Winter Driving: Electric Car Edition
I think we can all agree, it’s been a pretty frosty one the last couple of weeks and it doesn’t seem to be warming up any time soon. So, why not spill the beans on how you can navigate the cold in your electric car? We’ve written before about winter driving tips, but now all of our orders are for EVs, we thought it was about time to update it for the now!
What to Consider
While it’s true that cold weather can reduce your electric vehicle’s range by between 10-20%, fear not – there are ways to overcome this, the first being consistent driving. Think of it this way, steadier driving in a traditional vehicle will give you a higher MPG – it’s similar to electric cars. Maintaining a steady speed and avoiding sudden acceleration and breaking will ease the strain on your vehicle’s range.
If you’re range-conscious and want to maintain as much as possible, it’s best to minimise your use of the radio and other battery-draining accessories. This may include the heated steering wheel and heated seat functions, but EV-aficionado Jordan says she doesn’t notice a difference in her range when she uses these!
With the icy conditions we’re seeing lately, it’s not a bad idea to switch to winter or cross-climate tyres. Of course, this isn’t an EV-exclusive thing, but definitely worth looking into. Comments from this forum show different experiences on using winter-appropriate tyres; some notice a slight reduction in range, and others report no reduction in range. Either way, it seems a small sacrifice for optimal motoring. Our salary sacrifice scheme is all-inclusive, which does include tyres! Take a look at our blog here to find out more about our tyres.
Benefits of Driving Electric in Winter
You can pre-heat and defrost your car before you leave the house in the morning, all from your phone. Pre-heating your car before you hop in uses less of the battery life compared to heating the car up when you’re driving; much less of a strain on the battery and no time wasted defrosting and warming it up in the cold, just a lovely warm car to get straight into.
Waste no expensive fuel when you defrost the car or use the heating. Yeah, you may llose a couple of miles range, but that’s no problem; Just charge your car up at no cost when you get to work. That’s right, when your company has a scheme in place and 5 employees take a car, we’ll give the company a 2-port workplace charge point for free.