Winter EV Care Guide

Plunging temperatures can impact your vehicle, but fear not, here is our EV Winter Guide.

Tyre pressure

If the air pressure in one or more tires is low, inflate them to the automaker's recommended PSI. You can find this information on a label on the driver’s-side doorjamb.

All cars, whether they run on petrol or kilowatts, become less energy-efficient in cold weather. The typical internal combustion engine car can see its petrol mileage drop by around 20% in the cold, and this effect tends to be more pronounced with electric cars.

Battery efficiency

Below 0°C temperatures can impact your EV’s battery performance and its ability to accept a charge, so here are our tips to minimise this effect:

• Keep an electric vehicle garaged when not in use to help shield it from the elements.
   
• If you don’t have a garage or are away from home, park the car in the sun to keep it a bit warmer.
   
• If you have a home charger, keep the vehicle plugged in at all times to ensure the battery will maintain a full charge.
   
• If your vehicle has a preconditioning feature, engage it (usually via a smartphone app) before hitting the road.
   
• Limit the use of the heater while driving. Set the temperature as low as is comfortable, and instead rely on your car’s heated seats and heated steering wheel (if so equipped), which consume less electricity.
   
• If your car has a selectable “Eco” mode that will adjust performance parameters to preserve battery range, be sure to engage it.
   
• If your car allows you to tune in more or less regenerative braking, set it to full force to send more power back to the battery when coming to a stop.
   
• Try to limit your speed while driving in cold weather.

Winter driving

In icy conditions your stopping distance increases significantly. Make sure to keep at least a 10 second gap from the car in front of you, rather than the usual 2 seconds. If conditions are particularly difficult, only travel when it is absolutely essential.

Remember to keep a few things in your car before heading out in cold conditions, it’s always better to be prepared!

• First aid kit
• Hi-vis vest 
• Ice scraper & de-icer 
• Spare blankets to keep warm in case of breakdown
• Torch & spare batteries
  
  
  Take care and please do not hesitate to give us a call on 0345 0348 647 or email us at [email protected] if you have any questions.