- Chinese automobile experts drove 67 cars in Inner Mongolia, most of them electric and hybrid cars.
- In what was considered the world’s largest electric vehicle test, the group drove the car in temperatures as low as -22 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Severe weather and poor driving conditions negatively impacted the driving range of all electric vehicles.
The world’s largest winter test of electric vehicles has just concluded in China, and the results show how extreme cold affects driving range. Chinese electric cars dominate the global rankings, but an American and a Japanese model still occupy the top ten.
Testing was conducted by Automated houseChina’s largest automotive media outlet, which drove nearly 67 new electric and hybrid vehicles to Yakishi, Inner Mongolia. There, about 100 automotive experts subjected the vehicles to rigorous tests examining their range, charging performance, drivability on icy surfaces, acceleration and safety tests.
Photo by: Auto Home
Overall, Chinese electric cars have largely outperformed Tesla Model Y, The model is yall And even Model 3. However, the Tesla electric sedan managed to land in the top 10 for range retention, despite temperatures dropping below freezing, which ranged between 14°F and -22°F in some cases.
The problem is that electric car batteries are not at their best when the mercury level drops. Batteries don’t like to be cold. Modern electric cars are still designed to withstand extreme cold, with sophisticated thermal management systems and wide operating temperature windows, but today’s lithium-ion chemistry still has inherent limitations. These limits became more apparent in the lower driving range, where the car has to expend a significant portion of its energy just to warm up its battery. (Gasoline cars They are not immune From reduced efficiency in harsh winters as well.)
One of the main goals of this test was to measure how much range EVs can maintain in extreme cold compared to the manufacturer’s estimated numbers. Almost every vehicle saw a sharp reduction in its range. Most of them have lost more than half of their claimed range, which frankly shouldn’t surprise anyone.
The cold temperature increases the viscosity (or thickness) of the electrolyte inside lithium-ion batteries, which is the liquid chemical that allows ions to move around during charging and discharging. This creates some internal resistance in the battery which slows the movement of ions. As a result, the battery has to work harder just to keep the wheels turning, resulting in increased power consumption. It should also use a heat pump or resistive heater to keep its battery hot.
It’s also worth noting that the testing was different from the 60-70 mph highway range testing we’re used to seeing in the US. Testers appear to have run the tests at around 70-80 kilometers per hour (43-49 mph), which is more in line with average driving speeds in China. However, icy surfaces and sub-zero temperatures meant the batteries were under extreme stress regardless.
In the end, sedans emerged as the clear winner, thanks to their superior aerodynamics and lower weight. the Exping P7 It came out on top, covering 366.7 kilometers (227 miles) on a full charge, while maintaining approximately 53.9% of the CLTC’s 680 kilometers (422 miles) range. the Yanguang U7 achieved 51.8% of its original range, followed by Zakr 001 By 49.6%.
Photo by: Auto Home
Tesla Model 3 and Nissan N7 The top five were rounded out, maintaining between 48% and 47.4% of their estimated range. It is interesting that New Mercedes-Benz CLA It was well short of the CLTC’s range of 866 kilometers (566 miles), lagging behind Tesla and other Chinese EVs, and retained only 37% of its claimed range under the tough test. This is a bit disappointing given that they are among the newest and most advanced electric cars in this group.
Again, don’t be fooled by these EVs’ extremely low range numbers. Mongolia’s harsh weather, strong winds, unpaved surfaces and the fact that testers kept the cabins warm meant that testing conditions were different from typical winter driving roads.
Photo by: Auto Home
The long-wheelbase Tesla Model YL, as well as the regular version, ranked 29th and 31st on the leaderboard, maintaining around 35.2% and 36.1% of its claimed range. That’s respectable actually, given that the Chinese SUVs they were facing were far superior. The Xiaomi SU7, Aito M7 and Nio ES8 all performed better than Tesla, each retaining more than 40% of their CLTC range.
Another obvious metric is energy consumption per 100 km (62 miles). In this category, smaller, more affordable EVs outperform their heavier counterparts, thanks to their lower weight and simpler construction. The BYD Seagull and Geely Xingyuan tied for the top, consuming about 23.5 kilowatt-hours of electricity to cover 62 miles, or about 2.6 miles per kilowatt-hour. The BYD Seal 06 (24.6 kWh), Wuling Bingo S (24.9 kWh) and Tesla Model 3 (24.9 kWh) completed the top five in this test. This is a strong showing for all the cars here, under the extreme conditions.
Photo by: Auto Home
While Chinese electric cars are all in a class of their own, the results confirm that the Model 3 is still one of the most efficient electric cars on the planet.
Do you have any advice? Contact the author: suvrat.kothari@insideevs.com
