EV Winter Range: Teslas Keep Up to 88%, GM's Ultium SUVs Trail the Pack
Fleet data from 30,000 cars shows EVs keep 78% of their range at freezing on average — but Teslas hold up to 88%, while GM's Blazer EV keeps just 69%.
Every electric vehicle loses range when the temperature drops. The useful question is how much, and the answer depends heavily on which EV is in your driveway. Real-world data from more than 30,000 cars tracked by battery analytics firm Recurrent shows a gap of 19 percentage points between the best and worst performers at freezing.
The short version: at 32°F (0°C), the 34 models in Recurrent's 2025/26 winter study kept 78% of their best warm-weather range on average, and 70% at 20°F (−7°C). Tesla's lineup sits at the top, while GM's newer Ultium-based SUVs fill the bottom rows. If you're cross-shopping, factor that gap into our Tesla Model Y vs. Hyundai Ioniq 5 comparison.
The winter range ranking, model by model
These figures are not a percentage of the EPA rating. Each one compares a model's range at a given temperature with the maximum range Recurrent observes for that same model, usually between 70°F and 80°F. The data comes from vehicle telematics, combines several past winters, and was published in Recurrent's winter study on November 19, 2025.
| Model | Range kept at 32°F (0°C) | Range kept at 20°F (−7°C) |
|---|---|---|
| Tesla Cybertruck | 88% | 84% |
| Tesla Model S | 87% | 82% |
| Tesla Model X | 86% | 81% |
| Rivian R1S | 83% | 76% |
| Tesla Model Y | 81% | 73% |
| Tesla Model 3 | 81% | 73% |
| Ford F-150 Lightning | 80% | 73% |
| Kia Niro EV | 80% | 72% |
| Hyundai Ioniq 6 | 79% | 72% |
| Kia EV6 | 78% | 70% |
| Hyundai Ioniq 5 | 78% | 70% |
| Ford Mustang Mach-E | 77% | 69% |
| Kia EV9 | 77% | 68% |
| Cadillac Lyriq | 75% | 66% |
| Volkswagen ID.4 | 75% | 66% |
| Chevrolet Bolt EV/EUV (pre-2025) | 74% | 65% |
| Chevrolet Equinox EV | 73% | 63% |
| Chevrolet Blazer EV | 69% | 57% |
| Average, all 34 models | 78% | 70% |
Two notes on the table. Recurrent's model chart lists the Hyundai Ioniq 5 twice, at 80%/73% and 78%/70%; we use 78% and 70%, which match its place in Recurrent's written ranking, directly below the Kia EV6. The Bolt figures cover only first-generation cars built before the 2025 model year.
To put the averages in perspective: a hypothetical EV that shows 300 miles on a mild day would, at Recurrent's average, show about 234 miles at freezing and 210 at 20°F. Your car's real number will differ.
What the cold actually does
Two things happen. Battery chemistry slows down in the cold, which limits available power. The bigger factor, according to Recurrent, is heating the cabin. A gas engine throws off waste heat for free; an EV's motor is efficient enough that warmth has to come from the high-voltage battery.
The loss is temporary. Recurrent says range returns as temperatures rise, and the cold does no lasting harm to the battery.
Why Teslas hold on and GM's SUVs don't
Recurrent credits Tesla's early investment in thermal hardware, including the Octovalve that debuted on the Model Y in 2021. It routes heat between the cabin, battery, and drivetrain and reuses waste heat that would otherwise be lost.
Recurrent's brand-level averages tell the same story. Tesla models keep 83% of their range at 32°F and 77% at 20°F, the best of the 13 brands Recurrent ranks, while Chevrolet sits last at 74% and 64%.
The bottom of the table is the bigger surprise. The Cadillac Lyriq, Chevrolet Equinox EV, and Chevrolet Blazer EV all have heat pumps, yet they trail the field. Recurrent's explanation, which it presents as its own conclusion rather than something GM has confirmed, is that GM tuned these models for cabin comfort, letting the energy-hungry resistive backup heater switch on at a higher temperature than rivals do. The result is warmer air for occupants and less range. The first-generation Bolt is a simpler case: older technology and a resistive heater.
Does a heat pump matter?
Yes, within limits. Recurrent estimates a heat pump adds about 10% of range at 32°F, because it moves heat in from outside air instead of generating it from scratch. As temperatures approach 0°F (−18°C), that advantage largely disappears, and a heat pump becomes about as efficient as a resistive heater.
