Electric car cold weather fears were recently dispelled in Norway.
Norway has been experiencing a cold wave since the beginning of the year, increasing the need for car recovery services. Svein Setrom from rescue service company Vikings Assistance Group noted a sharp increase in missions since 2022.
Setrom has a clear winner in mind regarding cars and the cold: electric vehicles (EVs). Based on his experience, electric cars perform better in cold weather, and he has the data to back it up.
Setrom is in charge of the station network at Viking. He explained that 2022 was when Norway experienced its last typical winter. Vikings completed 13,000 assignments in the first nine days of January 2023. In comparison, Viking had 34,000 assignments in the first 9 days of 2024.
According to a local media outlet, car insurance companies and car recovery services in Norway have been busy with the issues arising from the frigid cold weather this winter. In the first 14 days of January, Norway experienced temperatures between -7 °F (-21.7°C) and -2 °F (-18.9°C).
In 2024, so far, most Viking missions relate to vehicles with battery problems or drivers having trouble starting their cars. Setrom noted that 13% of starting difficulties are linked to electric cars, while 87% are from fossil fuel vehicles. He added that 23% of the cars on Norwegian roads are EVs.
Tesla was the top-selling automaker in Norway three years in a row. It holds an overall market share of 20% in Norway.
The Tesla Model Y was the best-selling car model in Norway last year, followed by Volkswagen’s ID.4. Tesla sold 23,088 Model Y units in Norway in 2023. The Volkswagen sold 6,614 ID.4 units.
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