How different electric vehicles perform in cold weather, according to one analysis

CTV QP: Sunday Strategy Session on new plant Strategists discuss Canada’s investment in a new Volkswagen battery plant in Ontario and why the move was necessary.

Large swaths of Canada and the northern U.S. will be hit by energy-sapping cold weather this week.

Electronics, including cell phones, digital cameras and laptops, lose some of their power in cold temperatures, and the same can be said for electric vehicles (EVs). According to RecurrentAuto.com, some EVs can lose up to 160 kilometres or 35 per cent of their range in cold temperatures.

This happens for a few reasons, Recurrent's battery scientist Jon Witt said in a company blog post. One factor is the physical and chemical reactions in the battery slow down in cold temperatures, reducing an EV's power.

The other factor is that EVs need to work harder than those with internal combustion engines to heat themselves. Internal combustion engines produce a lot of extra heat that is wasted in the summer, but which can be re-directed to warm the cabin in the winter. EV motors are more efficient, and the little heat generated by the motor is used to warm the battery. Cabin heating, in turn, relies on power drawn from the battery, which further reduces the battery's charge.

On the flipside, lithium-ion batteries like those used in most EVs work so well in warm temperatures that they actually degrade more quickly. Temperature affects the rate of chemical reactions inside a battery; so the higher the temperature, the faster the reactions, the more energy produced, and the faster the degradation.

Not many Canadians need to worry about those warmer climes right now, with bitterly cold temperatures forecast across the country this week. However, it could be helpful to know how to get the most out of an EV's battery for the future, since Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault proposed new regulations on Wednesday that would make it mandatory for one-fifth of all passenger cars, SUVs and trucks sold in Canada in 2026 to run on electricity.

By 2030, that proportion will rise to 60 per cent of all sales. By 2035, every passenger vehicle sold in Canada will need to be electric. The purpose of the mandate is to ensure Canadians have better access to electric vehicles, Guilbeault's parliamentary secretary Julie Dabrusin said during Wednesday's announcement.

The graphic below and information about how some of the most popular EV models perform in cold weather compared to the manufacturers' listed range was provided by Recurrent. The full report can be found here.

Disclaimer: Numbers in the graphic will differ from the data below because, while the graphic shows the cold-weather range loss for each vehicle as a percentage of the range at 70 F (21 C), the reporting below lists the cold-weather range as a percentage of the manufacturer’s listed range. 

Audi e-tron winter range

Model or trim: Premium plus

Observed range at -6.67 to -1 C: 93 per cent of original range

Observed range at 21C: 101 per cent of original range

BMW i3 winter range

Model or trim: 42 kWh battery

Observed range at -6.7 to -1 C: 74 per cent of original range

Observed range at 21C: 98 per cent of original range

Chevy Bolt winter range

Model or trim: 60 kWh battery

Observed range at -6.7 to -1 C: 66 per cent of original range

Observed range at 21C: 98 per cent of original range

Chevy Volt winter range

Model or trim: 18.4 kWh battery

Observed range at -6.7 to -1 C: 69 per cent of original range

Observed range at 21C: 100 per cent of original range

Ford Mustang Mach-E winter range

Model or trim: Premium AWD

Verified range at -6.7 to -1 C: 65 per cent of original range

Observed range at 21C: 95 per cent of original range

Hyundai Kona Electric winter range

Observed range at -6.7 to -1 C: 93 per cent of original range

Observed range at 21C: 112 per cent of original range

Jaguar I-PACE winter range

Observed range at -6.7 to -1 C: 97 per cent of original range

Observed range at 21C: 100 per cent of original range

Nissan LEAF winter range

Model or trim: SL/SV Plus 62 kWh battery

Observed range at -6.7 to -1 C: 54 per cent of original range

Observed range at 21C: 75 per cent of original range

Tesla Model 3 winter range

Model or trim: Long range

Observed range at -6.7 to -1 C: 44 per cent of original range

Observed range at 21C: 62 per cent of original range

Tesla Model Y winter range

Model or trim: Long range AWD

Observed range at -6.7 to -1 C: 49 per cent of original range

Observed range at 21C: 64 per cent of original range

Tesla Model S winter range

Model or trim: 75D

Observed range at -6.7 to -1 C: 45 per cent of original range

Observed range at 21C: 63 per cent of original range

Tesla Model X winter range

Model or trim: 75D

Observed range at -6.7 to -1 C: 48 per cent of original range

Observed range at 21C: 61 per cent of original range

VW e-Golf winter range

Model or trim: 36 kWh battery

Observed range at -6.7 to -1 C: 88 per cent of original range

Observed range at 21C: 111 per cent of original range

VW ID.4 winter range

Model or trim: 82 kWh battery

Observed range at -6.7 to -1 C: 65 per cent of original range

Observed range at 21C: 95 per cent of original range

– With files from The Canadian Press