Much like most car owners when winter arrives, drivers of electric vehicles or owners looking to purchase their first EV may have questions and worries about how well they work in the winter, which is a valid worry – especially in Canada where our winters are known to be much colder than many other countries around the world and where the cold temperatures last longer.
This article will explain how cold weather can affect electric vehicles and what you as an EV owner or future owner can do to help prevent any issues that may arise, while also understanding how EVs work and why cold weather affects them more than their gasoline-using counterparts.
Why are electric vehicles affected by cold weather?
Vehicles that run on gasoline are impacted by cold weather, along with electric vehicles, of course, that can reduce distance ability, how well everything works together, and the like. Electric vehicles themselves are affected by cold weather because they are powered by lithium-ion batteries. These batteries are highly sensitive to temperatures – hot or cold. The colder and more extreme the temperatures, it can reduce the efficiency of lithium-ion batteries and that in turn – affects the performance of electric cars.
Adapting to the winter months and the weather is important. As an example, in Norway, 74% of all cars sold in 2022 were battery-powered, and that is important since they also have northern winters to contend with and their vehicles run perfectly fine and well all year round.
How does cold weather affect electric vehicles?
Cold weather can affect electric vehicles in a myriad of ways, such as:
- Increased charging times. Electric vehicles like to be comfortable at certain temperatures to charge efficiently, since they are, once again, powered by lithium-ion. Much like how our cell phones seem to use up power faster and take longer to charge when it’s cold – EVs operate the same way for their batteries. When it’s too cold, they take longer to charge. A good idea is to take into account the longer charging time needed and ensure that your commute and travel times include the extra time needed.
- Reduced range. EV owners can expect to lose about 10-20% fewer kilometres in range compared to the spring or summer when the weather is warmer, which reduces even further when the conditions are icy and slow-moving, hence more time spent in your car and draining the batteries. If you tend to not top up your car battery before taking off to work or while travelling, be sure to do so in the winter to ensure that you can arrive at your destination without any mishaps or getting stranded.
Reduced range can be as harsh as 40% range loss, depending on your electric vehicle make, model, and battery performance/battery type, and of course how often your car gets used and the distances needing to be travelled. Many owners can be caught off guard by how drastic the range change is between seasons and it is arguably the most important factor to keep in mind to remember and know.
- Reduced battery life. Cold batteries, as mentioned above, have a smaller capacity than warm ones, which means that electric vehicles cannot hold as much charge in the winter months as they do in the spring or summer. Cold weather slows down the chemical reaction that generates power, thereby weakening the battery power and reducing its lifespan as you drive in the cold.
How can EV owners prepare for cold winter weather and potential emergencies?
If you are an EV owner or are looking to switch over to an electric vehicle, pre-conditioning and setting your car up for success before the winter months really hit is well worth the effort, along with keeping your car maintained and taken care of during the season itself. Some help the car and some are more for owners, but they do still help with performance, such as heated seats and steering wheels.
A few ways you can prepare for cold weather and winter emergencies are:
- Keeping the battery warm: The biggest challenge in the winter is keeping the battery from getting too cold and keeping it warm. Much like regular gasoline-powered vehicles that need to be plugged in during the winter to ensure that the battery doesn’t die, electric vehicles are the same. Drivers need to look for ways to keep the battery warm, and much like other cars, this can be helped by driving short distances frequently so that it gets used – which shouldn’t be too much of a problem, as most of us prefer a quick warm drive over a winter walk any day when it reaches -40C
- Ensure that the car battery is fully charged: Ensuring that the battery is fully charged at all times as much as possible will help to make sure that your car will be able to get you from Point A to Point B without abruptly running out of power is important. EVs are going to need more charges than normal during the winter time, and there are ways to ensure that you’re not spending too much on electricity during the cold months as well. Be sure to reach out to your energy provider as they may have deals such as electricity being lower at night if you charge your car overnight.
- Regenerative braking: Regenerative braking is when you use the kinetic energy generated by braking to power the car. This ensures that no energy goes to waste which can actually help extend the charge of your EV in the colder winter months where the range is reduced. Not all EVs have regenerative braking so this one will have to be done if your vehicle allows for it.
Essentially, it’s imperative to keep your car battery warm, used, and charged up during the winter months – while also taking care that you don’t end up overspending on power bills by doing so.
Is it worth pre-conditioning an EV for winter?
Pre-conditioning your electric vehicle as stated above isn’t necessary, but it is highly recommended as you will end up with fewer costly problems down the line, less money spent, and fewer potential problems with your car’s battery in the future. It is absolutely worth adapting to winter conditions more than other regular gasoline cars and understanding that the differences that do exist shouldn’t put off anyone looking to own an electric vehicle in Canada.
The points noted here are the same for many drivers across the board as cold weather affects all cars and can reduce performance. From driving slower on icy roads to changing to winter tires, everyone adapts to winter driving and having an EV is no different. Making changes to your routine during the winter won’t be overwhelming.
Is it worth getting an EV in Canada with cold winters?
Whether an electric vehicle is worth getting or not is solely up to the individual, but as far as how well they perform and the issues that can arise from winter across Canada, they are not as dire or as drastic as previously thought. While the range and battery life do suffer from the weather just based solely on the material the batteries are made from – they are still well worth driving and have little difference in how they perform in the winter compared to their gasoline counterparts. All vehicles need to be adapted to cold weather and EVs are no worse for wear.
