It takes more planning and preparation to drive in the winter. Anyone who drives with an ice scraper, a shovel, or sand in their trunk knows this. However, electric vehicle owners are not the only ones. In cold weather, electric cars work well. More than two-thirds of its power is electric when you buy a new car or truck.
You will get answers to some of the most common questions about how electric cars work in cold weather. And tips on how to get the most out of your electric vehicle in cold weather.
How do electric cars start in cold weather? Electric vehicles are more reliable than gas-powered cars when cold outside because they can start more quickly.
A 12-volt battery of lead-acid starts most electric cars, but not all. When you start an electric vehicle, it is much easier and takes a lot less power than when you start a gas-powered vehicle. This is because the battery in a gas-powered car has to start the engine and get the pistons pumping in oil that has become thick in the cold. The same battery needs to start a few things when you drive an electric car.
Do electric cars lose efficiency when it is cold?
In the winter, the fuel efficiency of electric cars goes down, just like in an internal combustion car.
In February 2020, the American Automobile Association (AAA) did lab tests on electric cars and found that when the temperature was 20 degrees F, the range of the vehicles went down by 12 percent, compared to when the temperature was 75 degrees F. When the cabin heater was on, the loss of range went up by 41%.
The Norwegian Automobile Federation (NAF) did a more detailed study of 20 cars in real-world winter driving conditions in 2021. It found that EVs lost 18.5 percent of their range on average, but some more recent models lost only 9 percent. These figures included climate controls that kept the cabin at a comfortable temperature.
For electric cars, the main reason for a shorter battery range in the winter is the heater in the cabin. In addition, EVs run on electricity from the battery, which means they use more fuel than cars that run on gas.
It is essential to compare this to cars that run on gas. An electric vehicle loses 41% of its available electricity in cold weather. On the other hand, a gas-powered vehicle loses energy all the time just by running the engine.
In some models, up to 62% of the energy in gasoline is lost as heat when it is burned. This is based on how the model is built. This makes electric cars more fuel-efficient than gas-powered cars even in the winter, even though it is cold outside.
Optimized EV Heating for the Winter
There are a lot of fuel-efficient heat pumps in many electric cars, and some cars have "cold weather packages" that warm the battery before the vehicle is plugged in and provide more powerful heating when the car is plugged in, among other things. Unfortunately, EV charging speeds slow down in cold weather. It might not make a difference if you are charging your car in a safe place with an insulated EV charger. But at higher charging speeds and in colder temperatures, the conductivity of the battery drops, which slows down the charging process.
Another thing that makes regenerative braking less efficient in cold weather is that it only works when the battery gets hot enough.
Use these cold-weather tips if you own an electric car!
Pre-heat your electric car. With most electric car apps, you can set the heater to start 10 to 15 minutes before unplugging the vehicle and driving away. You may then be able to keep warm only with the seat and steering wheel heaters, which use less electricity. It is also possible to time your charging session to end right before you leave. People who have the battery warm before they use it are more efficient.
Make sure you drive with just one foot on the road! Approach a stoplight by taking your foot off the accelerator and letting the car slow down with regenerative braking, slowing the electric car down. This will only produce a small amount of electricity.
Make a plan for your routes. Have a backup plan for charging while you are on the road. A phone app called PlugShare can show you where public charging stations are if they have been plowed first.
Fill your tires. Every 10 degrees F that the temperature drops, tires lose about 2% of their air pressure, which means they lose more air pressure in cold weather. This makes them more difficult to roll and less efficient.
On the highway, slow down a little. It is less efficient to convert chemical energy into electricity when EVs move quickly. People who drive on roads use more electricity, but they do not use it.
