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Cold vs Warm Weather in an Electric Vehicle
Every electric vehicle (EV) suffers from range degradation in cold ambient conditions. Battery chemistry slows down when it gets cold resulting in less available energy for the car. If some of the battery’s energy is used to warm itself to a more efficient operating temperature, that too will reduce the state of charge and the car’s overall efficiency. The exact amount depends on how low the temperature is, and how much energy is needed to warm the batteries and the passenger cabin, which can be as much as 40% if you aren’t aware of the best practices to help deal with it.
However, EVs are not alone, gas-powered cars are also less efficient due to cold engine oil and increased idling when warming the car. This too will reduce fuel economy in freezing conditions by an average of 15–20%.
Here is an example from my daily commute that shows the difference in efficiency from warm vs cold weather, using TeslaFi to log all of my Tesla Model 3 data. This is from June 24, 2020, and shows my morning commute to work at around 6 am. The average temp for the drive was 75 degrees (24c), the road conditions were dry and my average speed was 60 miles per hour. My efficiency over my 67-mile drive was nearly 89% and used 15.49kWh of battery. Comparing that to December 11, 2020, where the average temp for the same drive was 39 degrees (4c) with dry road conditions and the same average speed of 60 miles an hour. But, you will see the efficiency has dropped to 72% and consumed 20.44kWh of battery. This is about a 20% difference due to the temperature being 35 degrees (20c) cooler.
But, there are a few things EV drivers can do in winter to ensure you are getting the best possible efficiency:
Heating up your cabin and batteries BEFORE you unplug the car means you’ll have the best range possible because your car won’t need to use its own internal battery power to get up to temperature. Many electric vehicles have in-car settings that will ensure it reaches it set…
