Electric cars in winter

Electric cars in winter

Long distances in cold temperatures and at higher speeds are a real challenge for purely electrically powered vehicles. The ÖAMTC, together with its German partner club ADAC, tested 25 long-distance electric cars whose WLTP range is specified as at least 500 kilometers. In order to create exactly the same conditions, all vehicles were sent to the test bench in the ADAC test laboratory on the over 580 kilometer long, simulated motorway route between Munich and Berlin (including realistic traffic conditions, inclines, descents, etc.).

Clear test winner

Only one vehicle, the Mercedes EQS 450+, completed the entire distance on a single battery charge. "It's remarkable that this car can be recharged for over 300 kilometers in 20 minutes. And: at just 20.4 kWh/100 km, its long-distance consumption is lower than any other vehicle in the test," summarizes ÖAMTC technician Christian Klejna. This means that the luxury sedan receives a “very good” rating and is the clear test winner, ahead of the Porsche Taycan, which also received a “very good” rating and scores with low consumption (21.4 kWh/100 km) and excellent charging performance (370 kilometers in 20 minutes). Its range with a full battery: 504 kilometers.

No insufficient

Poor long-distance suitability in winter was not found in any of the tested vehicles: All cars can be driven for at least two hours under the challenging test conditions before a charging stop is necessary - which is why no candidate was rated “insufficient”. However, there were several "enough" ones, as Christian Klejna explains: "In some vehicles, the consumption of around 30 kWh/100 km was so high that they had to be recharged three times on the simulated test route in order to reach the target. This category includes, among others, the Volvo EC40 SM ER, the Peugeot e-3008 version 210 and - at the bottom - the MG 4 ER, where the weaknesses in the heating system in particular drive up consumption."

Range costs

The long-distance models from Lucid (Air Grand Touring AWD), VW (ID.7 Pro S), NIO (ET5 LR), Tesla (Model 3 MR RWD) and Audi (E-tron S GT quattro) were rated “good”. At just under 45,000 euros, the Tesla is a comparatively cheap alternative, the same applies to the Cupra Born VZ and Skoda Enyaq Coupé 85, which were rated “satisfactory”. “The bottom line is that with the Tesla you can cover 580 kilometers in winter with a 20-minute charging stop, with the other two vehicles it takes two stops,” explains Klejna. In general, long ranges have their price, as the ÖAMTC expert notes: "The top three in the test - but also some of the slightly weaker candidates - cost six-figure amounts. There is a lot of luxury and batteries with over 100 kWh - but you should think carefully about whether this is really necessary for your own driving profile, given the high costs. In the cheaper vehicles, the battery is usually smaller, but they often score points in terms of consumption." The price range for the long-distance electric cars tested here is from around 43,000 to almost 130,000 euros.