AUTOMOTIVE
THE COLD HARD FACTS ABOUT EVs
Some electrical vehicles deal with the cold much better than others, according to a first-in-Canada independent test of EV winter performance.
By Graham Heeps
Thirteen EV models were tested on a drive from Ottawa to Mont-Tremblant, Que. | PHOTO: COURTESY OF AMA
YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE NOTICED IT, but your vehicle uses more energy in winter than in summer. A gasoline-powered car or truck consumes 15 percent more fuel at –7°C than at 25°C, according to Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), quoting data from the U.S. Department of Energy. In winter, it takes longer for an engine to warm to its most efficient operating temperature, and heating the vehicle cabin consumes power that is not used for driving. There is also more energy-sapping friction in the powertrain.
Electric vehicles also use more energy when it’s cold outside. NRCan publishes official EV range figures, but reliable independent information on how winter conditions affect EV performance is scarce. In a 2024 CAA poll of Canadian EV owners, more than 65 percent reported lower battery range in extreme cold weather. Given our often-challenging winter climate, it’s no surprise that more than two-thirds of Canadians polled by CAA said that range-drop during winter is a major deterrent to buying an EV.
In February this year, CAA clubs from across the country, including AMA, organized a winter test of 13 EV models representing more than two-thirds of Canadian EV sales. The electric cars and trucks were driven from Ottawa to Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, in temperatures that ranged between –7°C and –15°C. Each was driven until it ran out of power. CAA recovery teams and mobile charging units were on hand to rescue the vehicles.
I was at the wheel of a 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 5, accompanied by two representatives from CAA clubs to assist with navigation and data logging. As with all the participating vehicles, the drive began in an underground parkade, where the battery had been charged overnight, and the cabin could stay warmer than the outside temperature of –8°C. The car had also avoided the previous day’s heavy snowfall (snow buildup increases weight and drag, impacting vehicle range).
We started with a displayed predicted range of 335 kilometres — which is way down from NRCan’s 410 kilometres — and headed out of Ottawa. The route was mostly made up of highways and main roads, with generally good traffic.
To control the test conditions, we followed certain rules whenever safely possible. This included remaining within 5 kilometres/hour of the speed limit; avoiding sudden acceleration or braking; setting the heater to 21°C and at the defrost mode/feet position; and not using cruise control nor the heated steering wheel and seats. There were no on-the-fly changes to regenerative braking settings, and regular driving techniques were employed rather than extreme energy-saving.
We logged data every 50 kilometres — distance covered, battery state-of-charge, indicated remaining range, time and outside temperature.
“I LEARNED THAT FOR THE MOST PART IN ANY EV, ZERO MEANS ZERO.”
The drive was uneventful until after the lunch break, when we started to hear reports of low-power warnings from cars ahead. Soon, we too were down to 10 percent of battery capacity with an indicated 26 kilometres left to run. At 5 percent, the car kicked into power-limited “turtle” mode but would still accelerate slowly to 60 km/h.
By the time the battery had depleted to 1 percent charge, the available power was much reduced. We were crawling along, keeping to the side of the road to let others by. The display was already showing 0 percent charge and 0 kilometres remaining when we reached a steep hill. Having lost all speed, it felt for a moment like the Hyundai wouldn’t make it to the top. But it did, and we pulled off into a parking lot, where the car eventually stopped.
Fully draining an EV drive battery may shorten its life, but our test showed other reasons why driving to the end of the battery capacity is not recommended. Those final few kilometres were a little sketchy. Driving slower than other traffic or becoming stranded at the roadside are safety risks, especially on faster, busier roads. We were fortunate that a recovery truck could respond immediately to our call, so we didn’t get cold waiting in the car. Soon we were being hauled to a nearby DC fast charger.
The IONIQ 5 had managed to drive a short distance at an indicated 0 kilometre range. Most combustion-engine vehicles have around 50 kilometres of fuel reserve once the needle falls to 0, but a glance across the EV test fleet showed no consistent pattern. The Tesla Model 3, driven by the AMA team, ran 25 kilometres on an indicated 0 percent charge, but the Ford F-150 Lightning displayed no reduced-power warning and died the second it hit 0 percent.
“I learned that, for the most part, in an EV, zero means zero,” says Colin Fritz, associate vice president of automotive operations. “If you’re running out of gas, then you can at least continue at full speed and get off the highway. That’s not going to happen in an EV.”
By the time we stopped, the Hyundai had travelled 307 kilometres (at an average of 23.4 kWh/100 km), a little less than the 335 kilometres predicted when we started out, and 25 percent less than the official range of 410 kilometres. That placed it seventh of the 13 vehicles tested in terms of percentage range lost. The Chevrolet Silverado EV pickup and Polestar 2 topped the chart, each down only 14 percent, while the Toyota bZ4X and Volvo XC40 Recharge were at the bottom of the standings, with 37 percent and 39 percent of range lost, respectively.
The next morning, CAA conducted a cold-weather fast-charging test. In its recent EV ownership survey, 4 in 10 EV drivers told CAA that significantly slower charging in extremely cold weather is a problem, with 53 percent preferring their gas vehicle for long trips in such conditions. This charging test attempted to assess the scale of the problem.
The plaudits here went to Tesla and Chevrolet. The Model 3 added 205 kilometres worth of charge in 15 minutes, followed by 199 kilometres for the Silverado EV — which achieved the fastest average rate of charge, 233 kW — and 131 kilometres for the Equinox EV. Charging at an average of 80 kW, our IONIQ 5 added only 64 kilometres in 15 minutes. The slowest-charging cars were the Kia Niro EV (35 kilometres) and Toyota bZ4X (19 kilometres).
As with the drop-off in cold-weather range, the charging results varied widely between vehicles. If you’re looking to buy an EV and intend to use it through the winter, be sure to do your research and check whether the effective winter range and charging speed will meet your needs — especially if you are planning a lot of long journeys. Battery preconditioning will help increase the rate of charge.
“The vast difference in results highlights the importance of truth in advertising when it comes to EV range and comparing numbers if winter performance matters to you,” says Fritz. “CAA/AMA would like to see a made-in-Canada, standardized labelling system for EVs that includes winter driving performance, rather than just a single average.” AMA
REALLY DEAD
This EV test highlighted the importance of knowing what to do if your EV runs out of power. When the Tesla Model 3 the AMA team was driving stopped after 410 kilometres, the manual door releases enabled the occupants to exit, but its low-voltage battery was too flat to open the charge-port door for the drive battery to be charged. The recovery team had to first boost the low-voltage battery, using the terminals that pull through the tow-eye cover on the front of the car, then open the charge-port cover.
