Why electric cars can do a THIRD less mileage in winter than claimed
THE distance electric cars can travel in winter with a fullycharged battery is up to a third less than advertised, an investigation has found.
Tests by What Car? revealed that differences between the actual and official manufacturer’s range can be up to 60 miles.
The magazine warned motorists the biggest discrepancy came from The Funky Cat First edition model by Chinese carmaker ora. it did just 130 miles before stopping, some 33 per cent below the stated figure of 193 miles.
Renault’s Megane e-Tech had the second largest difference at 32 per cent.
The car that got closest to its advertised range was the nissan Ariya, with a discrepancy of 16 per cent.
The Tesla Model Y was in second place at 18 per cent. What Car? tested a dozen electric vehicles in cold weather. All were fully charged and left outside overnight in temperatures ranging from 0C (32F) to 2C (35.6F), before being driven at a test venue on different types of road until they stopped.
Will nightingale, who leads the test team for What Car?, said: ‘ More and more people own or are considering electric cars, and it’s important that they understand the pros and cons of this technology, especially in terms of how far they are likely to go between charges.
‘While it’s common knowledge that cold weather negatively affects battery performance and efficiency – especially if the car’s heating system is in use – What Car?’s real range testing is designed to give car buyers the clearest possible understanding of how many miles they will typically be able to cover in wintry British conditions.
‘Despite falling short of their official figures, it’s still clear that many of these electric cars have the advantage of being cheaper to run than petrol or diesel equivalents, assuming you can charge at home.’
Sales of new petrol and diesel cars and vans in the UK will be banned from 2030. More than a fifth of new cars sold in the UK last year were plug-in vehicles.
‘Cold weather affects batteries’