Heat pump fitment varies by model year and trim, so confirm it on the automaker's spec sheet for the exact car you're considering.
In extreme cold: Norway's El Prix
Recurrent's data stops at 20°F. For colder conditions, the best public numbers come from El Prix, the twice-yearly test run by the Norwegian Automobile Federation (NAF) and Motor magazine. Its results are measured against WLTP, the European rating, which typically runs higher than EPA figures (here's how test cycles differ). That's why they can't sit in the same table as Recurrent's percentages.
The winter 2026 test, published by NAF on February 2, 2026, was the coldest in the event's history, with temperatures from 19°F down to −26°F (−7°C to −32°C). The 24 cars fell short of their WLTP range by 38% on average, compared with about 19% in the milder 2025 test, which ran between 21°F and 46°F (−6°C to 8°C). The Lucid Air covered 519 km (322 miles) against a 960-km (597-mile) WLTP rating, a 46% shortfall, though NAF notes it spent the longest time in the deepest cold.
NAF also recorded how far each car had gone with 20% charge left, roughly when most drivers start looking for a charger. Most had covered about half their WLTP range. Among models sold in the US, with European-spec cars tested:
- Lucid Air: 431 km (268 miles), 45% of WLTP range
- Volvo EX90: 291 km (181 miles), 48%
- Tesla Model Y: 307 km (191 miles), 49%
- BMW iX xDrive60: 322 km (200 miles), 50%
- Hyundai Ioniq 9: 335 km (208 miles), 56%
NAF's practical advice for deep cold is to plan on charging before you've used half the rated range.
What lab tests say
AAA's dynamometer testing points the same way. In a study AAA released on May 1, 2026, three 2025 EVs, a front-drive Chevrolet Equinox EV, a rear-drive Tesla Model Y, and an all-wheel-drive Ford Mustang Mach-E, lost 39% of their calculated range on average at 20°F compared with 75°F, with efficiency down 35.6%. AAA's 2019 test of five earlier EVs found a 41% drop at 20°F with the heater on. Seven years of new models barely moved the lab average.
Lab tests hold the car at 20°F for the whole run, while fleet data includes cars that start the day in a warm garage or preconditioned on a charger. That's one likely reason Recurrent's real-world average looks kinder than AAA's.
Charging takes longer, unless the battery is warm
A cold battery accepts charge more slowly. Recurrent's analysis of more than 200,000 fast-charging sessions from Tesla Model 3 owners found that charging at 0°F took about 9 minutes longer on average, not counting warm-up. If the battery is very cold and hasn't been preconditioned, the first 30 to 45 minutes on the charger can go to heating it rather than adding range.
Preconditioning fixes most of that. At El Prix 2026, the cars started the day at −13°F (−25°C) and began warming their batteries two hours before a charging stop held at around 14°F (−10°C). Fourteen of the 24 then charged from 10% to 80% in roughly their quoted time, and six beat it.
How to keep more of your range
- Precondition while plugged in. Warming a cold car takes more energy than keeping a warm car warm, so use the app or a departure timer to heat the cabin and battery from the grid.
- Lean on heated seats and the heated steering wheel, and turn the cabin temperature down. Targeted heat uses less energy.
- Route to fast chargers through the car's built-in navigation. Many newer EVs warm the battery on the way so it arrives ready to charge.
- Store the car plugged in with the charge limit set to 70% or 80%, so it can draw heat from the wall rather than the battery.
- Expect weaker regenerative braking with a cold battery, and consider turning regen down on icy roads.
- Plan winter road trips around a reserve, not the range readout. Highway speeds cut range further.
Grip is a separate problem from range. For that, see whether AWD or winter tires matter more in snow.
What we don't know yet
- Recurrent's 2026/27 winter study isn't out. If it follows last year's schedule, it should arrive around November, and we'll update this table when it does.
- There's no fleet winter data yet for this year's newcomers, including the Rivian R2, the 2027 Chevrolet Bolt, the Kia EV3, and the 2027 Toyota bZ. On the R2, tire choice alone already shifts EPA range, as our look at its tire packages shows.
- None of these averages predicts what a specific car will do on a specific day. Speed, trip length, wind, tires, and battery age all move the number.
Shopping on a budget? Several models in our ranking of the cheapest new EVs in the US don't have winter data yet, so the averages above are the best guide for now.
