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Evaluation conducted by the Norwegian Automobile Club put 27 electric cars to the test in extreme temperatures of up to -32ºC, compared real-world range with official WLTP cycle numbers, and revealed which models maintained better performance, energy efficiency, and long-distance driving capability in severe cold on Norwegian roads
Since 2020, the Norwegian Automobile Club, known as NAF, has conducted one of the most closely watched tests in the electric car market.
The entity fully charges the evaluated models and then drives them all along the same route, at the same time, to measure the real-world range.
This year, however, the challenge was even more severe.
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The test faced the lowest temperatures ever recorded by the association, with a minimum of -32ºC in Høyeste and a maximum of -8ºC in Oslo.
Extreme cold changes everything in the test
The main objective was to verify the difference between the range reported by the WLTP cycle and the distance actually covered on the road.
Although WLTP has evolved, it still does not show with absolute precision the consumption on long highways, especially in intense cold.
At the same time, electric cars usually consume less in the city.
Therefore, the approved average range may seem more favorable than the performance obtained on prolonged trips.
How the evaluation was conducted
According to NAF, the 27 electric cars left Oslo and traveled over 400 kilometers on national highways. The route started at sea level and passed through sections of significant elevation.
Then, the route reached points above 1,000 meters before returning to about 750 meters of altitude. Thus, the vehicles faced ascents, descents, extreme cold, and long periods on the road.
Drivers stopped the test when they noticed a loss of power. Thus, the evaluation did not allow the batteries to fully discharge.
In this test, the first driver stopped when the car still indicated 11% battery remaining.
Models with less loss stand out
Among the best performances, the highlight was the vehicles that deviated least from the promised range.
In this segment, Hyundai Inster and MG IM6 showed a 29% loss compared to WLTP. In addition to them, other Asian models also had competitive results in extreme cold.
The Hyundai Inster covered 256 kilometers, compared to 360 kilometers in WLTP. The KGM Musso EV, on the other hand, traveled 263 kilometers, against 379 homologated kilometers.
Meanwhile, the Voyah Courage reached 300 kilometers, against 440 declared kilometers. The Changan Deepal S05 covered 293 kilometers, compared to 445 kilometers in the WLTP cycle.
Finally, the MG IM6 reached 352 kilometers, against 505 promised kilometers.
Larger differences require context
On the other hand, some models had greater losses when compared to the official range. However, context is essential.
The Lucid Air, for example, recorded the largest percentage deviation, at 49%. Still, it was the car that covered the greatest distance in the test, reaching 520 kilometers. As a result, it was exposed for longer to temperatures below -30ºC.
The BMW iX covered 388 kilometers, compared to 641 kilometers in the WLTP. The Tesla Model Y traveled 359 kilometers, compared to 629 kilometers homologated.
The Volvo EX90 achieved 339 kilometers, compared to 611 official kilometers. Meanwhile, the Mercedes CLA covered 421 kilometers, compared to 709 kilometers reported.
Finally, the Lucid Air recorded 520 kilometers, compared to 960 kilometers declared.
Result reinforces the importance of real-world range
The Norwegian test shows how extreme cold alters the performance of electric cars. Still, even the models with the greatest loss traveled between 339 and 520 kilometers.
Therefore, the data weakens the idea that electric vehicles travel very short distances when the temperature drops. The evaluation reinforces the importance of comparing official range with independent tests under real conditions.
Ultimately, the result indicates that the range of electric vehicles changes significantly in winter, but remains relevant for long journeys.
Given such extreme temperatures, which electric model was more surprising: the one that lost the least range or the one that covered the greatest distance?
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