Winter has a way of exposing weaknesses, and in Norway it does so without mercy. A group of 24 of the newest and best EVs were recently subjected to one of the most demanding range tests imaginable in the depths of Scandinavia’s winter, and it was an American made EV that came out on top.

Read: 90% Of Vehicles Sold In Norway Last Year Were Electric

Conducted by Norwegian publication Motor as part of its biannual El Prix winter range program, the evaluation set out to measure how bitter cold affects real world driving range, and some of the findings are striking.

How The Test Was Conducted

Held twice a year, in winter and in summer, the drive follows a predetermined route. This time, 24 EVs were evaluated in temperatures that dipped as low as -24°F (-31°C), the coldest conditions recorded in the test event’s history and well below previous editions, when temperatures rarely fell under 14°F (-10°C).

For much of the global population, numbers like these might as well belong in weather reports from another planet. Still, they provide a useful stress test. As in previous El Prix runs, each car was driven along the set route until it could no longer maintain the posted speed limit.

The Winners

Coming into the test, the Lucid Air had the highest quoted WLTP range of 960 km (596 miles). In Motor’s winter run, it covered 520 km (323 miles) before the battery was fully depleted. On the other hand, while that figure was higher than any of the other cars evaluated, it is still 46 percent lower than the claimed range.

In terms of outright driving range in the frigid conditions, the Mercedes-Benz CLA also performed well, driving 421 km (261 miles), or 41 percent less than its claimed 709 km (440 miles) WLTP figure. Other strong performers included the Audi A6, which traveled 402 km (250 miles), the BMW iX with 388 km (241 miles), and the Volvo ES90 with 373 km (232 miles).

Two Ways To Look at Numbers

Total driving range, though, is not the most revealing part of the story. What stands out more is how much, or how little, each car’s range shrinks in the cold. By that measure, the MG 6S EV and Hyundai Inster led the field, with their ranges falling just 29 percent from their WLTP claims. They recorded 345 km (214 miles) and 256 km (159 miles), respectively.

A second Chinese MG also performed well, namely the IM6, with its range falling 30 percent from a claimed 505 km (314 miles) to 352 km (219 miles). The KGM Musso was another strong performer, seeing just a 31 percent drop in its range from 379 km (235 miles) to 263 km (163 miles).

At the other end of the scale, the Opel Grandland matched the Lucid Air for the steepest decline, surrendering 46 percent of its claimed range in the cold. The Volvo EX90 was not far behind with a 45 percent drop, while the Tesla Model Y and Suzuki eVitara each gave up 43 percent. The Skoda Elroq and Mercedes CLA also struggled to contain losses, both finishing with a 41 percent reduction.

Cold EV Test

Motor.No

It’s no secret that Tesla’s dominance in Europe has been under pressure for a while, but few expected just how steep the drop would be in one of its most loyal markets. While Elon Musk’s polarizing behavior and the rise of competitive alternatives have chipped away at Tesla’s popularity across the continent, one country had stood firm. Until now.

Read: Europe Just Replaced Tesla With A New EV Sales Champion

It turns out that even Norway, long considered Tesla’s European stronghold, may be losing interest. New registration data from January 2026 shows that only 62 units of the Tesla Model Y were delivered in Norway last month, accounting for just 2.8 percent of new car sales.

Across its full range, Tesla sold just 83 vehicles in total, marking an 88 percent decline compared to the same period last year.

Changing of the Guard

Several other electric vehicles now comfortably outpace the Model Y in Norwegian sales. Leading the pack in January was the Volkswagen ID.3, with 299 units registered, nearly five times as many as the Tesla.

Norway January 2026 Sales by Model

The Toyota bZ4X followed with 184, ahead of the Toyota Urban Cruiser at 98 and the Skoda Elroq at 78. Even the relatively obscure Deepal S05 managed to beat the Model Y with 75 new registrations, while the Volkswagen ID.4 came in just above Tesla’s numbers with 69.

EVs Still Reign Supreme

Despite Tesla’s stumble, the Norwegian EV market remains overwhelmingly electric. A staggering 94 percent of all new vehicles sold in Norway last month were EVs. Diesel cars accounted for just 98 sales, while only 7 petrol-powered vehicles were registered across the entire country, the lowest number on record.

While Tesla endured a difficult month in Norway, it did actually experience a bump in sales in certain European markets. For example, sales rose 70 percent in Spain to 456 examples. Additionally, sales jumped 75 percent in Italy to 713 units, rose 26 percent in Sweden to 512, and increased 3 percent in Denmark to 458.

Likely contributing to this growth are the newly available, affordable, and stripped-out versions of the Model 3 and Model Y. These Standard variants were introduced to breathe new life into Tesla’s aging lineup, which has been increasingly criticized for lagging behind newer, more dynamic competitors.

Still, Tesla’s European picture remains mixed. A Reuters report highlights significant losses in key markets: sales in France fell 42 percent, Belgium dropped 31 percent, and the Netherlands saw a dramatic 67 percent decline. In Portugal, the dip was modest but noticeable at just over 3 percent.

New Threats on the Horizon

It will be interesting to see how the rest of 2026 plays out for Tesla in Europe. A growing number of Chinese brands are launching several new models in Europe, and in the second quarter, BYD will start mass production at its plant in Szeged, Hungary, allowing it to sell EVs tariff-free in the region.

Norway January 2026 Sales by Brand