Electric cars lose performance in cold weather

Low temperatures, especially at freezing, greatly affect the range of electric vehicles.

In fact, ambient temperature can certainly affect the performance of both internal combustion engine and electric vehicles, but the impact is more pronounced for battery-powered vehicles. In addition, extreme temperatures can reduce the range of all types of vehicles, but among the markets with the highest electric vehicle usage, there are few places with extremely extreme summers, but winters are often well below freezing.

Studies in North America and Canada show that the average electric car battery can only travel about 80-100 km in cold weather compared to 130 km in normal conditions. However, this is not bad if the car is only used for daily work and moving around the city.

Audi e-tron electric car on a snow-covered mountain road in Europe. Photo:Audi

Low temperatures affect batteries due to two main factors: chemical and mechanical.

Chemical and physical reactions in batteries occur more slowly at low temperatures. That reduces the performance of electric vehicles. Cold temperatures inhibit chemical reactions and act as a "counter-resistance" by slowing down physical processes.

In an internal combustion engine, the energy not used to move the car becomes waste heat. However, in cold weather, this type of car can convert waste heat from the engine into energy to heat the cabin. Meanwhile, electric cars do not emit such heat - in other words, the engine operates more efficiently. And in cold weather, the heat from the electric motor is used to warm the battery itself, meaning the cabin needs another source of energy to warm it - a factor that makes the battery more used, and therefore the range is also reduced.

Several organizations have studied the effects of ambient temperature on electric vehicles, including the American Automobile Association (AAA), but they have typically only been conducted in laboratories and on specific models. The figures below come from Recurrent, a company that compiles reports on used electric vehicles, which analyzed data from a community of 7,000 electric vehicles in real-world operation under various driving conditions. The chart includes 13 electric vehicles currently sold in the US.

13 popular electric car models and their range at freezing temperatures compared to 21 degrees Celsius. Photo:Recurrent

The model with the biggest drop in estimated winter mileage is the Chevrolet Bolt, with -32% compared to 21 degrees Celsius. The smallest drop is the luxury electric Jaguar I-Pace, with just -3%.