Even under the best conditions, many electric cars are still a long way from being suitable for long journeys. As a car comparison test recently showed, no electric car can cover more than 440 kilometers at a time at a speed of 130 *. The car reporter Lisa Brack and EFAHRER.com author also had to experience this painfully. She dared an electric car long-distance experiment. Because to buy her new VW e-Up, she drove from Munich to the VW Autostadt in Wolfsburg to pick up her car personally.
Brack needed 12 hours and 45 minutes for the return journey from Wolfsburg to Munich, covering a distance of 654 kilometers. The route would normally take around six hours. But it wasn’t just the duration of the journey that was appalling – the temperature during the journey was anything but funny: the heating stayed off for almost the entire return journey in freezing temperatures: Because the colder it is, the more the operation of the heating systems puts a strain on the electric car battery. Recently, the electric car cold problem was also evident at a large German company, because in Berchtesgaden in Bavaria , Deutsche Post is withdrawing its expensive e-vans due to snow and cold and is back to combustion models for the winter months.
Lisa Brack wanted to avoid Volkswagen’s expensive service costs of 700 euros and also report on her long-distance experience. To do this, she sends her electric car straight to the endurance test, because the temperatures on the way back are freezing. At 0 to minus 5 degrees she starts the journey home to Bavaria. These are unfavorable conditions for electric cars, because low temperatures paralyze the batteries in electric cars*, especially in winter.
For the trip, Brack covered himself with a hat, scarf, gloves and generally warm clothing, because after the first full charge, the VW e-Up shows a range of just 216 kilometers. And even this information is not guaranteed, which is why Brack opts for the so-called Eco-Plus mode and, of course, for the heating to be switched off. When the windscreen is frosty, heating wires ensure a clear view, so the reporter driving the test can do without the power-guzzling fan heater completely.
In order to install an appropriate app for the model, she asks a VW employee when the car is handed over. However, he immediately blocked it: “Don’t ask me that. The digital services are not included in our training courses.” So Brack has to take everything into his own hands. Then it’s on the way home, time 2:45 p.m.
Eine Reporterin macht mit ihrem neuen E-Auto von VW den Langstrecken-Wintertest. Das Ergebnis ist ernüchternd – Zeit spart sie durch konsequentes Frieren.
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