Cold weather can put freeze on electric vehicles

By Al Beeber - Lethbridge Herald on February 15, 2025.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDabeeber@lethbridgeherald.com

Just like it can sap the energy of humans, cold weather impacts electric vehicles.

Depending upon the EV model, freezing temperatures can cut range by as much as 40 per cent. For cold weather climates, this can be problematic for drivers who regularly traverse long distances.

And while charging systems are growing, anxiety range – in winter at least – can be a perception that may discourage buyers.

A recent study by the Canadian Automobile Association in partnership with the Alberta Motor Association shows that range anxiety in cold temperatures is a real issue.

Earlier this month 14 electric vehicles representing two thirds of Canadian sales were driven in sub-zero temperatures from the nation’s capital Ottawa to Mont. Tremblant, Que. Among those were seven of the 10 top Canadian sellers.

The test measured how many kilometres the vehicles would run before their batteries died and how long it took to recharge them to a reasonable level. Many tests conducted by auto reviewers focus on the time required to charge a vehicle from 10 to 80 per cent capacity.

That same test was conducted by the CAA.

Results of resting were compared to the estimated vehicle range that is published by Natural Resources Canada.

Vehicle buyers can find estimates for vehicles online at the NRC website, fcr-ccc.nrcan.gc.ca

The winter test showed the vehicles’ actual range was between 14 and 39 per cent lower than their posted estimated range.

The Chevrolet Silverado (which has a twin in the GMC Sierra EV) and Polestar 2 (Polestar being an EV brand owned by Volvo) both had range just 14 per cent below estimates.

But some models only reached two-thirds of their range, according to test results.

In the charging test, vehicles on average managed to add 100 kilometres of range during a 15 minute session which is equivalent to about 28 per cent of battery charge.

The Tesla Model 3 had the best charging result, adding more than 200 kms in 15 minutes. The worst result was by the Toyota bZ4X which managed to add only 19 kms in 15 minutes.

Not only did the Silverado achieve 456 kms range, compared to its official 724 km estimate, it also added 199 kms of range in 15 minutes. The Tesla Model 3 drove 410 kms before the battery died, down from its 584 km range. The Polestar 2 had range of 384 kms, compared to a 444 km range.

In fourth spot was the Kia EV9 with range of 349 kms while the Volkswagen ID.4 finished fifth at 338 kms range.

The Chevrolet Equinox had the sixth best range at 337 kms, followed by the Ford Mustang Mach-E (334 kms), Honda Prologue (also 334 kms but with a shorter total estimated range), In ninth was the Ford F-150 Lightning at 296 kms followed by the Kia Niro EV (285 kms), Hyundai Ioniq 5 (262 kms), Toyota bZ4X (255 kms) and Volvo XC40 Recharge (248 kms).

In the 15-minute test, the Chevrolet Equinox finished third with 131 kms added in 15 minutes.

Colin Fritz, associate vice president of operations for the AMA, told The Herald in a phone interview Wednesday the test was conducted in temperatures of -10C. He would like to see the test conducted again next year in this province on a route from Calgary to Jasper to see how the range would be during an Alberta winter.

To some degree, he was surprised by the results, but Fritz noted “this is Version 2 of electric vehicles versus Version 40 of standard automobiles.”

Fritz drove the Tesla from a full charge to empty and while its range was decent, to lose 30 per cent in cold temperatures wasn’t so great, he said.

In general, “to see that loss of range is quite dramatic,” Fritz said of the results.

But their performance in cold weather shouldn’t necessarily be a deterrent for buyers, Fritz suggested. Unless people are regularly driving 200 kms a day, range won’t be an issue. The problem, he said, is with the amount of charging infrastructure and the speed of charging.

As prices drop, Fritz believes EVs will be a good value proposition for buyers. From his perspective, a mindset shift will be needed as buyers move to an EV. People now are accustomed to filling up a tank of gas in five to six minutes and can be confident a filling station is not far away, no matter where they travel. That isn’t yet the situation with the EV charging network.

And while Alberta isn’t in the country’s basement when it comes to charging infrastructure, it isn’t far off, said Fritz, who gives credit to SouthGrow Regional Initiative for its efforts to develop the EV charging system in southern Alberta.

“Southern Alberta is the leader. When you think about even solar, all of that stuff that ties together is that you guys are in a prime market which is why SouthGrow came. That was kind of the first network for tying a big part of Alberta together. That’s driven by the municipalities in southern Alberta. So they’re the real leaders from Medicine Hat to Lethbridge and that around electric vehicle adoption,” said Fritz.

“To me it comes back to use case,” he said of an EV purchase.

For people who use a vehicle for urban or suburban use, all the vehicles in the test would be suitable, he said.

“From the testing we got, it was a comfortable ride in that the majority can get you decent kilometres. For Albertans to figure out is we don’t still know how it’s going to go in deep, deep Alberta cold but what we can see is it’s still going to get you quite a bit of range and be able to solve your daily needs,” added Fritz.

And EV owners need to plan their routes, knowing in advance what the infrastructure is so they can reach their destinations.