Kia EV2 crushes cold weather test with impressive driving range and charging speeds

Who said electric vehicles don’t belong in the frigid cold? Kia’s smallest, most affordable EV, the EV2, achieved impressive range and charging performance in cold-weather testing, even though it’s still a prototype.

Kia EV2 outperforms during cold weather testing

A total of 24 electric vehicles participated in the 2026 El Prix Winter Test, widely considered one of the most challenging cold-weather tests.

The El Prix is held twice a year by the Norwegian Automobile Federation (NAF) and Motor Magazine, once in the winter and once in the summer, to test EV range and charging in real-world conditions.

Several Kia models were put to the test, including the EV4 and EV2. Since the EV2 is still a prototype, it wasn’t included in the NAF’s final results.

Kia said the entry-level electric car still completed the route under the same conditions as production EVs that are on sale today.

The tested vehicle, a Kia EV2 GT-Line, equipped with a 61 kWh battery and 19″ wheels, drove for more than five hours before finally stopping in Norway’s mountainous Jotunheimen region. Jotunheimen means “Home of the Giants,” if that gives you any indication of the terrain. It’s home to 29 of the tallest mountains in Norway.

Despite temperatures reaching as low as –31°C (-23.8 °F), this was the coldest El Prix on record. Nonetheless, the Kia EV2 covered 310 km (193 mi), which is within 25% of its target WLTP range.

WLTP figures for the EV2 have not yet been finalized, but Kia expects the long-range battery to deliver 448 km (278 mi) of range. The GT-Line trim with 19″ wheels is expected to deliver 413 km (256 mi), making it a deviation of -24.81%, which Kia claimed “places the prototype in first, ahead of the official participants.”

“This result serves as proof that the EV2 will continue to deliver reliable range even in extremely low temperatures,” Kia Europe’s vice president of product and marketing, Martinez Masip, said.

Masip added that “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 Kia EV2 prototype also charged from 10% to 80% under the same cold-weather conditions. That’s only six minutes more than its official rating.

Kia’s electric hatch, the EV4, drove 390 km (242 mi), which the company said was the best in its segment and price range.

Measuring just 4,060 mm (160″) long, the Kia EV2 is about the size of the Volkswagen ID.3 or the outgoing Chevy Bolt EV (not the UEV or new 2027 model). The EV2 with a 42.2 kWh standard range battery is currently in production at Kia AutoLand Slovakia in Žilina. Starting in June, Kia will add the 61 kWh long-range battery and GT-Line variants.

Kia has yet to announce final prices, but the entry-level electric car is expected to start at around €30,000 ($35,000).