The Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) conducted a real-world winter electric vehicle performance study with vehicles representing more than two-thirds of Canadian EV sales.
As part of the CAA EV Winter Test, vehicles were driven from Ottawa, Ontario, to Mont Tremblant, Quebec, in sub-zero temperatures. The test measured how many kilometres the vehicles were able to drive before their batteries died, and how long it took to get a reasonable recharge.
“CAA is responding to a top concern of Canadians when it comes to EVs,” said Ian Jack, Vice President of Public Affairs at CAA National, in a statement. “We measured the effective range of electric vehicles in cold weather and how quickly they charge. These insights are critical for both current EV owners and those considering making the switch.”
In CAA’s test, across the board the vehicles drove 14 to 39 per cent less than their official range. The association also said two vehicles performed well in the cold; the Chevrolet Silverado EV and the Polestar 2 were only 14 per cent less than their posted range.
The test included 14 EVs, with seven out of 10 being top sellers in Canada. It included a diverse range of vehicle types and temperatures during the drive varied between -7 and -15 degrees Celsius.
With two snow storms in certain areas in Canada’s Eastern provinces between last Thursday and Monday this week, consumers considering an EV may be concerned about range and charging.
In fact, the decline in range in winter was highlighted as a top barrier to buying an EV, according to two thirds of Canadians via a recent poll from CAA. Among Canadian EV owners, the association said more than 65 per cent of respondents have experienced lower battery range in extreme cold weather.
Also of interest is a November 2024 study on EV drivers.
