Electric cars have long established themselves in the increasingly competitive everyday market. But in addition to the long loading times, use in winter in particular causes doubts among interested parties. We did the test.
If you are looking for an ideal family vehicle for use in winter, you can hardly avoid an all-wheel drive model and Skoda has also had this in its portfolio for some time with its electric SUV Enyaq. In view of the high unladen weight of more than two tons, you should avoid the smaller versions with 132 kW / 180 hp and 150 kW / 204 hp for the 4.65 meter long Enyaq and opt for the all-wheel drive variant with 195 kW / 265 hp and large battery pack, which will soon be crowned by the 300 hp RS model. A synchronous electric motor with an output of 150 kW / 204 hp / 310 Nm does the main work on the rear axle. More important than ever for solid propulsion in winter is the additionally driven asynchronous front axle, which with an additional 80 kW / 109 hp and 162 Nm of torque ensures that things progress safely even uphill on slippery roads.
The winter of 2021/2022, which has been quite mild and calm so far, is taking a break around Zell am See this morning, because although there is unusually little snow in the popular winter sports region, it is freezing this morning, because the tiny instrument unit behind the wheel shows a temperature of minus 9.5 degrees Celsius. The Skoda Enyaq 80x is preconditioned in the underground car park, which means the interior is pleasantly warm and the vehicle was just hanging from the charging station. But with the promised range of 500 kilometers with one battery charge, it is more than bad, because the battery indicator promises a range of just 292 kilometers – not too much for a fully equipped mid-range SUV that comes with the chic Sportline equipment costs 50,000 euros.
“If you follow a few tips, you can significantly increase the range of your electric car in winter,” explains Axel Andorff, who is responsible for electric models at Skoda. “Preconditioning the vehicle is just as much a part of it as parking it in the garage.” But more than ever, an electric car is about the electrical consumers that rob it of the all-important kilometers until the next charging stop, especially in the cold season. “It makes more sense to heat surfaces such as seats or the steering wheel than the entire passenger compartment,” adds Andorff. Nevertheless, you want it to be warm and cozy in the electric car, and so not only the driver’s seat is heated, but also the interior of the Czech crossover with a temperature of 22 degrees. It takes longer than you are used to due to the missing combustion engine, but after a few minutes it is pleasantly warm on the well-contoured sports seats, whose seat heating should have a little more pepper in the third stage.
After a few kilometers, the on-board computer shows just 271 kilometers left – with an almost full battery, a moderate value that would make you ponder at the start of a longer journey. After a short passage on country roads, you go up into the mountains from Zell via Kaprun and Uttendorf via the narrow panoramic road up to the Weiß- and Tauernmoossee winter sports region. The four-wheel drive Enyaq is in its element here. It’s brisk and stoically calm up the sometimes icy roads and with a lot of pressure from low speeds, even the tight bends become a pleasure. As with many electric models, the steering is somewhat artificial; smooth-running and always precise – no matter which of the different driving programs you are on the road with. The slightly lower chassis with damper adjustment is always convincing, but could offer more comfort. On this Thursday afternoon there are only two handfuls of skiers in the lift parking lot who wanted to swing up to whiter heights. The battery indicator of the Enyaq 80x has already shrunk a lot at 231 kilometers before it goes back towards the valley. Here you can quickly feel the mighty weight of the electric crossover on the road, which is as narrow as it is curvy, because despite its manageable dimensions, it weighs around 2.2 tons – more than any luxury sedan with a combustion engine. In the tight corners and hairpin bends, the weight is noticeably pushed downwards, while the winter tires with optimized rolling resistance successfully try to grip the road.
You quickly settled into the chic Skoda Enyaq. The seats with good lateral support, the non-slip control and the large central display for navigation, sound system and air conditioning are particularly appealing. The less than six-inch digital display behind the steering wheel, the loveless hard plastic handles in the doors and the dashboard covered with inexpensive-looking artificial leather are less convincing. Even a volume manufacturer like Skoda, which has long been knocking on the premium door with an electric SUV like the Enyaq, shouldn’t allow itself to do that. There’s plenty of space in the front and rear, and the load compartment has an impressive 585 liters, which can be expanded to more than 1,700 liters if the rear seat is folded down.
On the descent into the valley, there is a small detour up and down an icy and snowy path to two farms. This shows more than ever why you should choose an Enyaq with all-wheel drive. It brings safety and driving dynamics on such slippery slopes and this has a positive effect even without snow, because the ample torque of 425 Nm reaches the ground more sovereignly than just via the rear axle. However, that does not hide the annoyance of the overly limited top speed. Tempo 160 is out of the question as a limitation and even if a model like the Enyaq drains its battery too quickly at higher motorway speeds, the decision about the maximum speed should be left to the driver of the car, at least in these dimensions, and 160 km/h is simply not on long journeys a lot.
After a successful descent, the battery pack has regained its strength through recuperation to almost 250 kilometers, only to commute back to 220 dimensions a short time later. Not much for a still bulging battery pack, but users of an electric model have to get used to that. Instead of the nominal range, you have to deduct 30 to 40 percent in reality, especially in the freezing cold winter, and plan significantly more charging stops. And you can’t avoid the largest possible battery pack in serious everyday use anyway. No wonder that more than three quarters of most brands and models opt for the largest battery pack available – in the case of the Skoda Enyaq 80x the 82 kWh variant, which quickly costs 55,000 euros with the appropriate comfort and safety equipment.
Source From: Stern
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