The Canadian Automobile Association, inspired by the Norwegian El Prix winter EV range test series, recently tested 14 EVs under typical winter conditions in the Great White North.

The 14 EVs were driven from Ottawa to Mont Tremblant in sub-zero temperatures varying from -7° C (19.4° F) to -15° C (5° F).

Out of the 14 EVs, two did surprisingly well. The others, not quite.

The vehicles were grouped in caravans of four to five, and left Ottawa at different times depending on rated range. The goal was to reach Mont Tremblant, Murielle Pierre, Manager of Public Affairs for the CAA, told a reporter.

The result, in terms of how little range each EV lost compared to its advertised range, was a tie between the Polestar 2 and the Chevrolet Silverado EV. Each was able to drive 86% of its rated range.

The Polestar, which has a nominal range of 444 km (276 miles), achieved 384 km (237 miles) before it could no longer move under its own power. The Silverado EV, which has a stated range of 724 km (450 miles), achieved 456 km (283 km).

The two winners were followed by the Kia EV9, which lost 20% of its range; the Honda Prologue, which lost 24%; the Volkswagen ID.4, which lost 28%; the Kia Niro EV and the Tesla Model 3, which each lost 30%. The Ford Mustang Mach E lost 31%; the Chevrolet Equinox lost 34%; the Ford F-150 Lightning lost 35%; the Hyundai Ioniq 5 lost 36%; the Toyota bZ4X lost 37% and the Volvo XC40 Recharge lost 39%.

The CAA also tested each vehicle on how many displayed kilometers its gauge added when attached to a DC fast charger for 15 minutes.

The winner was the Tesla, which added 205 km (127 miles), followed by the Silverado, which added 199 km (124 miles), and the Equinox, which added 131 km (81 miles).

During the tests, charging was provided by CAFU, which specializes in mobile charging solutions for fleets, and some of the vehicles tested were provided by Plug‘n Drive, a non-profit organization that promotes sustainable transportation.

Source: Canadian Automobile Association