Electric vehicles show reduced range in cold

[Anchor]

During the winter season when temperatures drop sharply, the performance of electric vehicle batteries also declines.

In fact, the Korea Consumer Agency tested the driving range of some electric vehicles in sub-zero temperatures, and there was a significant difference from the figures displayed on the dashboard.

Reporter Park Min-cheol reports.

[Report]

Earlier this year, during a severe Arctic cold wave, electric vehicles flocked to charging stations in Chicago, due to the extreme cold below minus 20 degrees Celsius which had caused a charging crisis.

When temperatures drop, the chemical reactions in electric vehicle batteries slow down, resulting in a reduced driving range.

[Jeong Seung-myeon/Electric Vehicle Driver: "As the weather has gotten colder, my fuel efficiency is about 20% lower compared to summer."]

Similar results were found in a test evaluation conducted by the Korea Consumer Agency on three popular electric vehicle models from the top three brands.

Under the low-temperature condition of minus 1 degree Celsius, the actual driving range was shorter than what was displayed on the dashboard for all vehicles.

In particular, the Tesla Model 3 was found to have a driving range 21% shorter than the dashboard display, showing a larger discrepancy compared to the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6.

In conditions of 18 degrees Celsius, which is room temperature, there was no significant difference between the displayed driving range and the actual driving range, except for the Tesla Model 3.

However, in the low-temperature condition of minus 1 degree, all three electric vehicle models showed a reduction in actual driving range compared to room temperature.

[Min Tae-hong/Associate Researcher, Electrical and Electronics Team, Korea Consumer Agency: "On cold days, the actual driving range is shorter than what is displayed on the dashboard, so it is advisable to plan for ample charging when driving long distances."]

The Consumer Agency recommended that the three electric vehicle manufacturers come up with solutions to address the discrepancies between the displayed and actual driving ranges.

Hyundai and Kia said there are technical limitations but they would look into it, while Tesla did not respond.

This is KBS News, Park Min-cheol.