Electric cars have fewer problems than diesel and petrol cars. They require less maintenance, are less often parked on the side of the road and perform better in a variety of situations, partly due to the higher torque and the built-in safety systems, which are not self-evident in older petrol and diesel cars.
However, there is one situation in which the electric car does suffer from the circumstances. In freezing temperatures, the range suffers from the cold. It is often pointed out that this has to do with the heating in the car, but that is only half the story. Even without heating on, the range is significantly lower, up to 50% in older electric cars. This has to do with the batteries. They do not perform optimally at very low temperatures. Time to look at how this works exactly and what you can do yourself to keep the range reasonable.
How does cold affect my range?
The cold has a negative effect on the range. This is twofold. On the one hand, the heating is on as standard when driving in the winter; comfort is so much nicer. The heating draws energy and that comes from the same battery that determines the range. In other words; you trade kilometers for warmth, so as not to come to work with frozen hands and toes.
On the other side is the story of the battery. Modern batteries are capable of delivering brilliant performances, but that is especially true at temperatures above 0. Now it is not the case that the battery immediately loses half of its power when the mercury drops below 10 degrees Celsius, but as soon as it gets colder than 5 degrees, the range decreases. If it really freezes hard, you can expect the range to decrease by 30%.
The dashboard displays the range of your electric car. If you are driving in freezing temperatures, you will see a lower range. Note that the conditions have already been included in the calculation; the displayed range is calculated based on the current conditions. This means that you do not have to subtract another 30% from the range yourself; the on-board computer has already done that.
Wouldn't it be better to drive petrol or diesel in winter?
Not really. Although the cold has negative effects on the range of the electric car, the EV is still the best choice in the winter. For petrol and diesel cars, consumption also increases during the winter months compared to the number of kilometres driven. The winter cold is also more damaging to cars that run on fossil fuels.
The electric car usually stays overnight on the charger. This means that the battery of the EV stays much warmer than the battery under the hood of a diesel or petrol. This means that you can safely count on the electric car giving much less problems during a cold start. Also because there is never really a cold start when the EV comes off the charger.
How do I ensure that the range remains optimal even in extreme cold?
There are a number of ways in which you can increase the range yourself during freezing temperatures. For example, it is wise to preheat the car before you start driving. Heating the interior costs a lot of energy. If you do this while the car is still on the charger, you do not use any battery energy, which can then be fully used for the range.
Another tip is to experiment with the temperature in the car. You may be used to turning the heating on full blast from the days of petrol or diesel cars, but that is not something we can recommend with an EV. Dress a little warmer and turn the heating down a bit, as this will significantly increase the range.
Prevent a frozen charging cable
The last tip we want to give you is to prevent a frozen charging cable. Not because this benefits the range, but because it is good for the EV, the charging cable and the charging station itself. The freezing cold can cause the charging cable to get stuck. You can prevent this by spraying the charging cable (especially the ends) with silicone spray. If you have provided the places where the cable itself (so not the plugs) touches the station or car with silicone, the cable will not freeze.
Are you reading this too late and do you have a damaged charging cable because you had to pull it loose after freezing? Then take a look at us; we have all the charging cables for electric cars . If you can't find what you're looking for, just contact us so we can help you personally.
Can I use the electric car in winter or not?
There is no reason why you cannot use your electric car in the winter. Take into account a somewhat lower range and try to turn down the heating a bit. Another point that is important to mention are the winter tires. Winter tires themselves always have a negative effect on the range, but they are very important. The electric car is considerably heavier than the car with a combustion engine; you will notice this immediately when it is slippery. Therefore, always make sure that you have good winter tires on your EV when driving in the winter and regularly check the tread depth so that you can be sure that you can continue to drive safely.
