from their electric car.

Top 5 best and worst scores in El Prix winter test 2026

Top 5 with least decline relative to WLTP

Top 5 with largest decline vs. WLTP

Top 5 who traveled the most miles

Top 5 who traveled the fewest miles