Do you need to be more prepared for cold weather challenges when charging your electric vehicle? Some people are spending their first winter with their EVs.
Cold temperatures can have an adverse effect on electric vehicle batteries and driving range. During colder weather, many people will operate the heater, which takes electricity from the batteries, reducing the driving range. Additionally, the battery should be warmed up to provide the best overall performance. Warming the batteries takes energy as well.
Here are some great tips to help new EV owners understand how to charge their electric vehicle properly during cold weather.
Charging sessions could be longer
Unlike a gas tank, which controls how much gasoline is dispensed into the tank, an electric vehicle controls the charging speed into the batteries, not the charger. The EV’s software could reduce the charging power and charging speed when temperatures are low. This is done in an effort to protect the batteries, but it means you’ll spend more time at the charger waiting for the batteries to reach the desired level. Be prepared to spend more time at public chargers or for your EV to be plugged in longer to your home charger.
Colder temperature reduces driving range
The cold weather you’re facing reduces the charging range of your electric vehicle. Often, overnight drops in temperature can drastically reduce an EV’s driving range, especially when you must begin your drive in the dark during winter. Some EVs are programmed to predict these range reductions and will adjust the console reading for the changes, but not all EVs have this feature. Just remember, you will have less driving range in cold winter weather than when it’s warm outside.
Drive more conservatively
The same rules apply to EVs as gas-powered vehicles. When you want to get more efficiency and driving range out of your vehicle during cold weather, you need to drive conservatively. This means accelerating smoothly and braking smoothly on the road. Maintain a steady speed and leave plenty of room to slow down gently when it’s time to stop. This conservative driving can save you a few extra miles of driving range, which will be important when you’re facing the cold weather of winter.
Where are the chargers?
Unless there are electric vehicle chargers at your work location, you’ll want to know the location of public chargers along your route. When cold weather impacts your electric vehicle, you might need to use a public charger more often than normal. Until EVs are more popular, we won’t see chargers on every corner like we do gas stations. Understand the relationship between your EV’s shortened driving range and the location of the nearest public charger. This will help you plan your route and find the right way to get to and from work every day.
Make use of regenerative braking
One way to send power back to the batteries while driving is through the regenerative braking system. Some drivers avoid using this system because they don’t like the way it feels compared to driving a gas-powered car. During winter, you should make the most use of this system to send power to your batteries and potentially increase the driving range. Using this system also allows you to save your regular brakes for when you need them.
Keep your EV covered whenever possible
One of the best ways to improve the driving range of your electric vehicle during cold weather is to park indoors or keep the vehicle covered whenever possible. Warmer temperatures help to prevent slow charging speeds and preserve the charge much longer than when the vehicle is parked in the cold. If you must park outdoors, cover your vehicle with a tarp or car cover to make it easy to get snow and ice off of your vehicle when it’s time to drive.
Used the cold weather features of your electric vehicle
Most EVs have features to prepare the vehicle for driving in sub-zero temperatures. The pre-conditioning feature warms your battery before you begin your drive, which helps optimize its performance for faster charging and better driving range. Another way to help save your driving range is to use seat heaters instead of the air heating system during your drive. If you can stay warm enough using the seat heaters, you’ll save some energy that can be used for your driving range.
Bonus Tip: Take care of your tires during winter driving. No matter the type of vehicle, your tires are important and should remain properly inflated during all driving conditions, especially when the winter cold arrives.
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