When temperatures drop, EV owners face a physics issue: Reduced battery act and increased charging times.

Fuel economy is 8% lower at 20 degrees than it is at 75 degrees in EVs ‒ and range can drop about 12%, according to the U.S. Department of vigor. When you turn on the interior heat, that increases to as much as a 41% drop in range.

The rationale: Cold slows down the chemical procedure that electric vehicle batteries use to store vigor.

EVs are increasingly popular in the United States. In the third quarter of 2024, 8.2% of all recent vehicle registrations were electric, according to Experian’s Automotive economy Trends update. Another 11.5% were hybrid electric/gas vehicles. Since 2021 the percentage of gasoline vehicles registered has dropped 10%.

To be fair, this isn’t just an electric vehicle issue. According to the U.S. Department of vigor, the fuel economy of a gasoline car is roughly 15% lower at 20 degrees than it would be at 77 degrees. It can drop as much as 24% for short trips of between 3 and 4 miles. This is why in the coldest parts of the U.S. many people use electric block heaters or battery pads to keep their engines warm.

Holiday deals: Shop this period’s top products and sales curated by our editors.

But as it takes longer to fee an EV than it does to fill a gasoline tank, range matters in the cold. So while no cars or trucks do as well when it’s freezing out as they do in summer, electric ones fare worse. Here’s why:

Why do EVs fee more slowly when it’s cold?

As the temperature drops, the electrochemical processes the battery uses to fee slows down. To fee, the car first has to warm the battery, which requires period and vigor. Because of this, the battery takes longer to fee the colder it gets. 

The ideal operating temperature for an EV battery is between about 68 and 86 degrees, depending on the model.            

A battery charges when lithium ions stored in the cathode transfer back to the anode. In cold charging conditions, the ions flow less efficiently through the anode and the battery’s capacity diminishes.

Heating EVs uses a lot of battery. Why?

EVs don’t make much heat when they operate, which is usually a excellent thing ‒ but it’s a test when the temperature drops.

Gasoline engines produce a lot of excess heat which can be used to heat the interior cabin. According to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, only about 25% of the vigor of every gallon of gasoline is used to run the vehicle, the rest is waste heat.

Electric vehicles don’t have engines burning gasoline and about 89% of their vigor goes towards turning the wheels, according to Yale’s Climate Connections.

In an EV, it’s more vigor efficient to use heated seats to keep warm rather than blowing warm air into the cabin, according to Efficiency Maine, a state that knows about cold weather.

How to get the best act from an EV in the cold

1. Consider getting an EV with heat pump technology

recent EVs increasingly arrive with heat pump technology as a standard characteristic, which makes them more efficient in cold weather. In an EV, the heat pump pulls in cold air from outside, compresses it and then uses the heat from the condenser to raise the temperature in either the battery or the car’s interior, according to MoveElectric. This can significantly boost the range that otherwise would be lost in cold weather.

2. Preheat your battery

Most EVs today automatically pre-heat their batteries when they recognize they’re heading to a charger. This allows them to fee quickly and efficiently when plugged in. If you fee at home, consider plugging in correct away while the vehicle is still warm. 

Ford recommends that EV owners keep their vehicles plugged in when parking for extended periods of period in the cold. When plugged in, the battery temperature is kept above freezing.

3. If you can, park indoors

This keeps your battery warmer, so not as much vigor has to be used to warm it up later. A car cover can also assist.

4. Heat the cabin before your drive

If it’s really cold, consider turning on your car’s heater while it’s still charging. Using a heater at 20 degrees resulted in a 41% reduce in driving range and a 39% reduce in fuel economy, AAA found. If you warm up the inside while the vehicle is still charging, you don’t have to use battery power to bring it to a reasonable temperature.

If you don’t have the chance to do that, the seat heaters use less vigor than the cabin heaters.

5. Make sure your tire pressure is correct.

Underfilled tires outcome in increased rolling resistance, which means it takes your vehicle more vigor to shift forward. Check your tires or owners manual for the best pressure.

6. Drive with eco-mode on

Most EVs propose this, which requires the least amount of vigor while sacrificing some act. 

7. Don’t let your battery get below 20%

It will require power just to warm up enough to fee, so you might not be able to fee, even if you’re plugged in ‒ depending on how cold it is.

Stephen Beard contributed to this update