If anyone still believes electric cars crumble in extreme cold, Kia just delivered a timely reality check. Even as a prototype, the EV2—Kia’s smallest and most affordable EV—put in a surprisingly strong showing during the brutal El Prix Winter Test in Norway.
Organized by the Norwegian Automobile Federation and Motor Magazine, El Prix is widely regarded as one of the toughest EV tests anywhere. Temperatures plunged to –31°C, making the 2026 edition the coldest on record. While 24 EVs took part, the EV2 wasn’t included in the final rankings because it’s still pre-production. That said, Kia ran it under the same conditions as customer-ready vehicles—and the results were hard to ignore.
The tested EV2 GT-Line, equipped with a 61 kWh battery and 19-inch wheels, managed 310 km (193 miles) through Norway’s mountainous Jotunheimen region—an area literally called the “Home of the Giants.” Based on Kia’s expected WLTP target of 413 km for this configuration, that’s a deviation of just under 25%, placing it effectively at the top of the field in cold-weather efficiency.
Charging performance was equally telling. The EV2 charged from 10% to 80% in extreme cold only six minutes slower than its official rating—an area where many EVs struggle badly.
In context, that’s impressive. At roughly 4,060 mm long, the EV2 sits in the same footprint as the Volkswagen ID.3 or the old Chevy Bolt EV, but with newer battery tech and better thermal management. Kia’s larger EV4 also impressed at El Prix, covering 390 km, reinforcing that this wasn’t a one-off fluke.
Final take: The EV2’s performance suggests Kia isn’t just building affordable EVs—it’s engineering them for the real world. If pricing lands near the expected €30,000, the EV2 could become one of Europe’s most convincing entry-level electric cars, especially for buyers who don’t want winter anxiety baked into ownership.
