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How Do Electric Cars Perform in the Winter?
Reading time 5 minutes
Categories Electric Vehicles (EVs) »
We are hiring! Are you an experienced technician? Join our outstanding team »
How Do Electric Cars Perform in the Winter?
Reading time 5 minutes
Categories Electric Vehicles (EVs) »
During the winter months, certain tasks can become more difficult.
For instance, when the temperature plummets and the snow falls, people tend to avoid driving long distances to avoid icy roads which can sometimes become perilous.
As more and more people start to drive electric cars (EVs), it’s natural to wonder how these cars perform when the mercury drops.
In this article, the team here at The Windscreen Company will take a look at how EVs perform in the winter, as well as provide you with our top driving tips for the colder months.
If you’ve ever driven a petrol or diesel car during winter, you’ll know only too well the problems that cold weather can cause.
Whether it’s frozen fluid, dead batteries or having to defrost vehicles when leaving the house, the cold can cause havoc to our cars. With this in mind, you may question the effect of lower temperatures on EVs.
Typically, EVs use lithium-ion batteries. These batteries work by moving lithium ions from anodes to cathodes inside the battery, which generates the electricity that is needed for the car to move. However, cold weather slows down this movement, which reduces electricity production and can impact the overall battery performance. With this in mind, the cold weather definitely has a negative impact on battery life with range dropping by an average of 10%-20% in the winter.
Despite this, electric cars do still tend to perform better than petrol or diesel vehicles in cold and icy conditions. This is because the design of the cars, where the batteries are located as low to the ground as possible, helping to keep a low centre of gravity; this makes the vehicle easier to handle and provides it with better traction. However, as EVs tend to be heavier than traditional cars, it’s important to drive more slowly and cautiously as they can be harder to bring back under control if they slip or slide.
If you own an EV, there are a number of things you can do to ensure performance is maximised and it remains safe to drive during winter. These include:
The warmer your EV, the more likely it is to maintain its charge when you’re out and about. With this in mind, when it’s not in use you should try and keep it in a warmer environment. This can be toastily kept inside a garage or using a tarpaulin cover to try and retain as much heat as possible.
It’s always worth warming up your car before setting off on a journey. This will prepare the vehicle for the drive ahead and ensure as much power as possible is retained during the journey. Using the battery to warm up the car can be inefficient, which is why many EVs come with a ‘preconditioning’ feature. This allows the vehicle to be warmed up while still plugged in so you don’t need to worry about losing battery life.
Many EVs use regenerative braking features which means that when you slow down or brake, the car’s electric motor will send more energy back to the battery. This way, you can maximise the battery’s range and give your battery an extra boost as you drive.
During cold weather when batteries are not always performing to their maximum, this feature is more important than ever. To ensure it’s working to the best of its ability you should warm up the battery before a journey using the preconditioning feature.
If you’re driving in a notoriously icy area or on a day when the roads are looking particularly treacherous, EVs can make use of winter tyres. These tyres have extra grooves in them that help to improve traction and stay softer in colder temperatures, making it less likely your vehicle will slip or skid.
When conditions are uncertain, it’s always sensible to plan your route in advance.
This is particularly the case if you’re travelling somewhere new or heading out on a long journey. Make sure to take note of where public charging points are located. As battery capacity can be reduced when it’s cold, it’s always worth knowing where you can stop to recharge.
At The Windscreen Company, we’ve spent more than 20 years providing leading windscreen services to a whole host of customers across the West Midlands and South East. From domestic customers who need to get from A to B to large commercial fleets, we work with vehicles of every make and model. You can check out all of the models that we service on our website.
To book an electric and hybrid car windscreen repair or replacement or to find out more about the services we offer to every type of vehicle, get in touch with The Windscreen Company today.
The Windscreen Company, has over 20 years of experience in windscreen repair and replacement. Since 1998, they have been at the forefront of industry innovation, leveraging the latest technology to ensure customer safety and satisfaction.
The Windscreen Company's, help-and-advice pages offer valuable tips and guidance on maintaining vehicle safety through quality windscreen care, while also featuring updated industry realted content.
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