Tips to drive your electric vehicle in cold weather

Hello people. This article gives you tips to drive your electric vehicle in cold weather.

How does cold weather impact your EV?

When the temperature drops below 40 degrees, an electric car’s battery produces less current. If the battery isn’t charged sufficiently, it can nearly become completely drained in a matter of hours if left in cold weather.

When temperature drops below 20 degrees, it can cause a significant decrease in the EV’s range. Driving and using the car’s heating system below this temperature decreases the average driving range of an EV.

Thefore it is important for drivers living in colder regions to take the necessary safeguards during winter.

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Consider these tips for your electric vehicle during cold weather.

Charge Smartly

Be sure to think ahead and plan when you need the most charge for your car.           Cold temperatures tend to slow down the electro-chemical processes that take place inside the battery, which therefore doesn’t perform as well when the temperature drops considerably, and its capacity is decreased.

In addition, when heating the interior, the battery consumes energy affecting your vehicle’s range. In cold weather, it’s even more important than normal to start your drive with a fully charged battery.

If you need to leave early for work and it’s going to be below 40 degrees overnight, set the overnight charge so that it finishes as close to when you need to leave as possible.

Precondition

Before driving out in the cold weather, turn on the heat around 30 minutes early, while the car is still plugged in. This warms up the battery so it keeps a better charge, and helps maximize the car’s driving range.

However, this needs to be done while the car is still charging to ensure no additional energy is used from the battery to warm up the car.

Heat the Seats

EVs do not have a gas-fueled engine. So, there’s no additional waste heat to help warm the car’s cabin as opposed to traditional vehicles. A good solution to this is to precondition the cabin, then, when it’s time to start driving, lower the cabin heater and instead use the heated seats and steering wheel. This maintains a more efficient battery and consumes less electricity than heating the entire cabin.

Use a Garage, When Possible

Keeping the electric vehicle inside garage during winter can be a major difference maker. The relative warmth of the garage will help keep the battery charged longer. Further, a battery left in the cold weather too long won’t perform as well as one kept in warmer air.

Use indoor parking facilities where possible

A super-chilled battery won’t perform as well, or take as much charge as a warmer one. So if you drive your EV in seriously cold climates, it will help the performance of battery by keeping your car parked in a garage.

If parking in a garage is not possible then try to park in a spot that will be in direct sunlight during the day. This way you will have a warmer battery and cabin when you get back in your car later.

You can also try indoor parking facilities at shopping centers, sporting events and any other opportunity where you have the option to park indoors rather than outdoors.

Check Your Tires Regularly

This tip applies to all vehicles that use inflated tires, but EVs can be impacted more by low tire pressure.

Every 10-degree dip in the ambient temperature can decrease tire pressure by one pound per square inch (PSI). The colder it gets, the lower your tire’s PSI becomes.

In order for EVs to maximize the full potential of its battery range, it’s crucial to maintain optimal air pressure. The proper pressure can increase the vehicle’s energy efficiency by 3% to 7%.

Use Eco Mode

The eco mode for each EV varies, but they all accomplish a similar goal of boosting mileage through reduced power consumption by limiting the energy supply to the drive motor and cabin heaters. This can help maximize the battery efficiency during cold weather.

Moreover, most EVs accelerate slightly slower in eco mode, since power is reduced to the motor. This can make your driving safer by limiting the chances of wheel spins on ice- or snow-covered roads.

Hope this article on tips to drive your electric vehicle in cold weather is useful to you. To read about jobs in the Electric Vehicle Industry, please visit Job opportunities in Electric Vehicle Sector and its Charging Infrastructure industry