Are all 100% electric cars equal in the face of winter?

Some Chinese cars also performed well, notably the Nio ET5 (421 km). At the other end of the ranking, however, we can see models that are much less resistant to the cold, such as the MG 4 (254 km) and the Toyota bZ4X (233 km), the latter two performing poorly in terms of fuel consumption and heating.

What this test teaches us:

Impact of temperature: Cold temperatures increase air density and rolling resistance, resulting in higher energy consumption. In addition, heating the passenger compartment and battery also consumes energy. Cars with good thermal management can partially compensate for the disadvantages of air resistance through an efficient propulsion system.

Performance in winter: The results show that electric cars can travel long distances in winter, but with significant variations between models. High-end cars tend to perform better thanks to their large batteries and energy efficiency.

Energy consumption: Energy consumption increases in winter due to cold temperatures and high speeds. Cars with good thermal management and low air resistance, such as the Mercedes-Benz EQS and the Porsche Taycan, showed lower deviations from WLTP values. It is still important to mention that, on average, energy consumption in this test increases by almost 60% compared to WLTP values.

Affordability: Although premium cars dominate the tests, more affordable models such as the VW ID.7 and Tesla Model 3 offer viable and suitable alternatives for long journeys in winter.

Recommendations: We recommend that manufacturers declare ranges in winter conditions and at high speeds, and focus on improving energy efficiency and thermal management. For consumers, it is advisable to precondition the vehicle before driving and to adjust the speed to maximise range.

To understand this ranking, it is not based solely on range but takes several weighted criteria into account. Here are the main factors that influence the ranking:

Range on a full charge (50% of the score): The distance the car can travel on a full battery charge.
Energy consumption (25% of the score): The amount of energy consumed by the car, measured in kWh/100 km, including DC charging losses.
Range recharged in 20 minutes (25% of the score): The distance the car can travel after a 20-minute recharge from a 10% state of charge.

Example of the Porsche Taycan and the Lucid Air

Porsche Taycan:
Range: 504 km
Consumption: 21.4 kWh/100 km
Range recharged in 20 minutes: 370 km

Lucid Air:
Range: 518 km
Consumption: 23.0 kWh/100 km
Range recharged in 20 minutes: 255 km

Although the Lucid Air has a slightly higher range, the Porsche Taycan stands out for its lower energy consumption and better fast-charging performance. These two factors allow it to obtain a better overall rating.

Other examples with more affordable models:

The Tesla Model 3 (423 km) is ranked higher than some cars with a longer range because of its low energy consumption (21.0 kWh/100 km) and good fast charging performance (207 km in 20 minutes).

VW ID.7 Pro S (436 km) also ranks highly thanks to its efficient energy consumption (20.9 kWh/100 km) and good fast-charging performance (261 km in 20 minutes).

Additional technical details

Mercedes-Benz EQS 450+: Consumption of 20.4 kWh/100 km, recharges to 304 km in 20 minutes.
Porsche Taycan: Consumption of 21.4 kWh/100 km, recharges to 370 km in 20 minutes.
Lucid Air: Consumption of 23.0 kWh/100 km, recharges 255 km in 20 minutes.
VW ID.7 Pro S: Consumption of 20.9 kWh/100 km, recharges 261 km in 20 minutes.
Tesla Model 3: Consumption of 21.0 kWh/100 km, recharges 207 km in 20 minutes.
Nio ET5: Consumption of 22.7 kWh/100 km, recharges 239 km in 20 minutes.
Hyundai IONIQ 6: Consumption of 23.8 kWh/100 km, recharges 222 km in 20 minutes.
Kia EV3: Consumption of 24.2 kWh/100 km, recharges 169 km in 20 minutes.
Ford Capri: Consumption of 24.0 kWh/100 km, range of 178 km in 20 minutes.
Cupra Born VZ: Consumption of 25.3 kWh/100 km, range of 201 km in 20 minutes.
Skoda Enyaq 85: Consumption of 25.7 kWh/100 km, recharges 188 km in 20 minutes.
BMW iX: Consumption of 27.4 kWh/100 km, recharges 198 km in 20 minutes.
Audi e-tron GT: Consumption of 27.1 kWh/100 km, recharges 294 km in 20 minutes.
XPeng G6: Consumption of 27.7 kWh/100 km, recharges 231 km in 20 minutes.
Polestar 2: Consumption of 25.0 kWh/100 km, recharges 193 km in 20 minutes.
Lotus Emeya: Consumption of 29.1 kWh/100 km, recharges 289 km in 20 minutes.
Nissan Ariya: Consumption of 28.0 kWh/100 km, recharges 131 km in 20 minutes.
Renault Scenic E-Tech: Consumption of 29.8 kWh/100 km, recharges 122 km in 20 minutes.
GWM ORA 07: Consumption of 26.8 kWh/100 km, recharges 104 km in 20 minutes.
Volvo EC40: Consumption of 30.3 kWh/100 km, recharges 154 km in 20 minutes.
BYD Seal: Consumption of 28.4 kWh/100 km, recharges 140 km in 20 minutes.
Genesis GV60: Consumption of 29.5 kWh/100 km, recharges 195 km in 20 minutes.
Peugeot e-3008: Consumption of 28.5 kWh/100 km, recharges 123 km in 20 minutes.
MG 4: Consumption of 29.8 kWh/100 km, recharges 130 km in 20 minutes.
Toyota bZ4X: Consumption of 25.6 kWh/100 km, recharges 126 km in 20 minutes.

Test methodology

The ADAC test was conducted in the ADAC Electromobility Test Laboratory where all the cars completed a simulated journey from Munich to Berlin at an average temperature of 0°C. The key points of the methodology are as follows:

• Simulated journey: The actual journey on the A9 motorway was recorded and imported into the test bench, including realistic climbs, descents, and traffic conditions.
• Uniform conditions: All cars travelled at identical speeds, unaffected by traffic, wind, weather conditions, or traffic jams.
• Consumption measured: Energy consumption was measured using DC charging, which is more representative of real long-distance driving conditions.
• Comparison with WLTP: The results were compared with WLTP values to assess the deviation in consumption in winter conditions.