Cold Temperature And Winter Weather Tips For Electric Car Driving

When the cold sets in, what should you be doing to maximize your EV driving experience?

Winter weather and bitter cold can reduce the range of your electric car, but with these few top tips and tricks, you can recover some of that lost range.

Winter is now right around the corner for the majority of the U.S. and so too is the cold weather that comes with it. As we all know by now, batteries don’t much care for extreme cold. Therefore, it’s important to understand that cold will decrease your electric car’s range, but some tips will help gain some miles back.

This is just a general primer for driving an EV in the cold. Look for us to present some in-depth analysis on cold-weather driving and the impact on specific models in the coming weeks.

Precondition

Just about every new EV sold today offers preconditioning features. Preconditioning allows the owner to heat or cool the battery and cabin as needed.

You should use the precondition function as much as possible, preferably while connected to a 240-volt charging source. By using preconditioning to preheat the battery and passenger cabin, you’ll leave with a fully charged and heated battery, plus a warm cabin. 

Preconditioning varies by model, so consult your owner’s manual for more information.