Cold weather can reduce electric car battery range by a THIRD, says study trends now
If you're thinking about buying an electric car, you need to know that they do not like Britain's chilly winters and when temperatures drop they will not perform to the levels quoted.
That's according to a new study published this week, just as part of the UK have seen degrees plummet and the arrival of snow.
It found real-world ranges of popular electric vehicles (EVs) can fall by up to a third when it's particularly cold outside.
We explain why electric cars don't perform so well in winter conditions.
Winter woes for some EVs: In a new study looking into the impact of colder temperatures on electric car battery ranges, these five models were found to have the biggest shortfall in real-world conditions compared to official figures
A review of 12 battery-powered cars on sale in Britain today found that the worst fell 32.8 per cent shy of its claimed driving range on a full charge in winter conditions.
The least impressive performer among the selection of EVs was China's new Ora Funky Cat, which starts from £31,995 in the UK.
The study - conducted by consumer magazine What Car? - found it could only go for 130 miles before the battery ran flat. That compares to an 'official' figure of 193 miles, which is based on mandatory laboratory tests of every vehicle before they hit showrooms.
The Ora Funky Cat is one of the latest EVs to hit the UK market. The Chinese supermini is claimed to return 193 miles on a full charge, but this winter test found it only managed 130. That's a shortfall of almost 33%
Did you know that colder temperatures have a major impact on electric car range? What Car? says drivers need to know about the pros and cons of EVs before buying one
Other poor performers in winter include the Renault Megane E-Tech, of which two versions were tested by What Car?.
The plug-in French hatchback was found to fall between 30 and 32 per cent below the claimed battery range in the controlled cold-weather tests.
Another notable EVs tested is the MG4 EV - the cheapest family-size electric car on the market today with prices starting from £26,995.
It has an official range of 270 miles, though when tested by What Car? in winter temperatures was found to run out of juice after only 196 miles - that's a shortfall of 27.6 per cent.
Volkswagen's new retro ID.Buzz MPV, which costs from £58,044 in UK showrooms, should go for 255 miles on a full battery but completed only 196 miles during What Car?'s winter test. That's the equivalent of a decline in range of almost a quarter (24.8 per cent).
What Car? tested two Renault Megane E-Tech crossovers. They were found to miss their official range claims by between 30% and 32% in colder conditions
The Cupra Born - essentially a re-badged VW ID.3 - is claimed to cover 255 miles on a fully charge. However, in winter conditions it could only manage 182 miles before the battery ran out
The MG4 EV is one of the most affordable family-size electric cars on the market, but it also didn't perform well in the winter test. It ran out of range at 196 miles, not the 270 official miles promised
In contrast, the EV model found to get closest to its official range in the cold weather study was the £55,890 Nissan Ariya.
However, even Nissan's latest SUV model was 16 per cent shy of its official range figure, covering 269 miles rather than the 322 suggested in the sales brochure and online.
The £52,990 Tesla Model Y Long Range came second in terms of getting closest to its official range, recording a shortcoming of 17.8 per cent from its official 331 miles, having covered 272 miles before the battery ran out.
Commenting on the study's findings, Will Nightingale from What Car's test team said: 'More and more people own or are considering electric cars, and it's important that they understand the pros and cons of this technology, especially in terms of how far they are likely to go between charges.
'While it's common knowledge that cold weather negatively affects battery performance and efficiency, especially if the car's heating system is in use, What Car?'s Real Range testing is designed to give car buyers the clearest possible understanding of how many miles they will typically be able to cover in wintery British conditions.'
Volkswagen's ID.Buzz has an official range of 255 miles. But in the winter test it could only manage 192. That's a range shortfall of almost 25%
Jaguar's I-Pace costs in excess of £65,000. Yet in winter condition it misses its official range by 24.6%, the study revealed
BMW's i4 saloon has an official full-battery range of 340 miles, but in winter conditions this drops to just 261 miles. That's down 23.4% on what drivers are promised
To ensure the tests were conducted in a controlled manner, all cars were driven at the same time at a test venue chosen to remove any variables that might hinder comparing results.
The 15-mile route simulated
