Electric Vehicles in Cold Weather
It’s that time of year. Temperatures are lowering, and it’s getting darker earlier and earlier. Winter is officially on the horizon, which means snow, ice, sleet, and frigid temperatures. With these conditions, it’s important to know how to operate your vehicle in safe and cautious ways as you hit the road. If you’re driving an electric vehicle, it’s especially important to consider how cold weather impacts EVs. Learn more about electric vehicles in cold weather now at Smith Chevrolet Lowell!
How Cold Weather Affects Efficiency
With most vehicles, mileage gets worse in the winter. During the winter, your engine takes even longer than normal to warm up because the cold temperatures make it harder for the vehicle to produce warm air and circulate it throughout the vehicle. The added time needed to warm up means your vehicle spends less time at the optimal temperature for fuel efficiency. This means that it is working even harder—and using even more gas—than usual to power your car while it works to warm up. All of this extra effort requires more gas, reducing your vehicle’s total fuel efficiency.
Electric vehicles are certainly no exception. Your vehicles’ EV range in cold weather will probably be impacted. Typically, experts estimate that cold weather reduces an electric vehicle’s range by up to 20 percent.
Should You Go with Winter Tires?
One drawback of driving an electric vehicle in winter or cold weather generally is the tires EVs are typically equipped with. Usually, EVs are equipped with tires that have low rolling resistance and higher pressures for lower energy consumption. This is a problem in winter because the features of these tires produce less traction than softer alternatives, which is not ideal in slippery, wet conditions.
Preparing your vehicle for snow and ice by equipping it with winter tires is one of the best things you can do to ensure safety during the winter months. Winter tires enhance safety and handling with their special design. The rubber on winter tires is made to remain flexible and soft even in cold temperatures. Preventing your tires from stiffening up, this rubber allows for greater traction and control during the winter. They’ll help avoid spinning on ice or sliding into a ditch.
Charging Your EV in the Winter
Like your EVs range, EV charging in cold weather will probably also take longer. In fact, all three types of EV charging—Level 1, Level 2, and DC Fast Charging—will probably require more time to fully charge your electric vehicle while temperatures remain low. Keep in mind that DC Fast Charging will be most impacted by cold temperatures, so budget more time than is typical for this type of charging.
Winterize Your EV Today
Besides driving safely and appropriately for winter conditions, another way to stay safe during the winter months is to winterize your vehicle with special winter-geared maintenance. Winter maintenance may include investing in new wiper blades, refilling your car’s fluids, or installing a cold weather car battery. All of these things will make your vehicle much safer to drive in the winter.
Visit Smith Lowell!
Looking for a Chevy dealer near me? Visit Smith Chevrolet Lowell today for all your needs, whether you’re looking for a new or used car, need to schedule service, or want to trade-in your vehicle today! Our unmatched service and diverse Chevrolet inventory have set us apart as the preferred dealer among Chevy dealers Lowell, Indiana. Visit us to prepare your electric vehicle for winter today!
