Volkswagen ID.3 Electric Hatch Real-World Winter Range Test

Name: Volkswagen ID.3 Electric Hatch Real-World Winter Range Test
Uploaded: 2021-01-22T14:29:14Z
Description: Range anxiety is still considered a roadblock to EV adoption. However, many EVs offer plenty of range. Just be sure you know the EVs' range in cold temps.

Range is a hot topic when it comes to EVs, especially in winter temperatures.

Steven Loveday

By: Steven Loveday

Jan 22, 2021 at 9:29am ET

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In this recent video, Bjørn Nyland performs a winter range test on the all-new Volkswagen ID.3 electric hatch, which sadly, isn't coming to our shores.

Range anxiety is still considered a roadblock to electric car adoption. However, many EVs now offer plenty of range. The larger concern may come down to a lack of public fast-charging infrastructure in some areas, as well as the time it takes to charge. However, perhaps the most important consideration when trying to figure out if an electric car's range will work for you is cold temperatures.

Regardless of whether they're gas or electric, cars don't perform as well in cold temps. More specifically, range loss is going to happen. With EVs, this is more of an issue since most have a shorter overall range than comparable gas-powered cars, and charging takes some time.

Seasoned electric car advocate Nyland works to get his hands on a plethora of EVs. Rather than just worrying about their zero-to-60-mph times, top speeds, or crazy gadgetry, he tends to focus on the more practical aspects. For example, range, charging, and passenger and cargo space.

According to official testing, the VW ID.3 has a range of up to 550 km (340 mi). However, there are several variants of the car. The one with the smallest battery pack, which Nyland is testing in this video, is rated at 330 km (205 mi).

Nyland says the temperature outside is -8° Celsius (about 18° Fahrenheit). In his highway range test, he's traveling an average speed of 120 km/h (about 75 mph). He achieves a total range of 205 km (127 miles).