Norway's El Prix winter range test is one of the most grueling experiments modern electric cars can face. Motor.no's editors take dozens of new EVs on a predetermined route to see how far they can make it in the freezing cold of the Scandinavian Peninsula. And this year was no different, with 25 new EVs taking on the challenge. It was an interesting edition, though, where none of the participants managed to set a new range record,
Germany's ADAC simulated a 361-mile winter highway run at ~0 C with identical conditions to evaluate real-world range and charging needs, showing all EVs fell short of their WLTP figures. The Audi A6 Avant E-tron Performance topped the group with strong efficiency and charging, regaining ~186 miles of range in a 20-minute fast charge. The Tesla Model Y showed the best consumption, but slower charging limited gains; other models varied widely in range and charging capability under winter stress. More than a dozen new electric
Reengineering the Bolt for a new battery pack wasn't the work of a minute. The cells, modules, and electronics are all different but had to fit in the same size space with the same mounting points as the original. And GM's own LFP factory won't be producing cells until sometime next year. Which means for now, GM is importing LPF cells from CATL in China, paying costly tariffs in the process.
For starters, the Taycan's range increased from a maximum of 246 miles for model year 2024 to more than 300 miles for the current model year. Its peak charging rate also increased from 270 kilowatts to 320 kW, reducing the 10-80% charging time by roughly 3.5 minutes when plugged into a fast enough DC fast charger. Behind the scenes, Porsche made a raft of changes to make all of that possible.
One of the things that was made clear in the Eurocharge 2025 EV road trip that I took part in a few weeks back was just how big an impact speed has on an electric car's range. On the days that required mostly or only highway driving, which means cruising at a constant 80 mph (130 km/h) here in Europe, all eight EVs in the group lost around 40% of their range.
Taking a road trip in an EV is no easy feat, as two Tesla alumni found out the hard way. Range is already a significant anxiety for EV owners taking long journeys, and towing a heavy RV can cause an electric vehicle battery to drain even faster. Toby Kraus and Ben Parker, two ex-Tesla employees who each spent five years working at the EV giant, say they have an answer.
