One of the most common questions among new EV owners in Denmark is what happens to range in winter. The short answer: it drops noticeably in the cold — but the effect is manageable once you understand the causes and know a few good habits.
How much does range drop?
As a rule of thumb, you can expect range to drop in the range of 10-30% in cold weather compared with mild conditions. That's a wide range because the effect depends on temperature, speed, how much you heat the cabin, and whether you do many short trips or longer driving. The WLTP figure you see at purchase is measured under standard conditions — expect less in winter.
Why does it happen?
- Battery chemistry: a cold battery delivers and absorbs energy less efficiently.
- Heating: energy to heat the cabin and battery is drawn from range.
- Short trips: when the battery doesn't reach operating temperature, consumption is higher.
- Winter tyres and road conditions: increase rolling resistance slightly.
How to preserve the most range
- Preheat while charging. Use the app to warm the cabin while the car is still plugged in — so you use power from the grid, not the battery.
- Use seat heating. Seat and steering-wheel heating is more efficient than heating the whole cabin strongly.
- Precondition before Supercharging. The car's route planner does this automatically and gives faster charging.
- Plan charging. Keep the car plugged in at home in the cold so the battery starts warm — see home charging.
It's normal
A temporary drop in range in winter is completely normal for all EVs and doesn't mean anything is wrong with the battery. Range returns when it gets warmer.
Choose a variant to suit your needs
If you often drive far in winter, a Long Range variant can give extra margin. See our guides to the Model 3 and Model Y to compare the variants' range.