How far can electric vehicles drive in Canadian winter?

Electric vehicles on the road during the winter weather test. (Photo provided by the Alberta Motor Association)

Canada is known for being cold in the winter, which can have a negative effect on the performance of electric vehicles (EVs).

Electric vehicles have an advertised range of how far they can drive on a single charge.

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Around two-thirds of the electric vehicles sold in Canada were put to the test to see how well they actually perform in the cold.

“Living in Alberta, we know electric vehicles need to endure the same harsh conditions

that we do" said Colin Fritz, the associate vice-president of operations for Alberta Motor Association (AMA), in a news release.

“But until now, there was limited Canadian data for how EVs perform in cold temperatures.

“These unbiased insights are critical, both for current EV owners and for Albertans considering the switch.”

The AMA participated in the test, which was run by the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) on Feb. 4.

The test consisted of two portions: a range test and a charge test.

Trucks, SUVs, sport and luxury vehicles were included in the test. Temperatures during the drive ranged between -7 C and -15 C.

For the range test, 14 EVs from various manufacturers drove from Ottawa to Mont Tremblant, which is around 153 km away following Highways 50 and 323, in sub-zero temperatures. It measured how many kilometres the EVs could drive before the battery died.

The distances achieved were compared to the estimated driving range published by Natural Resources Canada.

The EVs all drove 14 to 39 per cent less than their official range, as shown in this table.

The charge test measured how long it took the EVs to get a “reasonable” recharge, showing how many kilometres of range were added in a 15-minute charge session, as shown in this table.

“Overall, these results highlight the need for greater transparency and accuracy when it comes to advertised range in EVs—especially in Alberta, where vehicles experience greater cold stress,” said Fritz.

“Alongside CAA, we’re calling for a standardized Canadian EV-labeling system that includes winter driving performance, not just a single average.”