The average electric vehicle (EV) loses about 20% of its range in freezing temperatures, according to a new study.
The study comes from Recurrent, a company that tracks EV battery life and uses machine learning to help owners care for their car’s batteries.
All Cars Lose Range in the Cold
All cars, regardless of their fuel source, lose range in the cold. The U.S. Department of Energy explains, “A conventional gasoline car’s gas mileage is roughly 15% lower at 20°F than it would be at 77°F. It can drop as much as 24% for short (3- to 4-mile) trips.”
Related: Electric Car Charging — Things to Know for Winter
Owners notice the problem less with gas-powered cars because those vehicles take only minutes to refuel. EV owners must plan for longer recharging sessions, so the concern can slow them down on long trips.
The Cold Causes No Permanent Damage
While the cars lost range in the cold, Recurrent says, they gain it back easily when the weather warms.
Significant Differences Model to Model
Recurrent researchers analyzed “real-world driving data from over 18,000 vehicles in the U.S. across 20 popular models” gathered over the last two winters.
The best-performing vehicle in the study, the Tesla Model X, kept 89% of its full range in temperatures between 32°F and 0°F.
The worst, the Volkswagen ID.4, kept just 63%.
The most important factor in preserving range, they found, was the presence of a heat pump. “Similar to an air conditioner running in reverse, a heat pump uses refrigerant and compression to produce hot air much more efficiently,” Recurrent explains. Some manufacturers use them to preserve battery range in the cold, and it seems to work.
Results By Model
Some Tesla models appear on the list both with and without a heat pump because Tesla sometimes changes car design during a production run, and has built some models with the feature and some without.
Tips for Preserving Your Charge in the Cold
If you already own an EV, Recurrent says, the best way to preserve its range when the mercury drops is to warm the car before you drive while it’s still plugged in. Use seat heaters and heated steering wheels to keep warm, rather than warming the cabin air as much as possible.
Chargers can work slower in cold weather, Recurrent notes. Drivers should plan for that and pre-condition the battery for charging if their EV allows it. Some EVs do this automatically when you set a charging station as a navigation destination.