New research reveals that electric cars that have heat pumps have a range of up to 10% more than vehicles without these devices.
With colder winter temperatures, drivers of electric vehicles (EVs) may worry about reduced battery range. While it’s true that winter weather impacts battery performance, the idea that EVs can’t handle the cold is outdated thanks to technological advances.
A study by electric vehicle data group Recurrent analyzed data from 18,000 vehicles across 20 models and concluded that the average range of electric vehicles in cold weather is around 80% of its normal capacity.
This value varies depending on whether or not the vehicle is equipped with a heat pumpwhich significantly improves winter performance. Electric vehicles with heat pumps maintain a range on average 10% higher than vehicles without a heat pump.
Vehicles with a heat pump, such as the Tesla Model X (89%), the Tesla Model S with heat pump (88%) and the Audi e-tron (87%) performed best in cold conditions. The Tesla Model X, for example, maintains 470 kilometers of autonomy from its normal 529 kilometers. Other vehicles performing well include the Hyundai Ioniq 5 (85%) and Hyundai Kona (84%).
Some models struggle more with loss of range in winter, especially those that don’t have heat pumps. The Volkswagen ID.4 (63%) has the lowest rating, with its range dropping from 468 kilometers in the Pro S version to just 294 kilometers.
Other low-performing models include the Chevrolet Bolt EV (69%) and Ford Mustang Mach-E (66%). Two General Motors models – the Chevrolet Equinox EV (74%) and the Cadillac Lyriq (72%) – are exceptions, with lower performance despite having heat pumps. Recurrent is investigating why these models perform worse than expected.
Recurrent’s Andrew Garberson noted that while electric vehicle drivers may notice a reduction in range during subzero temperatures, the average U.S. driver travels only about 50 kilometers per day. For most, this means slightly more frequent charging rather than major interruptions.
Modern electric vehicles have systems such as pre-conditioning, which heats the battery before charging, optimizing efficiency. Garberson advises setting charging stations as destinations in a vehicle’s navigation system to enable this functionality.
