How cold is too cold to drive an electric car? Here's a rundown of how to make your EV more efficient to adapt to winter conditions.
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As electric vehicles (EVs) become increasingly popular, many potential buyers are concerned about their performance in winter conditions.
Are electric cars cut out for driving in the cold?
From reduced range to slower charging, here’s how to get the most from your EV during winter weather.
Does cold weather affect electric vehicles?
Like humans, cars prefer ambient temperatures and cold weather will cause all cars - petrol, diesel, and electric - to function less efficiently.
A flat battery, a faulty alternator, or a problem with the starter motor can result in an internal combustion engine (ICE) car struggling to start in winter. EVs, however, face unique challenges due to battery chemistry.
Low temperatures reduce battery capacity and range. Capacity is essentially the amount of energy the battery can hold and how quickly it can discharge it so recharging will take longer.
In extreme cold, the charging points can also be affected and the result can be a considerably slower charging time so you can expect to spend longer at charging stations during winter.
How does a drop in temperature affect EV batteries?
EV batteries store and release energy; colder weather slows down this process.
Models with heat pumps and advanced thermal systems perform better, retaining more range than those without.
Generally, an EV’s range can drop up to 30 per cent in moderate winter weather, with reductions reaching 32 per cent in harsher conditions.
The Norwegian Automobile Federation (NAF) regularly tests EVs in winter and summer to provide insights into range loss.
In a recent winter test, 23 vehicles drove on a mix of urban and rural roads at temperatures between -2°C and -10°C, each starting on a full charge and being driven until depleted.
Results showed that while all models lost range, the extent varied significantly.
For example, the top-performing models retained most of their advertised range: the HiPhi Z led with 522 km, just 5.9 per cent below its Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP) rating, followed by the NIO ET5 at 481 km and Hyundai’s IONIQ 6 at 468 km.
Tesla’s Model 3, however, achieved almost 30 per cent less than its advertised range.
Other results varied widely, BMW's i5 lost only 12.2 per cent of its range, while Toyota's bZ4X, Volvo's C40 Recharge, and Polestar's Long Range models dropped close to 30-31 per cent.
Energy consumption also fluctuated, with Ford’s F-150 Lightning consuming 49.2 per cent more energy per 100 km than rated.
A study by Recurrent in the US also found similar range differences across models, noting that the Audi e-tron retains up to 80 per cent of its range at 0°C, while the Ford F-150 Lightning retains only 64 per cent.
Thanks to well-designed thermal systems, models like the Hyundai Kona Electric can even exceed their official rated range in cold temperatures.
These tests underscore the importance of transparent range expectations. Real-world testing like this offers crucial insights into how EVs handle winter’s chill, equipping consumers with vital knowledge for cold-weather driving.
Minimising cold weather impact on EV range
You may not be able to control the weather but there is a host of ways to minimise the impact of cold temperatures on your range.
When charging overnight, you can schedule preconditioning for the time you’re setting off. This allows you to pre-heat the car's cabin before you start your journey that way you reduce the strain on the battery by using external power rather than the EV’s stored energy.
Once on the road, turning the heating on is the quickest way to lose range so use heated seats and a heated steering wheel instead as these use less energy than heating the entire cabin, making them an efficient choice for staying warm.
Look out also for an EV with a heat pump. A heat pump transfers heat from cooler areas to warmer ones managing temperature control for the cabin and the battery.
It’s worth buying a car equipped with one or spending extra on one if offered as an option.
Finally, ensure your tyres are properly inflated as this helps the battery last longer and check tyre pressure regularly as any imbalance in tyre pressure can affect your energy efficiency.
Technological advances in cold weather performance
Recent advancements are making EVs more resilient in cold climates, addressing the challenges of reduced range and slower charging times.
A new high-energy lithium-ion battery from China’s Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics performs reliably at temperatures as low as -60°C and boasts an energy density over 280 Wh/kg.
Similarly, an electrolyte blend with ethyl acetate and high lithium salt concentrations, highlighted in New Scientist, allows EVs to function down to -20°C, with potential future operability between -40°C and 60°C.
Winter charging improvements include StoreDot’s silicon-based batteries, which reach 80 per cent capacity at -10°C and retain up to 85 per cent of their range.
Greater Bay Technology’s Phoenix cell can charge to 80 per cent in just six minutes at -20°C, supported by electric pulse heating technology that warms batteries quickly without damaging their lifespan.
Thermal management systems are also evolving, with innovations like Valeo’s smart heat pump, which extends EV range by 30 per cent in winter.
These technological strides help EVs maintain efficiency and reliability year-round, equipping drivers to navigate winter conditions with confidence, and paving the way for broader adoption in cold climates.
Euronews