First loading in Thuringia (Schwabhausen), after 233 kilometers drive.
Image: Boris Schmidt
Cold costs range? We put it to the test and drove 2,300 kilometers in sub-zero temperatures in an electric Genesis SUV. It is doable, but rather tedious.
EIt was winter again in Germany. And in a frosty week of all days, a big tour with an electric car is coming up. It is known that the ranges go down in the cold, but not a big factor as long as you are only driving in the region. Low temperatures slow down the chemical processes and the battery becomes less efficient. Incidentally, this starts at less than 10 degrees. The car manufacturers are of course aware of the problem and are working to counteract it, heating the battery and isolating it particularly well.
Because the battery generates almost no waste heat, this heating, like that of the interior, costs energy and therefore range. Depending on the model and manufacturer, a range loss of 15 to 30 or even more percent can be expected in cool temperatures. The Mercedes EQE, which was described last week, was also well above the values that would be expected in summer with an average consumption of 28.4 kWh per 100 kilometers.