67 electric vehicles were tested for autonomy in sub-zero conditions. Here’s where Teslas ranked

Dozens of modern electric vehicles have been tested in freezing temperatures in Mongolia. Here’s how they ranked.

• Chinese automotive experts drove 67 cars in Inner Mongolia, mostly electric and hybrid vehicles.

• In what was the world’s largest EV test, the group drove in temperatures as low as -22 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Extreme weather and poor driving conditions have adversely affected the driving range of all electric vehicles.

The world’s largest electric vehicle winter test has just finished in China, and the results show just how much the cold punishes range. Chinese electric vehicles dominated the ranking, but an American and a Japanese model still made the top ten.

The test was carried out by AutohomeChina’s largest automotive media channel, which drove around 67 new electric and hybrid vehicles to Yakeshi, Inner Mongolia. There, around 100 car experts put the vehicles through rigorous tests to examine their range, load performance, ability to drive on icy surfaces, acceleration and safety tests.

Overall, the Chinese electric vehicles far outperformed the Tesla Model Y, Model YL, and even the Model 3. However, Tesla’s electric sedan managed to land in the top ten for driving range despite temperatures that dropped well below freezing, ranging from 14 degrees Fahrenheit to -22 F in some cases.

The thing is, EV batteries just aren’t as happy when the mercury drops. Batteries don’t like to be cold. Modern electric vehicles are still designed to survive extreme cold, with sophisticated thermal management systems and wide operating temperature windows, but today’s lithium-ion chemistry still has inherent limitations. These limits appeared most clearly in low range, as the car has to consume a large part of its energy just by heating its own battery. (Gasoline cars are also not immune to a drop in efficiency in extreme winters.)

One of the main goals of this test was to measure how much range EVs could keep in extreme cold, compared to numbers rated by the manufacturer. Almost every vehicle saw its range drop sharply. Most of them 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 during charging and discharging. This creates some internal resistance in the battery that slows the movement of the ions. As a result, the battery has to work harder just to keep the wheels spinning, leading to more energy consumption. It also needs to use a heat pump or resistive heater to keep its own battery warm.

Furthermore, there was a massive discrepancy in methodology here. These results compare actual winter range with CLTC ratings, which are already overly optimistic in the industry. So the gap will appear larger than it actually is if compared to, say, the comparatively more accurate EPA ratings.

Also worth noting: the test was different from the 60-70 mph highway range test we’re used to seeing in the US. Testers appear to have conducted the tests at around 70-80 kilometers per hour (43-49 mph), which is more in line with the average driving speed in China. However, icy surfaces and sub-zero temperatures meant the batteries were under extreme strain regardless.

In the end, sedans emerged as the clear winners due to their superior aerodynamics and lighter weight. The Xpeng P7 came out on top, covering 366.7 km (227 miles) on a full charge, retaining nearly 53.9% of its 680 km (422 miles) CLTC range. Yangwang U7 reached 51.8% of its original range, followed by Zeekr 001 with 49.6%.

The Tesla Model 3 and Nissan N7 rounded out the top five, retaining about 48% and 47.4% of their rated range. Interestingly, the new Mercedes-Benz CLA fell well short of its CLTC range of 866 km (566 miles), lagging behind Tesla and other Chinese electric vehicles, retaining just 37 percent of its claimed range under tough tests. It’s slightly disappointing considering it’s among the newest and one of the most modern and sophisticated electric vehicles in the group.

Again, don’t be fooled by this extreme drop in range figures for these EVs. Mongolia’s extreme weather, strong winds, unpaved surfaces and the fact that the testers kept the cabs warm meant that the test conditions were different from typical winter roads.

The long-wheelbase Tesla Model YL, as well as the regular version, placed 29th and 31st in the ranking, keeping about 35.2% and 36.1% of the claimed range. This is actually respectable considering the Chinese SUVs they faced were far superior. The Xiaomi SU7, Aito M7 and Nio ES8 fared better than the Tesla, each retaining more than 40% of the CLTC range.

Another telling metric was the energy consumption per 100 kilometers (62 miles). In this category, smaller, more affordable electric vehicles have outperformed their heavier siblings thanks to their lighter weight and simpler architecture. The BYD Seagull and Geely Xingyuan were both tied at the top, consuming about 23.5 kilowatt-hours of electricity to cover 62 miles, which is about 2.6 miles per kWh. The BYD Seal 06 (24.6 kWh), Wuling Bingo S (24.9 kWh) and Tesla Model 3 (24.9 kWh) rounded out the top five in this test. It’s a solid showing for all the cars here given the brutal conditions.

While Chinese electric vehicles are all in a league of their own, the results underscore that the Model 3 is still one of the most efficient electric vehicles on the planet.

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