In the cold, a lithium-ion battery works more slowly, and heating your cabin and battery costs range. Without precautions, battery performance can drop by up to 25% at -9 °C (source: ICCT).
These tips will help you get through the winter:
Park indoors if you have a garage. At a moderate temperature, your battery holds its charge better and you charge faster. Parking outside? Use a cover against snow and park your car out of the wind, for example behind a wall.
Warm up your car 30 to 60 minutes in advance using the pre-heating or preconditioning function. Keep your car plugged in to the charging station while doing so, so your battery doesn't have to supply the heat. Leaving without pre-heating? Then let your car warm up for a few minutes after starting it.
Keep your battery sufficiently charged. Many EVs reserve 15 to 20% to warm up the battery. Below about 20%, this can become difficult. Around 50% is a good level, and between 20 and 80% is ideal for daily use. In winter, you can also charge up to 100% to make up for the loss caused by the cold.
Use ECO mode to use less energy and increase your range. Your car will accelerate more slowly, though.
Never let your battery run completely flat. According to the blog, a completely empty battery is much more sensitive to frost than a charged one.
Use seat and steering wheel heating instead of heating the whole car. This saves a lot of energy.
Protect your charging cable and connector from moisture and frost. If the cable is not permanently attached, store it in your car or in a sheltered place after charging. Close the flap or cap of the connector. If there is no cap, hang the connector with the opening facing down, but don't let it touch the ground.
Read the full article on our blog: Tips for driving and charging electric during the cold winter months
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