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You can maximize your electric vehicle’s range in cold weather by preconditioning your EV, reducing your cabin heat, and by driving efficiently.
Some range loss in freezing temperatures is unavoidable because the chemical reactions within the EV battery happen more slowly at lower temperatures. However, much of the range loss in cold weather is a result of keeping the car’s battery warm - and keeping the driver and passengers toasty. Using the heater in the cabin requires a lot of battery power. It’s more effective, and it will save your battery life, to turn the blower down and use heated seats and steering wheels, instead. Cars outfitted with heat pumps also see less range loss in cold weather.
Preconditioning your car is really important if you want to maximize your cold weather range. If you warm up the car while it’s still plugged in, you save your EV battery the need to spend energy heating itself and the rest of the car. You can hit the road fully charged and comfortably warm.
The more efficiently you drive, the more range you will get from your EV battery, no matter the weather. Driving at moderate speeds, accelerating and decelerating gradually, utilizing regenerative braking, reducing your use of auxiliary power, and choosing energy-saving routes are all easy ways to improve efficiency.
Dive Deeper:
- Winter & Cold Weather EV Range 10,000+ Cars
- Is Cabin Heat Killing Your EV Range in the Winter?
- Heat Pumps: Cold Weather Myth or Worth it?
