Tesla Model S battery tech shines in the cold

Real-world testing has exposed how cold weather impacts the range of the 28 best-selling EVs in Europe, revealing that the Tesla Model S Standard Range is least affected by plummeting temperatures.

According to Norwegian website Motor.no, in temperatures as low as -19C the Tesla Model S Standard Range drops from a claimed 634km (WLTP) to 530km – a respectable drop of only 16 per cent.

In the test the large American electric sedan, which remains unavailable to order in Australia, was beaten by just one car, the Maxus Euniq 6 that has been on sale since 2019 and is produced by Chinese car-maker SAIC.

It shrugged-off the freezing temperatures and managed to cover up to 317km between top-ups – just 10 per cent less than its 354km WLTP claim.

The worst offender in the cold was the upcoming Toyota bZ4X (2WD), which has a respectable 503km WLTP-verified range but could only manage 323km in the hands of motor.no during cold-weather testing – a huge drop of 35 per cent.

Other poor performers were the Skoda Enyaq Coupe RS (-34 per cent) and the Mercedes-Benz EQE (-33 per cent).

Solid performers in the test included the MG Marvel R (-17 per cent), Kia EV6 GT (-18 per cent) and the Tesla Model X Plaid (-18 per cent).

As part of the test, all 28 cars were driven on a route that began in Oslo. During the testing each vehicle was kept to the speed limit, used regen braking and drove in its eco-mode without using driving aids such as cruise control.

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