Emily Atkins
Special to The Globe and Mail
Published February 27, 2025
Updated February 28, 2025



In the first study of its kind in Canada, CAA took 14 currently available EVs on a drive from Ottawa to Mont Tremblant, Que., to see how far each could travel
on a full charge in winter conditions.
Emily Atkins/The Globe and Mail


On a recent chilly, winter test drive, electric vehicles lost between 14 and 39 per cent of their stated range with the Chevrolet Silverado EV and
Polestar 2 losing the least range and the Volvo XC 40 Recharge losing the most.


In the first study of its kind in Canada, the Canadian Automobile Association took 14 currently available electric cars, SUVs and light trucks, representing more than two-thirds of Canadian EV sales, on a drive from Ottawa to Mont Tremblant, Que., to see how far each could travel on a full charge, and how long it would take to recharge, in winter conditions.

CAA thought the data was needed after a poll it conducted found the drop in range during winter is a top barrier for two-thirds of Canadians thinking about buying an EV. Among Canadian EV owners, more than 65 per cent said they have experienced lower battery range in extreme cold weather.

The test took the vehicles from a warm parking garage in Ottawa, through some urban driving, out on a major highway, then into the Laurentian Mountains with challenging hills and snowy driving. The EVs were driven on a single day in early February, 2025, with temperature conditions ranging from -15 C up to -7 C. All the vehicles drove on winter tires.

“It was in real-world conditions, but it was an ultimate stress test. We literally drove them to the moment that they wouldn’t move any more on the side of the road,” said Kristine D’Arbelles, CAA’s senior director of public affairs.

The charging test was designed to mimic the amount of time you would need to refuel a gas-powered vehicle, D’Arbelles said. “We thought that was the best sort of representation for someone who is not a regular EV driver and doesn’t charge them on a regular basis. Most people like to compare it to their experience at a gas station.”

The range winners were the Chevrolet Silverado EV and Polestar 2, each with a loss of 14 per cent between the Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) range sticker and the real-world drive. The pickup truck has a stated range of 724 kilometres and travelled 456 kilometres in the test after starting at a 73-per-cent state of charge. The Polestar 2 hatchback, which was fully charged to start the day, dropped to 384 kilometres of actual range from a stated 444. Because of a complication, the Kia EV6 wasn’t able to be part of the test.


EV range test
How much range each vehicle lost during a cold weather test

Calculation was adjusted to reflect that Chevrolet Silverado EV started at 73% state of charge and that Ford F-150 Lightning started at 89% state of charge.
Because of a complication Kia EV6 did not participate in the range test, but did participate in the charge test, see results below.
THE GLOBE AND MAIL Source: CAA


The Tesla Model 3 won the charging challenge, gaining 205 kilometres in 15 minutes and taking 37 minutes to go from 10 per cent 80 per cent. The Silverado ranked second in the recharge test, gaining 199 kilometres of range in 15 minutes and taking 42 minutes to charge from 10 to 80 per cent. All of the charging was done on the same DC fast charger.

The poorest range performers were the Volvo XC 40 Recharge, which lost 39 per cent of its range, and the Toyota bZ4X, with a loss of 37 per cent. For charging, the bZ4X was the slowest, gaining 19 kilometres of range in 15 minutes, and requiring 92 minutes in the 10- to 80-per-cent test. The Kia Niro was also slow, gaining 35 kilometres in 15 minutes and needing 72 minutes in the second test. Because of a complication, the Honda Prologue was not included in the charge test.

Over all, the average range degradation across the fleet of EVs in CAA’s winter driving test was 29 per cent. Testing in Norway on 24 EVs found that, on average, the vehicles lost 18.4 per cent of their official driving range in winter conditions, while similar tests by the American Automobile Association (AAA) found an average range loss of 41 per cent.


Charge test

Honda Prologue was not included in the charge test as it encountered an error and data was unavailable. All vehicles were charged using 350 kW chargers, while the Tesla was charged at 150 kW due to compatibility requirements with the non-Tesla adapter.
THE GLOBE AND MAIL Source: CAA


Officially posted NRCan Canadian EV ranges are based on overall, year-round numbers. CAA’s test shows the difference winter makes on battery performance and the vast discrepancies between different types of vehicles.

“What we really wanted to see was that difference between actual and official range. That [NRCan] range that we have is just the average throughout the entire year; if you’re in a part of Canada that has five months of winter, that average means nothing to you, right?” D’Arbelles said. “So we felt that was really important for Canadians to understand.”

Winter range in EVs is affected by the cold in a couple of ways. First, colder temperatures affect the battery itself as electrons move slower, hampering its ability to provide power. Second, the cold weather requires the use of auxiliary power for heat, lights, wipers and defrosters, for example. In a recent test of a Mini Countryman SE, I found the range dropped by 42 kilometres, or 16 per cent, just by turning on the climate control.

Gas vehicles don’t suffer the same performance degradation in the winter, although they also see losses. Heat from the engine is used to warm the cabin and defrost windows, for example, while power for headlights and electric windows comes from the alternator, which converts mechanical energy from the engine into electricity. Still, cold weather causes higher gas consumption, ranging between 12 and 28 per cent in urban driving, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency numbers.

The CAA would like to see NRCan produce EV range numbers for winter and summer driving, just as there are city and highway mileage numbers. “The vast difference in results highlight the importance of truth in advertising when it comes to EV range, and of comparing numbers if winter performance matters to you,” said Ian Jack, CAA’s vice-president of public affairs. “CAA would like to see a made-in-Canada standardized labelling system for EVs that includes winter driving performance rather than just a single average.”