Contents
- 1 How much will cold temperatures reduce the range of your electric car?
- 2 10 Ways to Improve Your EV’s Winter Driving Experience
- 3 Don’t charge your EV quickly when it’s cold.
- 4 Charge your EV very slowly at night
- 5 Be prepared for longer charging times.
- 6 Don’t let your battery die in cold weather.
- 7 Park your car in a heated area.
- 8 Preheat your EV before you go out.
- 9 Keep the heat low
- 10 Take advantage of lower levels of regenerative disconnection
- 11 Use Eco Mode
- 12 Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) Checklist
- 13 Is it safe to operate an electric car in sub-freezing temperatures?
10 tips for electric car maintaining your car in freezing conditions Winter is upon us, and if you have an electric car, you must be prepared. Why? Well, because your electric car’s performance drops when the temperature drops, and there are a few things you should know about using and caring for it in the winter.
- Charge at home if you can. …
- Explore community charging. …
- Sort out your ‘charger routine’ …
- Plan your routes. …
- Get advice from the EV community.
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How much will cold temperatures reduce the range of your electric car?
If you’ve ever used your smartphone in the cold, you know that batteries don’t work well when the temperature drops below 0°F. Since electric cars use batteries with the same chemistry, their performance drops as the temperature drops.
In addition, tests by the American Automobile Association (AAA) in 2019 [PDF] showed that the driving range at 20° F was 12% shorter than at 75° F.
This range drops to 41% when cabin heaters are used. So, it’s safe to say that your electric car’s range drops when it’s cold outside. But why does this happen? Well, there are two main reasons, but let’s first try to understand what a lithium-ion battery is.
10 Ways to Improve Your EV’s Winter Driving Experience
Now that we know why your EV doesn’t work well when the temperature drops below 0°F, we can talk about how you can improve your EV experience in the winter.
Don’t charge your EV quickly when it’s cold.
As already stated, lithium plating is the worst thing that can happen to a battery in cold weather. Not only that, but the effect is worse when the current used for charging is high. Therefore, it is recommended that you do not fast charge your EV when the temperature outside is below freezing.
Charge your EV very slowly at night
If you want to drive your EV for long distances, it’s best to give it a full Level 1 charge at night. Not only will this give you full charge in the morning, but it’s also a slow charge that won’t hurt the battery. Not only that, but if you don’t have a hot garage to charge your EV, slow charging will keep your battery warm and safeguard it from the cold weather.
Be prepared for longer charging times.
When it’s cold outside, the electrolytes in your battery slow down, so it takes longer to charge. Therefore, if you charge your phone when it’s cold outside, you should be prepared to take longer.
Don’t let your battery die in cold weather.
If you don’t use your car for a long time, you should charge it to 70% before you put it away. This will reduce the reactions that hurt your battery’s health. In addition, you should not leave your car overnight with a low battery percentage because it is not good for the health of your battery.
Park your car in a heated area.
If you have a garage where you can park your car at night, it is best to keep the temperature between 68 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit. Doing so will slow down the internal reactions that cause your EV battery to wear out, making it last longer and work better.
Preheat your EV before you go out.
Before going to work, it is best to slowly heat up your car while you are doing other things around the house. This will not only keep you warm while you’re out, but because it heats the car slowly, it won’t put too much stress on the battery pack while you’re driving. You can also connect a charging cable to your car while you heat it so that the power comes from the power adapter instead of the battery, providing you with more trips for the day.
Keep the heat low
If you want to travel in the winter, a car heater is the worst thing you can do for your battery. While it keeps you warm, it will reduce your battery’s range. So instead of turning the heater on, it’s best to use the heated seats and steering wheel to keep your body and hands warm. This will extend the range of your electric car so you don’t have to charge it as often.
Take advantage of lower levels of regenerative disconnection
Most electric vehicles have a range of regenerative braking options. This allows the electric vehicle to charge while using the brakes. In cold weather, a higher regeneration level set to a higher level can cause your car to skid on snow. Also, high levels of fuel cells can send high currents to the battery, damaging it as it gets colder.
Use Eco Mode
If you don’t want to race your electric car around the track, it’s best to put it in ECO mode when it’s cold outside. This will give you a longer range and put less stress on your battery, which will be better for its health.
Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) Checklist
Even though driving an electric car is different than driving a car with an internal combustion engine (ICE), it still has components like tires and windshield wipers that don’t perform well in cold weather. So, a new set of wipers and snow tires is best.
Is it safe to operate an electric car in sub-freezing temperatures?
An electric vehicle is a different kind of driving; it has many bells and whistles. That said, winter weather is the Achilles heel of electric vehicles because it affects the chemistry of the rechargeable batteries that power them. If EV owners have smart battery saving systems and know how to handle their EVs properly, they can make the most of them.
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