German magazine compares real-world electric-car ranges, efficiencies in cold weather

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They left out the Leaf likely because they could only get 2017's at the time of the test and the 2018 is going to be markedly different. They also left out the Tesla Model 3 likely because they're a bit of a unicorn right now. The car they should have tested but for some reason didn't was the BMW i3, which to my knowledge is unchanged for 2018.

The test isn't to see who can go the absolute furthest. It's to replicate how the cars are likely going to be used by the average person, especially one who has never used an EV before. For many if not most EV's the Eco mode limits HVAC usage.

It's interesting to note that the Hyundai Ioniq went just 10 miles short of the e-Golf despite having a 22% smaller battery and is about the same size externally, maybe a bit larger. And how the Renault Zoe had 89% of the Ampera-E (Chevy Bolt)'s range with a battery only about 2/3 as large.
 
RonDawg said:
They left out the Leaf likely because they could only get 2017's at the time of the test and the 2018 is going to be markedly different. They also left out the Tesla Model 3 likely because they're a bit of a unicorn right now. The car they should have tested but for some reason didn't was the BMW i3, which to my knowledge is unchanged for 2018.

The test isn't to see who can go the absolute furthest. It's to replicate how the cars are likely going to be used by the average person, especially one who has never used an EV before. For many if not most EV's the Eco mode limits HVAC usage. <snip>
Right. Eco mode also limits top speed in many BEVs, and as stated in the article speeds were up to 80 mph (I expect it was actually 130km/h, or 80.77 mph).

On a related note,via IEVS see
Tesla Model 3 Range Loss In Bitter Cold – Video
https://insideevs.com/tesla-model-3-range-loss-bitter-cold-video/

and [Model X and LEAF]
Even Negative Temps Don’t Stop Electric Cars – Video
https://insideevs.com/negative-temps-electric-cars-video/
 
LeftieBiker said:
I doubt Eco mode use would have been a problem at all
It certainly does if you want/need to use the HVAC. IIRR, in the LEAF it limits the max. output for those to 1.5kW, versus 6 kW max. in normal mode.

LeftieBiker said:
and I KNOW that leaving the seat heaters on - which most people do - would have been no problem
What many current BEV owners do is almost certainly unrepresentative of what members of the general public will do. In my ICE, I use the seat heater only until the engine warms up, then turn it off and use the cabin heat as I find that to be more comfortable (that it's also more energy efficient in an ICE is a bonus that I'm aware of, but most people probably wouldn't give that a second thought). I doubt that the typical driver would act differently, as they're used to employing space rather than contact heating almost everywhere else in their lives, and because they're used to having 'free' (waste) heat in their cars.
 
It certainly does if you want/need to use the HVAC. IIRR, in the LEAF it limits the max. output for those to 1.5kW, versus 6 kW max. in normal mode.

I've been driving all Winter in Frigid weather, in Eco mode, as usual. It takes longer to warm the car up, but even below Zero it still warms the cabin. They should have warmed all the cars up in Normal, the switched to Eco for the road test portion. Banning Eco mode for a range test is just stupid.
 
LeftieBiker said:
It certainly does if you want/need to use the HVAC. IIRR, in the LEAF it limits the max. output for those to 1.5kW, versus 6 kW max. in normal mode.

I've been driving all Winter in Frigid weather, in Eco mode, as usual. It takes longer to warm the car up, but even below Zero it still warms the cabin. They should have warmed all the cars up in Normal, the switched to Eco for the road test portion. Banning Eco mode for a range test is just stupid.
Not using Eco will be typical for normal drivers who don't spend all their time trying to maximize their range, and who need/want to drive at the speed limit of freeways/autobahns. Can you go 80 mph in Eco? I forget whether or not Eco limits the top speed directly (or indirectly, via lack of power) on the 1st gen LEAF, but it apparently does limit it on the 2nd gen. ISTR most of the cars in the test also do so.
 
RonDawg said:
They left out the Leaf likely because they could only get 2017's at the time of the test and the 2018 is going to be markedly different. They also left out the Tesla Model 3 likely because they're a bit of a unicorn right now. The car they should have tested but for some reason didn't was the BMW i3, which to my knowledge is unchanged for 2018.

The test isn't to see who can go the absolute furthest. It's to replicate how the cars are likely going to be used by the average person, especially one who has never used an EV before. For many if not most EV's the Eco mode limits HVAC usage.

It's interesting to note that the Hyundai Ioniq went just 10 miles short of the e-Golf despite having a 22% smaller battery and is about the same size externally, maybe a bit larger. And how the Renault Zoe had 89% of the Ampera-E (Chevy Bolt)'s range with a battery only about 2/3 as large.


I'm amazed how efficient the Hyundai Ioniq EV is at higher speeds and in cold conditions! I wish they would hurry up and release a version with a bigger battery and actually sell it nationwide in the U.S. If they do it will be my next car when I turn in my Leaf in 2019.
 
41 isn't cold. Maybe for san diego.

I'd rather see the test done properly with legitimate winter conditions. Doesn't have to be -30 F, but 10F would be a great test and each of those cars would do much, much worse. Have them sit for 8 hours, too, so you get a nice cold-soaked battery, climate control has to be on high due to low ambient, and then see how the test goes. This would better approximate somebody who's wondering if they can make it to work and back on a truly cold day.
 
EatsShootsandLeafs said:
41 isn't cold. Maybe for san diego.

I'd rather see the test done properly with legitimate winter conditions. Doesn't have to be -30 F, but 10F would be a great test and each of those cars would do much, much worse. Have them sit for 8 hours, too, so you get a nice cold-soaked battery, climate control has to be on high due to low ambient, and then see how the test goes. This would better approximate somebody who's wondering if they can make it to work and back on a truly cold day.
I'm sure they could do one now, but you can only test with the weather you've got. I'd love to see some mag in the U.S. do a similar test in say Bismarck, N.D. (maybe MSP is more reasonable) in January.
 
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