Trying out an electric vehicle in the Norwegian cold
ILILLEHAMMER, NORWAY n the drive toward electric vehicles, Norway has come to play. Extensive incentives have put this long, narrow taffy pull of a nation at the forefront of the transition from internal combustion cars and trucks to electric vehicles.
More than 80 percent of new car purchases in 2023 have been electric vehicles, far above the mid-teens rate for the European Union and the projected 9 percent in the United States.
So where better to sample the future than on a deep, dark winter vacation to this land of steep fjords, plunging cliffs, cascading waterfalls, multitudinous mountains, and hilly farmland?
Our EV experience started unexpectedly: The Uber driver who collected us at the airport was driving a Tesla — and pleased was he with his vehicle.
Charged overnight, it started the day with a range of some 300 miles and when its battery ran low, could be recharged to an acceptable level in about half an hour, he reported.
EVs and charging stations were in abundance in Oslo, whose metropolitan-area has 1.5 million of Norway’s 5.4 million people. Indeed, the street where we rented an Airbnb had several curbside charging spots. But we were next headed for the sparsely populated village of Snertingdal, about 86 miles north and up in the hills. Were we charging into wintry trouble?
Prompted by some pre-trip reading, we’d gotten pay-by-phone apps for several prominent car-charging chains. Snertingdal, a search revealed, had very limited options, but Gjovik, a town of 30,000 some 14 miles distant, offered a plethora of power purveyors. We had about half a battery’s worth of energy upon our arrival there, which was less reserve than expected, given that our BMW SUV had a supposed range of some 300 miles, assuming non-sporty driving over flat terrain in mild weather. That is, conditions that did not apply to this trip.
Cold weather takes a particular toll on an EV’s charge, and talk of your cold! through the parka’s fold it stabbed like a driven nail/ If our eyes we’d close, then the lashes froze till sometimes we couldn’t see; / It wasn’t much fun, but the only one to whimper was the artist with me.
Ah, sorry, channeling my inner Robert Service. Actually, it wasn’t Arctic cold, but it was well below freezing. After some inaugural fumbling, and with the aid of a friendly attendant, we got our vehicle connected and charging. Half an hour — just the right amount of time for a cafe coffee and snack — brought our rental back to about 75 percent.
Two mornings later, we set off for Lillehammer, the postcard picturesque burg that hosted the 1994 Winter Olympics, about an hour north. There, we made an EV beginner’s blunder. We arrived a little more than 30 percent charged. For the 120-mile trip back to Oslo later that day, we wanted to be north of 85 percent. Seasoned and savvy EV drivers would have found an in-town spot to charge while they shopped and, well, shivered.
We, however, left that task for last. Thus it was that we later found ourselves at a Burger King-based charging complex somewhere between town and the highway as the mercury dropped still further. This time, the charging pace was glacial: An hour and 40 minutes to reach 90 percent. That said, 90 percent turned out to be significantly more than the drive required; safely returned to its airport home, the SUV was still above 30 percent.
That wasn’t the end of our EV experience. Back in New England, we got a Christmas Eve Uber — and again found ourselves in a Tesla, whose Dedham-area driver told us pretty much what our Oslo Uber driver had. With an (economical) overnight electron infusion from his garage charger, he could easily manage a day’s driving, particularly if he carved out a half hour or so to replenish his battery at a reasonably convenient advanced-charging station.
Where does that leave me when it comes to EVs?
Well, the judgment of my Norwegian friend Ole Martin Moen, an auto aficionado, former driving instructor, and erstwhile plow driver of icy fjord roads, makes sense to me: EVs work well for those who dwell in cities and big towns. As for remote rural residents? “If you have just one vehicle, go with a conventional one, but if you can have two cars, have one of each.”
After all, EVs, though more expensive to buy, are cheaper to operate and maintain. That generally translates into savings both in the medium term and over the life of the vehicle, particularly when state and federal incentives are factored in. Still, according to The Wall Street Journal, the American appetite for EVs may be cooling.
So how about you, readers? Do you have an EV? If so, how do the costs compare with those of a traditional vehicle? If not, would you consider an EV for your next vehicle? Why or why not?
Also, for everyone: Are there sufficient EV charging options in your area?
If you’d like to share your experience with or thoughts about EVs, please email me, along with your name, town or region, and age, if you’d like to be quoted in a future column. Thanks — and happy New Year!