Electric Cars in the Cold: Tesla Found at the Bottom 0 13

The largest winter tests of electric vehicles in China provided a rare opportunity to see how electric cars perform at temperatures significantly below zero.

Experts subjected electric vehicles to one of the harshest real-world conditions faced by the global automotive industry. The tests were conducted at temperatures ranging from −10 °C to −25 °C, where engineers analyzed the performance of the cars across seven key areas: range, energy consumption, behavior during fast charging, heating efficiency, operation of the automatic emergency braking system, acceleration dynamics, and off-road capabilities.

The scale of the project was so significant that it was officially entered into the Guinness World Records as the largest field winter test of electric vehicles: 67 cars were evaluated simultaneously.

Instead of focusing on a single segment, the organizers gathered a representative sample of the Chinese electric vehicle market — from compact hatchbacks and mid-size sedans to full-size SUVs. The selection intentionally reflected the diversity of models available to consumers, covering virtually all price categories and usage scenarios.

In a special winter range test, the best performer was the Xpeng P7, which managed to cover 53.9% of its claimed range in extreme cold conditions. Following closely was the BYD Yangwang U7 with a result of 51.8%, while the third place went to the Zeekr 001, which achieved 49.6%. The mass-selling Tesla Model Y ranked only 31st with a figure of 35.2%, while the worst result was shown by the Li Auto i8 — 34.8%.

In addition to range, the winter tests also evaluated energy efficiency in extremely low temperatures — a parameter that typically favors lighter and more compact models. Measurements were taken in kilowatt-hours per 100 kilometers, and the results confirmed this expectation. The leader was the BYD Seagull with an equivalent of 23.5 kilowatt-hours per 100 kilometers, narrowly ahead of the Geely Xingyuan, while the third place was taken by the BYD Seal 06.

Among larger vehicles, the Xiaomi YU7 crossover ranked 20th with a figure of about 33.7 kilowatt-hours per 100 kilometers, while the Tesla Model Y was close behind — 35 kilowatt-hours per 100 kilometers, clearly demonstrating how cold weather increases the efficiency gap between compact cars and heavy crossovers.

Charging performance at negative temperatures became another important factor in the differences between the tested models. In a standardized procedure measuring the charging time from 30% to 80%, the unexpected leader was the Avatr 06, which completed the task in just 15 minutes. It was followed by the Nevo 06 and the Fulwin A9L, with the latter belonging to the EREV class — electric vehicles with extended range.

At the bottom of the ranking, the Xiaomi YU7 crossover took 39th place, requiring 31 minutes, while the Tesla Model Y showed an even weaker result — 44th place and 35 minutes to charge. These data clearly illustrate how sharply frosts can affect the stability of fast charging depending on the platform and architecture of the electric vehicle.