In general Li ion batteries lose about 40% charge efficiency in normal cold weather. It’s up to the car’s systems to keep the batteries heated to reduce that, at the cost of constant power draw. In our experience with similar weather it’s not far off, and for safety reasons we just assume half the battery is lost during winter driving. Mountains add into that, but aren’t ultimately super extreme.
Yes, but the power draw of those systems are less than the 40% figure you cited. Anyone who lives somewhere cold and doesn’t get a heat pump on their battery is stupid, and not a fair comparison. As I mentioned, the battery life is closer to losing 10% than 40% in real life tests of the vehicles, and that lines up with my experiences.
Kona Electric wins Norwegian real-range validation test
The Norwegian Automotive Federation (NAF) recently compared 20 EVs in cold and warm weather conditions to identify models with the most consistent driving range and charging performance. The test monitored the performance deviation of each vehicle in cold conditions compared to quoted manufacturer figures.
The Kona Electric took first place, travelling 405km in the cold – compared to the 449km quoted under WLTP combined cycle testing conditions (23°C / 73°F). In severe cold weather, the Kona Electric offered 91 percent of its WLTP combined cycle range, deviating just 9 percent from its claimed all-electric driving range.
In general Li ion batteries lose about 40% charge efficiency in normal cold weather. It’s up to the car’s systems to keep the batteries heated to reduce that, at the cost of constant power draw. In our experience with similar weather it’s not far off, and for safety reasons we just assume half the battery is lost during winter driving. Mountains add into that, but aren’t ultimately super extreme.
Yes, but the power draw of those systems are less than the 40% figure you cited. Anyone who lives somewhere cold and doesn’t get a heat pump on their battery is stupid, and not a fair comparison. As I mentioned, the battery life is closer to losing 10% than 40% in real life tests of the vehicles, and that lines up with my experiences.
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