Winter EV Range Tests 2025–2026: Results and Limits

Fluxtrio editorial team · Prepared and reviewed 16 October 2026

Summary

ADAC's 2026 family-car motorway winter test was led by the Audi A6 Avant e-tron performance, with 441 km of range. In its different 2025 selection, ADAC reported 600 km of range for the Mercedes EQS 450+: it completed the 582 km simulated route with 18 km of remaining range. Those are separate test cohorts. NAF's road test adds extreme-cold evidence, but its results cannot be pooled with the laboratory results into one fair ranking. A26N

Compare your own winter scenario in Fluxtrio. Choose the tested variant where available and set your trip conditions; a calculator estimate is not a reproduction of either test. F

Which car wins the winter-range ranking?

The answer depends on the test and the cars included. ADAC's 2026 comparison selected 14 family-suitable vehicles, while its 2025 comparison included 25 vehicles selected with a different emphasis on long range. The winning vehicle in one cohort therefore cannot establish a universal winner across all EVs. A26

The tables below keep those cohorts separate. They reproduce a deliberately limited set of results that can be checked in the publishers' opened narrative text. They are not complete downloadable leaderboards, and omitted vehicles must not be assumed to rank below the rows shown.

ADAC 2026: selected verified range results

Source: ADAC 2026, Audi and Volvo discussions, with the BMW value transparently derived from the published difference. Chamber temperature was 0 °C. These positions rank only the displayed selection; they are not the complete test ranking. A26

ADAC's overall assessment also includes charging and consumption, with range weighted 50%, and charging and consumption 25% each. An overall test position therefore should not be silently relabelled a range-only position. A26

ADAC 2025: verified examples from a different cohort

Source: ADAC 2025, Mercedes result, Cupra consumption/range example and model table, which identifies Cupra Born VZ. Check battery, model year and wheels separately before matching a calculator variant. A25

The often-confused number is the route distance: 582 km was the simulated trip, which the EQS completed with 18 km of remaining range; 600 km was the reported total range. Substituting the route length would understate the reported range. A25

How did ADAC make its comparisons?

ADAC replayed a recorded Munich–Berlin journey on a test bench, including speed and elevation changes. The reference route averaged 111 km/h; where no lower limit applied, the chosen speed was 130 km/h. The chamber was held at 0 °C. That is a controlled route simulation, not a constant-speed run. A26

In the 2026 procedure, cars were cold-soaked, started without battery preheating and driven until reduced battery power prevented them from following the required speed. Charging performance was then evaluated under the test's specified conditions. The reported consumption includes vehicle-side DC charging losses. A26

Those details help explain what the comparison controls and what it does not. They also mean the consumption column cannot be treated as a purely battery-side road measurement when calculating capacity or charging cost. A26

For that distinction, see WLTP versus real-world range and charging costs and losses.

What does NAF's extreme-cold road test add?

It provides evidence under a different environment. NAF's 2026 report describes temperatures from −7 to −32 °C and an average range deviation of 38% below WLTP. It gives 519 km for the Lucid Air Grand Touring, whose listed WLTP reference was 960 km. These are road-test findings, not ADAC-equivalent laboratory numbers. N

Source: NAF, Sprengkulde gav rekordavvik, published 2 February 2026, updated 2 October 2026. The table is contextual evidence, not a second ranking inferred from missing rows. N

NAF explains that the cars reaching farther into the mountains met colder conditions, with Lucid exposed longest to the extreme cold. It also reports stopping when drivers noticed power loss and describes additional safety decisions during this test. A single result therefore needs its stopping conditions and route exposure alongside the distance. N

The same report describes the previous winter's Polestar result as 537 km under much milder conditions. This article does not infer a year-on-year vehicle improvement or decline by comparing those different cars and weather. N

How should you turn test data into a buying decision?

Our recommendation is to choose evidence matching the question: controlled comparisons for differences within a test, road reports for conditions encountered, and a calculator scenario for your planned charge window. Preserve the exact variant and note when it is incomplete.

Then use the same car, temperature, speed and battery-health assumptions in your personal comparison. Fluxtrio's documented variant tables use full usable energy, while a narrower travel window changes available energy. It also warns that a winter test is not automatically a calibration point for an unmatched vehicle variant. M

For the general temperature effect, read winter EV range. For choosing speed, read motorway range.

Methodology and limits

This is a source comparison, with one clearly labelled derived row. No original road test, full-cohort dataset or executed Fluxtrio scenario is claimed. We omit unverified chart values rather than reconstructing an apparently complete league table. All measurements retain the publisher's conditions; results across cohorts are not pooled. A26N

Estimate your own winter journey in Fluxtrio, with a matched vehicle and an explicit arrival reserve.

FAQ

Which car led ADAC's 2026 winter test?

The Audi A6 Avant e-tron performance led the cited family-car comparison with 441 km. That finding applies to its test cohort. A26

Did the Mercedes EQS cover 582 km or 600 km in the 2025 result?

ADAC reports 600 km of range: the EQS completed the 582 km simulated route with 18 km of remaining range. A25

Can NAF and ADAC distances be combined into one fair ranking?

No. The cited tests differ in conditions, route exposure and stopping procedure. Keep their comparisons separate. N

Are the tables complete rankings of all tested cars?

No. They contain selected verifiable results. Positions in the ADAC tables apply only to the displayed rows, not the complete cohorts.

Sources

• A26 ADAC, Winter-Stresstest: Wie reisetauglich sind E-Autos für Familien?, 22 January 2026; vehicle selection, Audi/BMW/Volvo results, scoring and test procedure. Accessed 16 October 2026.
• A25 ADAC, E-Autos im Winter-Reichweitentest, 31 January 2025; vehicle selection, Mercedes route and remaining-range result, Cupra example, Cupra Born VZ model-table row and method. Accessed 16 October 2026.
• N NAF, Sprengkulde gav rekordavvik, 2 February 2026, updated 2 October 2026; Lucid result, conditions and stopping procedure. Accessed 16 October 2026.
• F Fluxtrio, calculator and model explanation. Accessed 16 October 2026.
• M Fluxtrio, Metodika odhadu dojezdu (Czech); energy windows and test-matching limitation. Accessed 16 October 2026.