Norwegian winter test: This is the real winter range of popular EVs – the big winners and losers

Range in winter

The Dutch often grumble about the weather, but actually we are quite lucky with our climate. If our country were further north, we would spend six months shivering in the cold. If it were further south, we would have to take a siesta every afternoon because it was too hot. For electric driving, our temperate climate is also ideal. Power guzzlers like air conditioning and heating usually don’t have to toil at full power. Yet there are some weeks of the year when it can be quite cold and EV drivers notice this immediately: the range drops significantly.

Action radius test winter

In Norway, you can be sure of one thing: winter there is always freezing cold. A perfect place, then, to test which EVs are cold-resistant and which are not. To test that, every year the Norwegian Automobile Federation (NAF) and Motor magazine organize the El Prix winter range test. Basically, it’s a long road trip, where this year 24 popular EVs are run down to the last “drop” of power. Then the distance traveled is juxtaposed with the official WLTP figures. The result? An honest picture of how far electric cars really get in winter. The differences are sometimes to shiver at…

Winners and losers

The big winner this year is the Polestar 3. On a full battery it drove a whopping 531 km, only 5% less than the stated WLTP range. A feat that would be impressive even under ideal weather conditions. No EV came further than the Polestar. However, the new Tesla Model 3 did get as far. But this is less good news for Tesla: as on paper, the Model 3 should reach 702 kilometers. That difference is hefty; it had to sacrifice as much as 24% on its stated WLTP range. Aai!

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The BYD Tang, Mini Countryman and Lotus Emeya also proved to be true winter benders and braved the cold with ease. But the Voyah Dream, Volvo EX30, Porsche Macan and the Peugeot E-3008 and E-5008 gave up big time. These seem more suited to our climate than the cold Norwegian winter. You can see the results of all 24 test cars below:

Also see: Taking an (electric) car to Norway and Sweden: everything you need to know!