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Electric cars operate great in the cold, you just need to be aware of potential, temporary range loss, and use a forethought to combat it.
It's important to know that like gas cars, electric vehicles do lose range in cold weather. A lot of energy is spent heating the cabin of the car. A cold battery also cannot charge as effectively as a warm one, so a lot of the time you might spend “charging” a cold battery is really spent heating up the battery. These performance issues only last as long as the temperature is below freezing, but they are significant enough that you’ll want to plan ahead to avoid complications if you’re driving in cold weather.
Fortunately, it’s pretty easy to prepare an EV for cold weather driving. Preconditioning your EV battery, warming it up while it’s still plugged-in, saves your battery life for the road instead of draining it just to get to a comfortable temperature. Many EVs come with apps that allow you to precondition your car with the touch of a button, or even on a timer.
Since most of the range loss comes from using the HVAC to keep the interior of the car warm, try to use seat warmers and steering wheel heaters instead, which are more targeted and use less energy. Or, you can save on heat the old fashioned way, by wearing your coat and gloves while you drive. Anticipate longer charging times and check your route before you leave in case you need to stop. Don’t panic if you get caught in a winter storm. EVs can idle for over two days on a full charge.
Dive Deeper:
- Winter & Cold Weather EV Range 10,000+ Cars
- Study: EV Charging Speeds in Cold Temperatures
- Cold Weather Idling in an EV
