Tests have shown that although Chinese brands performed slightly better than joint venture brands, the battery life of NEVs in extremely cold weather conditions is still less than half, reported Yicai Global on December 14.

NEV endurance at extremely low temperatures can reach an average of only 48.5%, up 4% from last year, according to the results of tests done by the auto industry website Dongchedi on more than 60 mainstream models of 34 brands at an average of between minus 15 degrees Celsius and minus 30° C. The average range was 268 kilometers, an increase from 14% last year, said the Yicai report.

The average endurance rate of Chinese NEVs was 49.1%, while that of joint venture models was 45.8%, the tests showed. The fast full-charging time among domestic NEVs averaged 107.1 minutes, compared with 162.3 minutes for JV vehicles, reported Yicai Global.

Nine of the top 10 NEV models for endurance were Chinese cars, with BYD’s Han electric vehicle, Extreme Fox Alpha S, and Nio ET7 ranking first to third.

The lower the temperature, the denser the electrolyte will be, resulting in a large falloff in battery capacity, said Zhang Hong, secretary-general of the New Energy Vehicle Branch of the China Automobile Dealers Association.

Dongchedi’s tests also showed a gap between the reliability of NEVs and fuel cars in extremely cold conditions. After standing at minus 30° C for a night, only 95% of new energy models can start normally, compared with 100% of fuel vehicles.

The report added that 88% of the tested NEVs had various problems, including frozen windows and door handles and air suspension failure.