El Prix, run jointly by NAF (the Norwegian Automobile Federation) and Motor magazine, is Norway's best-known and most widely cited EV winter range test, held each winter and summer. The winter 2026 round set a new record for the coldest conditions in the test's history — and produced some results worth a Chinese brand's attention.
Winter 2026: a record cold snap
The 27–28 January 2026 test ran 24 cars through temperatures from -7°C to -32°C, the coldest in the event's history, with an average range deviation of 38% versus the rated figure — up sharply from 18% the previous winter, which ran from -6°C to +8°C. Five Chinese brands entered: Changan, MG (two models), Voyah, XPeng and Zeekr. BYD and NIO were notably absent, with no reason given.
MG came out on top
The MG S6 EV's real-world range deviated just 29% from its rated figure, tied for the smallest deviation of all 24 cars in the field, alongside the Hyundai Inster; the MG IM6 wasn't far behind. Both beat the Tesla Model Y (43% deviation) and the Lucid Air (46% deviation — the longest absolute range in the field, but the worst percentage result). The other Chinese entries (Voyah, Changan, the XPeng X9 and the Zeekr 7X) landed mid-pack overall, but still beat both Tesla and Lucid on percentage terms.
Charging: XPeng sets a new record
In the 10–80% fast-charging test, the XPeng X9 was the fastest of all 24 cars, at 12 minutes 5 seconds, averaging 392 kW with a 404 kW peak — a new event record, beating XPeng's own result from the summer 2025 test. NAF's test lead, Nils Sødal, pointed to battery preconditioning as the real deciding factor: "A warm battery charges much faster than a cold one, so battery prewarming before fast charging must be on the checklist when buying an EV" — a factor that applies across every brand, not something specific to Chinese cars.
Not a one-off
Chinese brands' strong showings in this test aren't new. In the winter 2025 round, the BYD Tang's range deviated just 9.6%, placing 2nd overall. In winter 2024, the lesser-known Chinese brand HiPhi (from Human Horizons) won outright with a 5.9% deviation — the only car that year under 10% — well ahead of the Tesla Model 3's 29.9%. Three consecutive winters with a strong Chinese result suggests a real pattern, not a single lucky test.
Do these tests actually matter
Yes. A Norstat survey commissioned by NAF found 62% of respondents say winter range performance factors into their EV purchase decision, and more than a quarter of non-owners cite insufficient range as their main concern. Worth noting, though: Norwegian trade press has reported that some manufacturers have publicly questioned NAF's methodology or declined to participate — meaning a single test result is best read alongside other independent sources, not treated as the only word on the subject.
What this means for a brand entering the market
In a market this focused on winter range, a strong independent test result is a low-cost, high-impact piece of marketing in its own right. Battery preconditioning and thermal-management software are the most consistently cited technical factor across every brand in these tests, worth prioritizing before launch rather than after. Whether or not a brand enters this specific test is itself read by the market as a signal.
Sources: NAF El Prix winter 2026 results, NTB press release on the record-cold test, NAF's charging-test results.