When the winter cold sets in, the media are out with bold headlines. DinSide/Dagbladet has warned readers that the winter range may drop by half. In last year's cold test, the Tesla 3 ended up with only 53% of the stated range. Don't be intimidated!
No exact science
Official range figures (WLTP Combined) measure range under ideal conditions that are not affected by external circumstances. Out on the road, on the other hand, it is rare to achieve equally good ranges. It doesn't take more than a wet road surface before you notice it on the range. I have driven quite a few different electric cars. My experience is that real range under favorable conditions is about 4/5ths of the official figures, but that is before the "range thieves" appear. Cold steals range - but not as bad as Dinside/Dagbladet reports.
From Dinside/Dagbladet's test...
DinSide/Dagbladet tested the Tesla 3 together with other cars in 2020. The outside temperature was "only" -9 degrees. During the first 10 kilometers, the heater, defroster and seat heating were used as normal. The average speed was 75 km/h. The 2020 version of the Tesla 3 has a stated range of 560 km. The test revealed that the real winter range was only 301 km. Newer Tesla 3s delivered in 2021 are equipped with a heat pump. This provides better winter range. But the lack of a heat pump can hardly be the cause of the large capacity loss.
Not normal
I often drive the Tesla Model 3 in the cold and can honestly say that I have never experienced the same range loss on long drives in the winter cold that DinSide/Dagbladet writes about. It is certainly possible but far from normal. The results published in Dagbladet give a tabloid impression of electric cars and the cold that electric car owners do not recognize.
A more nuanced picture
This week I measured consumption between Fornebu and Øyer - a stretch of around 20 miles that I drive often. I chose to drive National Highway 4 via Gjøvik, where the typical average speed is 75 km/h. The trip started in a heated garage. Between Nittedal and Øyer the temperature gradually dropped from -10 to -13. The average consumption in the last 50 km was 15.8 Kwh/100 km. Given the same consumption further up the valley, the calculated winter range would end up at a decent 443 km.
Home Tour
Two days later I started the journey home in -19 degrees. The car was heated to 20 degrees with preheating of the batteries. You should preheat until the ice crystal symbol on the screen disappears. It is not switched off until the temperature inside the batteries reaches 19 degrees - which usually takes half an hour. I plotted Tesla's Supercharger on Øyer as the first destination. Then the batteries were automatically preheated before arrival. On Øyer, the outside temperature was -11 degrees. From 40 to 70% battery capacity, the car received a charge of 56 Kw after a few seconds. Not great - but normal when several cars are waiting for charging.
When I moved on, the average consumption was high – 26.1 Kwh/100 km. That worried me a bit. With such high consumption, the range would end at a measly 280 km - i.e. worse than what Dinside/Dagbladet achieved. The temperature stayed at -11 along highway 4 all the way to Nittedal. Consumption dropped to around 17.5 Kwh/100 km and ended up at 13.9 Kwh/100 km in the last 50 km. Calculated winter range was 401 km - completely in line with what I have experienced previously.
If I had finished the "test" after 50 km, I would have ended up at a calculated (not real) level like DinSide/Dagbladet. That would have given a false picture of the Tesla 3's winter range.
Updated 01.02.2022: - Don't be intimidated by the tabloid press, which last autumn published headlines based on DinSide/Dagbladet's previous tests. Motor.no has recently presented the results of a thorough winter test of the range of electric cars. They give an impression that electric car owners can more easily identify with, even though Motor's testers have probably driven far more economically than the rest of us. Read the test in Motor
The Range Thieves
As mentioned, calculating range is not an exact science. Why did I achieve a higher winter range than DinSide/Dagbladet? Speed and temperatures were the same. Could Dagbladet's test have started before the battery had reached the correct working temperature? Was the total range calculated based on the very first few miles? In that case, I would have gotten the same result, but it would not show real winter range on long-distance driving . In any case, there are several other factors that can steal range. Here are the "range thieves":
Speed and driving style
On the route between Oslo and Biri, you can choose between driving the E6 or national highway 4. The E6 consists of a motorway where you can drive much faster than on national highway 4. I have experienced that speeds between 100-120 km/h drain the batteries about as much as degrees Celsius. The combination of high speed and freezing temperatures will therefore drain the batteries at record speed!
Outside temperature
There is a direct correlation between outside temperature and range. Firstly, batteries lose capacity in the cold. In addition, the batteries take longer to receive a charge, which means that they are not supplied with regenerative energy while driving. Before you set off on a long trip, it is important to preheat the batteries. Check the options for preheating and start this from the app well in advance of departure. The pre-heating steals electricity, but you get it back on the trip.
Air conditioning
Be and lead
On the way home, there was salt over Lygna and inwards towards Oslo. Salt provides a wet road surface that reduces range compared to dry winter roads. Sleet and snow reduce range even more.
Winter tires
If you ordered the Tesla 3 with studless winter tires (2020), you got the Nokian Hakkapelitta R3. This is one of the winter tires with the lowest rolling resistance. It still has more rolling resistance than the original summer tyres. Studded tires have higher rolling resistance than studless tires. Anyone who rides a bike with studded tires knows how they suck energy. My winter wheels are 18 inches. 19 inches looks better but gives higher rolling resistance. In a Tesla forum I saw that 19-inch summer tires gave an increased consumption of 2,3% compared to 18-inchers.
Tire pressure
In extreme winter cold the tire pressure can drop. After two days in 17-20 degrees below zero, the tire pressure on my car had dropped by 0,1 bar (2 psi). Often the tire pressure increases when the tires hit the road, so I figured I would get the tire pressure back on the trip. It didn't happen. The lost air had to be replenished. Some say that you should increase the air pressure in the winter tires compared to what the car manufacturer says. I've done that and may have gotten better range, but shortened the life of the tires. All in all no financial profit,
Conclusion
Measuring range on real roads can never be an exact science. Sometimes you wonder where the range went? That's just how it is. What amazes me is how much range disappears at high speeds. Cold, on the other hand, has never produced any negative experiences. I have driven several different electric cars in the winter cold - also cars with a low range. They have withstood the cold far better than I expected.
It is based on my own experiences not normally to have the range halved in degrees Celsius without there being other factors that steal range. The best advice I can give is to familiarize yourself with the app and preheating - and use it if the car is not plugged in. The pre-heating steals a few percent of the battery capacity and can delay the departure, but in return the batteries will give significantly better winter range.
Sources. The articles below are from Dagbladet and may be hidden behind a paywall.
DinSide/Dagbladet 2021 - That's how short electric cars go in the cold
DinSide/Dagbladet 2020 - These electric cars can handle the winter best
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