The latest El Prix winter range test in Norway saw the Polestar 3 outperform the Tesla Model 3, highlighting the difference between advertised range and real-world performance in freezing temperatures. The Polestar 3 achieved a 5% range reduction, while the Tesla Model 3 suffered a significant 24% loss. Additionally, the Tesla's trip meter displayed an inaccurate distance traveled.
The latest iteration of Norway 's infamous El Prix winter range test is over, and the results are in. Two dozen EVs were tested to see how far they could drive in the freezing cold. Then, the participating journalists noted the difference between the rated range and the real-world figure. Norway is the world’s leader when it comes to electric vehicle adoption. Last year, nine out of 10 new cars sold here were EVs, so they know a thing or two about going electric.
The Nordic country also has harsh winters with freezing temperatures, making it the perfect proving ground for pushing EVs to their limits, range-wise. Here’s where the Norwegian car magazine Motor comes into play. It, together with the Norwegian Automobile Federation (NAF), has been organizing something called El Prix for six years. It’s billed as the world’s largest EV range test, with a summer edition and a winter run each year. Yesterday, the latest iteration of the El Prix winter range test happened, and the results are in. In total, 24 brand-new EVs were charged up to full and driven on the same route to see how far they would go until running out of juice. In the end, the journalists noted the differences between the advertised WLTP range figures and the real-world results. The winner was quite the surprise–no, it wasn’t the refreshed Tesla Model 3 Rear-Wheel Drive Long Range, despite it having the longest claimed range. In fact, journalists described the American EV as a disappointment, finishing near the bottom of the list, with a huge discrepancy between the WLTP figure and the real-world result. (Europe uses the WLTP testing procedure, while the United States has the EPA procedure.) The winner, in terms of how little range it lost compared to the official figure, was the Polestar 3. The car in question had a WLTP range of 348 miles and it managed to cover an impressive 330 miles until it could no longer move under its own power. That’s a reduction of just 5% from the spec sheet, and the second-best ever recorded in Motor’s winter range test. (The best result was achieved by the BMW iX3 in 2021, with a 4% negative deviation.) Meanwhile, the facelifted Tesla Model 3 finished near the bottom of the list, with a 24% range loss from the WLTP figure. It also displayed a longer trip distance, which could have skewed the results. Next was the BYD Tang, a Chinese-made seven-seater SUV that has a claimed WLTP range of 329 miles. It drove nearly 300 miles before dying–a 9% difference. The all-new Mini Countryman EV finished in third place, with a real-world range loss of 11%. Besides the disappointing result in the range test, the Tesla Model 3 had quite an unusual issue–its onboard trip meter was way off and essentially lied about the distance covered. Motor.no noted that the Tesla Model 3 and the Polestar 3 conked out roughly at the same time, with just 800 feet or so between them. As a reminder, all cars started from the same spot. That said, the Polestar’s trip meter indicated it had traveled 330 miles–a figure confirmed on Google Maps–while the Tesla reported an extra 10 miles. In other words, the Model 3’s driver would think they covered more miles on a full charge than they actually did. It’s not exactly news that Tesla’s official range figures are among the most optimistic in the industry, and this range test is just another example of that. This doesn’t mean that the Model 3 is a bad car–it’s quite the opposite, in fact–but owners need to be aware that the so-called guess-o-meter that shows the remaining range on the infotainment screen can’t be trusted
ELECTRIC VEHICLES RANGE TEST POLESTAR 3 TESLA MODEL 3 EL PRIX NORWAY WINTER CONDITIONS WLTP REAL-WORLD PERFORMANCE
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