As cold weather swept across the nation in January, some electric vehicle (EV) owners learned a bitter truth: Extreme low temperatures can debilitate an EV and cause problems at charging stations. A 2023 Consumer Reports investigation showed EVs can lose efficiency in cold weather and a study by Recurrentfound that below-freezing temperatures reduced driving range up to 30% on 18 popular models.
The shorter range can be unexpected for some EV owners, becoming problematic as they hunt for an available charger or, worse, get stranded in frigid conditions.
EVs are affected by cold weather, due to chemical and physical reactions in their batteries, requiring more time for charging, according to Recurrent. Gas-powered cars can tap into the motor’s heat to warm a vehicle’s interior, but EV batteries must warm themselves, while also trying to heat the car’s interior. The good news: Cold weather does not do long-term damage to an EV battery, Recurrrent notes.
In many cold regions, EV owners have learned a few tricks for improving performance and charging times, including the following from Consumer Reports:
- Warm up the car’s cabin while it is still hooked up to a charger.
- Precondition the battery. Most EVs will warm the battery if the driver sets the vehicle’s navigation system to a DC fast charging station.
- Lower the heat in the cabin and drive more slowly.
- Keep the battery charge level above 20% during bitterly cold weather.
Automakers are investigating better ways to protect and improve battery life – but in the short term, experts say to heed warnings and follow the above advice.
