Kia EV2 lays down range challenge at world’s biggest winter EV drive
A Kia EV2 prototype has outperformed a host of production car rivals at the world’s biggest winter EV test.
Although not officially recognised in the NAF El Prix 2026 results, the pre-production car displayed the smallest shortfall in driving range compared with its stated ability.
The prototype EV2 lost just 25% of its range during the gruelling testing in temperatures as low as -31 degrees, covering 310.6km (193 miles) compared with a claimed range of 413km (256.6 miles).
The deviation from its stated range was some way ahead of most other models tested by the Norwegian Automotive Federation. The closest production models were the Hyundai Inster and the MGS6, which both lost 28.9% of their official range.
The NAF El Prix is an annual real-world test run to see how EVs cope with Norway’s extreme winter conditions. Vehicles are driven until they come to a full stop due to lack of charge, with test routes passing through the mountainous Jotunheimen region, where temperatures vary between -8 and -31 degrees.
The Lucid Air covered the longest total distance, managing 520km (323 miles). However, that represented a 45.8% drop from its official range of 960km (596.5 miles) – the biggest shortfall of any car tested.
Cold weather is known to have a significant impact on EVs’ range and the NAF test aims to identify those cars that cope best. This year, the average shortfall across 24 tested models was exactly 33%.
“This result serves as proof that the EV2 will continue to deliver reliable range even in extremely low temperatures,” said Pablo Martinez Masip, vice president of product and marketing for Kia Europe. “Being the entry point to Kia’s EV line-up does not mean compromising; the EV2 offers customers throughout Europe an affordable yet reliable way to enter electric mobility.”
The EV2 is Kia’s smallest electric model to date and is due to go on sale in the second half of the year as a sub-£25,000 rival to the Renault 4, Ford Puma Gen-E and upcoming Skoda Epiq.
