
How the cold affects an EV differently
With thousands of vehicles in our inventory, we’re here to help make car research easier for you. We’ve partnered with car review experts from Edmunds to weigh in on what matters most when you’re looking to buy a truck or car.
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Just as winter approaches, so do the reports of electric vehicles being stranded in frigid temperatures at charger stations or along the road. The same can happen to gas-powered vehicles, but it's EVs that make the headlines since the cold has a more pronounced effect on range, efficiency, and charging speeds.
A cold weather study of EVs in freezing temperatures by Recurrent Auto, an EV battery research firm, examined over 10,000 vehicles and found that, on average, electric vehicles lose nearly 30% of their range. With this in mind, the car experts at Edmunds have rounded up some tips on how to improve your EV's range in cold weather.
How Does the Cold Affect EVs?

There are three main factors for how the cold weather can impact an EV.
We need to get scientific for a moment. Cold temperatures slow down the chemical reactions that occur in an EV battery. Electrolytes are the battery component that transfers ions—charge-carrying particles—back and forth between the two electrodes, causing the battery to charge and discharge. In colder conditions, these electrolytes become thick or viscous, making it harder for the ions to travel to the cathode, reducing efficiency. Put differently, imagine that you were thirsty and needed a bottle of water. However, you accidentally left the bottle in the freezer too long, and the water is now slushy, making it a lot harder to drink than if it were at room temperature.
The second is charging, and the same viscous electrolyte problem applies here too. If the temperature is too low, the battery will have trouble storing the energy from the charge plug. The battery must be brought up to the proper temperature to charge at its full potential. If the EV has not been preconditioned (heating the battery to a more ideal temperature), or if it isn't equipped with a thermal management system, Recurrent says that the first 30-45 minutes of your charging session may not add any charge but instead just raise the battery's temperature to prepare for the actual charging.
The third factor is that when it’s cold, most people will usually run the heater. However, an EV needs to use more energy to create that heat, whereas a gas-powered car can redirect the heat naturally generated from the engine.
Tips to Extend an EV's Range in the Cold
Precondition both the battery and the cabin.
Ideally, you should charge the car in your garage to minimize the impact of the cold. Many EVs will allow you to schedule charging. Set it to finish shortly before you plan on leaving the house. You'll also want to turn on the car's heaters while it is still charging. This approach ensures that both the cabin and battery will be warm without any impact on the range.
If you're on the road and need to fast-charge, make sure to set the EV to precondition the battery to get to the proper temperature for charging. You can manually set it to precondition in the charge settings, but some newer EVs do it automatically when you use the in-car navigation to route to a charger. This feature does use up some energy, so don't use it if you're cutting it close with your remaining range, but it can save you time and money spent on the public charger.
Use seat and steering wheel heaters.

These accessories consume less power than a typical heater and can still keep you warm on your journey. If it's not too bulky, you might also consider leaving your jacket on, which should help with keeping warm in combination with the seat heaters.
Check your tire pressure.
As a rule of thumb, every 10-degree drop in temperature can reduce the pressure of your tires by 1 psi. Tires that are low on pressure can not only reduce grip but can also reduce your vehicle's range.
Always be charging.

Even if your EV has a high enough charge for your commute, it can be a good idea to keep it plugged in as much as possible during the colder months. Recurrent recommends setting the charge limit anywhere between 70% and 80% because this keeps the battery at an ideal temperature. With this method, the vehicle will use the power from the outlet to keep it warm rather than drawing from the battery itself.
Consider an EV with a heat pump.
An EV heat pump is a device that generates heat for the cabin more efficiently than a basic EV heater. Having a heat pump puts less strain on the battery and reduces the range penalty that would otherwise occur. Some cars have better thermal management than others and will lose less range in freezing temperatures.
Heat pumps are standard in many, but not all, modern electric vehicles. Unfortunately, it can be hard to tell which models have a heat pump just by looking at them. You'll need to do some research on the year, make, and model of the EV you're interested in. Some notable models with heat pumps include the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6 and EV9, Subaru Solterra, Toyota bZ4X, 2021 and newer Teslas, Jaguar I-Pace, the recent BMW i models, and more.
Consider winter EV tires.
If you live in an area that regularly experiences freezing temperatures, a good set of winter tires designed for an EV will help maximize its range since there is less rolling resistance. Additionally, winter tires are typically noisier than non-winter tires, and given that EVs operate quietly, a good-quality winter tire can help minimize road noise that would be more noticeable in an EV.
Don't Let the Cold Scare You Off

We're not pointing this issue out to scare you off from buying an EV if you live in a colder climate but rather to educate you on how the cold affects them in distinctly different ways than gas cars. For perspective, the cold hasn't scared people off people in Norway, where EV adoption is over 80%, and the average winter temperature is about 19.8 degrees Fahrenheit. In other words, with the proper precautions, most people should be OK with an EV in the winter.