Electric Vehicles in Winter

Winter is a beautiful season, but when it comes to the motors on Electric vehicles, it can become a downside. EVs mostly use lithium-ion batteries that are best performing only at around +15 to +35°C; operating beyond this range will not only reduce the capacity, but will impact the overall life of the battery too.

How does Cold Weather affect Electric Cars?

Operating electric cars in cold climates can be challenging, as the cold temperatures tend to increase the charging period in addition to lower range. EV's battery cells rely on a series of chemical reactions to generate the required electric current. Lowering the temperature makes these chemical reactions proceed more slowly. So, if a battery is used at a low temperature, then less current is produced, thus less range from the EV during winter. Warming-up a dying mobile phone battery in your jeans pocket might provide a few minutes of additional run-time. It’s because of the same reason; warming-up the battery makes the electro-chemical reaction faster, which generates more current.

EV Charging in Cold Weather

EV charging in cold weather is extremely tricky as the battery life can be quite short lived, which is why it is important to ensure to not let the battery fall lower than 20%.Adopting smart parking practices for your electric vehicle is also crucial in staining the battery. Parking in a covered space or a garage can help the EV during winter as direct exposure to cold temperatures can be avoided. 

Driving EV in Cold Weather

Always do the preconditioning of your electric cars in winter, as this heats up your cabin and batteries BEFORE you start the car - enabling the best EV range in winter. Most of the recent EVs now feature applications that will take care of this for you, and this can increase the range considerably during the winter. Using DC Fast EV charging stations in winter will aid you in lowering the charging time significantly.

3 Tips for buying the best EV charging station for cold weather-

1. Get Type 2 Charging Stations

Charging via DC Fast charger is the best solution as it could alleviate any winter range anxiety and support commuting by ensuring full battery in short spans of time. But since DC chargers can be very expensive, for personal charging, making sure your AC Chargers are the latest (Type 2) will help your EV charge faster.

2. Location is Key

Choosing the right location for your EV charging station installation during winter is acritical element when it comes to battery life. A unit that compliments both indoor and outdoor location is an ideal choice, although it's always preferable to have the EV charging station installation done in your covered parking or a closed garage.

3. Optimized Power

EV charging stations with intelligent charging are a must to avoid surplus power usage and higher fees. With the right EV charging station, you will be able to track the data usage, adjust the power output to your consumption needs and schedule charging accordingly to limit power during peak periods.