Why electric vehicles have a reduced range in the cold

(NewsNation) — As subzero temperatures slam the U.S., electric vehicle drivers are learning their cars’ batteries don’t perform well in the cold.

Some charging stations in cities like Chicago have become EV graveyards with long lines of Teslas that won’t start.

“It’ll drain pretty fast. This cold is brutal. It’s draining the battery, I can’t even get inside the car,” said EV driver Wes France. “My battery drained down to five percent, which is faster than normal. Long story short, here I am, I have to tow it out this way.”

Impact of cold on EV batteries

While all cars are less efficient in the cold, EVs are impacted more because of how much power it takes to warm the vehicle and the cabin.

On average, the range of electric vehicles dropped to around 70% in freezing conditions, according to a Recurrent analysis of 18 popular EV models.

Cold weather slows the chemical and physical reactions that make batteries work, specifically conductivity and diffusivity, leading to longer charging times and a temporary reduction in range.

“While some of this is due to science, and the fact that the cold slows down chemical reactions, most of it seems to be a result of climate control in EVs,” the Recurrent analysis explained.

AAA tested the range effects of 20-degree Fahrenheit weather on several popular EVs and found that temperature alone could reduce range by 10 to 12%, while the use of in-vehicle climate control could amplify range loss to 40%.

Tips to drive EVs in the cold

Experts recommend doing the following when driving an electric vehicle in the cold:

• Warm up the car while it is charging.
• Use seat warmers, the heated steering wheel and turn down the heat once you start driving.
• Expect the charge time to take longer. Regular charging times will resume once the battery is warmed up.
• Leave your vehicle plugged in with a maximum charge setting of 70% or 80% when possible.

How it’s impacting people

Tesla driver Brandon Welbourne told CBS Chicago that a charge that should have taken 45 minutes was taking two hours. “I’ve been here for over five hours at this point and I still have not gotten to charge my car,” he said.

Several cars had to be towed away in Chicago Tuesday as temperatures remained mostly below zero.

“I think EV owners are discovering for the first time, and it’s what gas car owners knew decades ago, that when it gets really cold, you don’t want to get too low on your power supply,” Carfax.com Editor in Chief Patrick Olsen said.

“You have to come up here, wait two hours to get into the charger. They tell you it’s fast, but then it takes two hours to charge your car,” said Chicago resident Marcus Campbell.

What EV manufacturers are saying

Tesla’s “Cold Weather Best Practices” says it’s possible for a vehicle’s charge port latches to freeze in place in extremely cold weather or icy conditions.

The company advises drivers to thaw the ice by using the “defrost car” setting in the mobile app and using the “trip planner” feature to navigate to a charging location at least 30 minutes before arrival to ensure optimal battery temperature.