Electric cars in winter: tips and tricks to maintain the range
Traffic jams in winter: That alone is a horror scenario for many. Now imagine that the snake moves forward slowly, but your electric motor no longer responds because the battery is empty.
In fact, electric cars and especially their batteries do not have it easy during the cold season. But do e-car drivers really have to fear such a scenario in winter? We have researched and provide answers to the most frequently asked questions about electric cars in winter.
What influence does the cold season have on the range of electric cars?
According to the ADAC, an e-car with the same charge does not get quite as far in winter as in summer. The low temperatures reduce the range of an electric car by about 10 to 30 percent on average, and at sub-zero temperatures it can even be up to 50 percent on short distances. The reason for this is the higher power consumption of the heating system: While a combustion engine heats up the interior of the car by means of waste heat, the heat in an electric car must first be generated. A lot of energy from the battery is used for this.
Another reason for the reduced range is the temperature of the battery itself. Built-in insulation prevents the complete hypothermia of the battery, but in order for the electrochemistry to function optimally and the full capacity of the battery to be utilized, the cold battery must first warm up. This is precisely why the loss of range on short distances is particularly high in percentage terms.
By the way: Not only do electric cars need more energy in winter, the gasoline and diesel demand of combustion engines also increases in the cold season.
How can the range of an electric car be increased in winter?
Many electric car models have an energy-saving eco mode. To increase the range of the electric car in winter, you are well advised to use the eco mode. Since acceleration is less fast in this mode, you also benefit from a little more safety on slippery roads.
In general, it is worthwhile to be less sporty in winter: Expect a longer braking distance and accelerate with caution. This not only saves battery, but is also an important aspect for safe driving in winter. In addition, by avoiding abrupt braking, recuperation can benefit from recuperation and valuable energy can be recovered. Anticipatory driving therefore has two advantages: more safety for you and a longer range of your electric vehicle.
For more range, you can also heat up your car at the wallbox before driving off: The electricity that comes directly from the wallbox is used to warm up the car and the previously charged battery remains untouched – the battery is still fully charged even when you drive off.
Whether your car has an electric or combustion engine, some precautions are necessary to get through the winter well. Our checklist to prepare your car for winter will help you do just that.
While driving, you should mainly use the seat and steering wheel heating, as they work more efficiently than heating via air. There are also driving modes that automatically reduce the interior heating and focus more on seat and steering wheel heating. It is worth taking a closer look at the operating instructions of your electric car and finding out about all the available functions.
Last but not least, the electric car should be parked in garages during the cold season, whenever possible. This means that the battery cools down less and consumes less energy during warm-up.
How does the cold affect the charging process of the electric car?
The cold is noticeable not only while driving, but also when charging. The feel-good temperature of an electric car battery is between 20 and 40 degrees Celsius. Only at these temperatures can the chemicals contained work optimally. To ensure that a cooler battery is not put under too much strain during the charging process, charging stations automatically reduce their charging speed. That's why you should always plan a little more charging time in winter.
The temperature of the battery is particularly relevant when using fast charging stations. Since the battery cells are particularly stressed during fast charging, it is essential to heat them up beforehand. Here, too, the charging speed is automatically noticeably reduced and the advantages of the fast charging station cannot really be exploited.
To avoid long charging times, you should therefore charge your e-car in a warm garage or only head for a charging station after a slightly longer journey with the car already heated.
Did you know? Some manufacturers are aware of the problem and have built initial solutions into their electric cars. For example, the battery is automatically preheated when you head to a fast-charging station in the navigation system.
What are the advantages of electric cars in winter?
Compared to the combustion engine, the e-car does not only perform poorly in winter. There are some advantages. Many electric cars now offer an app that can be used to preheat the car. Above all, it makes the daily commute more pleasant. In addition, there is no need for laborious de-icing.
In order for the combustion engine to generate enough waste heat to heat, a certain distance must be covered beforehand. Since the heater in an electric car heats up the interior of the car directly, this process is much faster.
Heat pumps: a way to reduce the loss of range.
A heat pump heats the car with a lower energy consumption than ordinary heating. Heat pumps are often available as additional equipment. If you live in an area with very low temperatures, the purchase may make sense. Do you already own an electric car without a heat pump? Then you can usually simply have them retrofitted.