If this is your first winter driving an electric vehicle, here are 5 things to know

Whether it’s the snow, slush, or slips, Canadian winters can be inconvenient for just about anyone. But if you’re driving an electric vehicle for the first time — or you're thinking of buying one — you should know about the challenges you might face and how you can tackle them. Like gas vehicles, an electric vehicle in freezing temperatures will require you to make a few changes to your routine if you want to get to where you’re going on time.

According to , a company of software engineers and battery scientists that provides information about electric vehicles with the goal of increasing their popularity, EVs tend to lose a significant amount of range in cold temperatures, meaning the battery won’t get you as far as it would under ideal circumstances.

The study of more than 10,000 cars in the United States analyzed 18 popular EV models, and found that, in freezing conditions, the electric vehicles only maintained 70 per cent of their range on average. The data collected “include all real world variables, such as uneven terrain, variable driving speeds and uses, and calendar aging in vehicle batteries.” That means, depending on how far you plan to drive, you may have to make an extra charging stop.

That’s not to say gas cars won’t take a hit in freezing conditions, too. Daniel Breton, the president and CEO of Electric Mobility Canada, pointed out in an interview that it’s not just electric vehicles that lose range in the winter. He said he has found that most electric vehicles lose around 10 to 50 per cent of their range when the temperature reaches between 0 C and 40 C, while gas cars can lose 15 per cent of their range at just around 7 C (a figure he sources to the ).

Plus, “it’s a lot easier to start an electric car than a gas car when it’s really cold,” he said. Many electric vehicles will limit charging when the battery is cold in order to protect the high voltage battery, according to the Recurrent report, so charging may take longer in the winter. Once the battery has warmed up, however, regular charge speed will return.

“In many newer EVs, if you use the in car navigation system to head to a charger, the car will condition the battery for optimal charging temperature, meaning your charge time may be reduced,” the study adds. According to Breton, charging can take 10 to 50 per cent more time in the cold, depending on the model.

So how exactly does the cold affect an EV? There are several factors, but the Recurrent study highlights two. First, the cold slows down the chemical and physical reactions in an EV’s battery, reducing the power available in the car. Second, cabin heating can significantly reduce the battery. While a conventional car is powered by an internal combustion engine that generates “waste heat” used for warming, an EV is warmed by energy generated by the high voltage battery.

So, turning up the cabin heating reduces the capacity left for driving, the study explains. To cope, drivers should “precondition” their car or warm it up while it’s still charging because it takes less energy to keep the car warm than it does to warm up a car that’s cold, the report suggests.

On the bright side, having an EV means you can probably do this using an app from the comfort of your own home. Once the car is warm and on the move, the report suggests turning down the cabin heater and instead using seat warmers and a heated steering wheel, which will use less energy and leave you with more battery.

If you buy an EV with a heat pump, you won’t have to worry about reduced range in the winter as much because heat pumps are more energy efficient for cabin heating and cooling than the traditional resistive heater, the report says. A 2022 study by a UK based company found that in real world situations, “models equipped with a heat pump fell short by an average of 25.4% from their official figures, compared with the 33.6% deficit suffered by those that relied on a regular interior heater.” The Recurrent report notes that the advantage heat pumps have or traditional resistive heaters will change depending on the weather.

At 32 F (which converts to 0 C) a traditional EV could have a range loss of 25 per cent, while one with a heat pump would lose only 5.9 per cent of its range — a difference of about 500 per cent. But as the temperature approaches about 20 F (or 7 C), heat pumps may only have an advantage of about three to 15 per cent, it says..