Get the most from your EV this winter

For electric car drivers, the onset of winter can be cause for concern. Due to battery sensitivity, the drop in temperature means you’ll be getting fewer miles out of a full charge. However,  there are ways to manage the effect cold weather has on your car. Here are five ways you can maximise the efficiency of your EV’s battery this winter.

1. Precondition your battery

EV batteries are built from lithium-ion cells which use chemical reactions to create electrons which power the vehicle. In cold weather, the chemical reactions are slower and the battery loses its charge faster. The best way to make sure your car’s battery is at its ideal operating temperature is to precondition it. This draws power from your wall charger to warm the battery pack before you drive away, so you are using mains power to do the heating. That means your battery is working most efficiently when you are ready to leave.

The good news is that the ev.energy app can do this for you if you have a compatible car.  Simply set your departure time and we will do the rest so that you can save time waiting for the car to get warm. Just get up and go!

2. Heat the seat

Electric car batteries and motors are incredibly efficient, so they don’t generate a lot of heat, which traditional vehicles use to heat the inside of the vehicle. Therefore, using your car’s heater is an inefficient use of your car’s charge.

Instead of heating the whole car, just heat the parts you need, such as the seats and steering wheel Likewise, if you have a heated windscreen – use that rather than the air vents to defrost the entire car.

3. Charge smarter

With darker nights and colder weather, millions of people use electricity to power up their homes and demand for power surges in the winter months. This increased demand puts more pressure on power production with many countries having to increase coal or gas power production to meet the demands.

By plugging an EV into charge at peak times, such as in the evenings, we only make this problem worse and force the grid to use more “dirty” energy, especially as there is less solar power due to fewer daylight hours.

Thankfully there is plenty of wind power throughout the winter months and charging your car using this energy can go a long way to reducing the carbon impact of your charging and balancing unsustainable surges in power demand.

The free ev.energy app connects with your car or charger to optimise your charging for the greenest, cheapest times available. In 2021 we managed the charging for 50,000 drivers and shifted 24,000 MWh of charging to cheaper and cleaner times – become a driver of change and help us beat our record this year!

4. Energy conservation

With the cold having a detrimental impact on your battery there are three easy tips to maximise the range:

• Take any excess weight out of your car
• Use economical driving modes
• Plan your route to be as efficient as possible

By making these small changes to your driving habit, the range and usability of your EV will increase considerably.

5. Secure your charger

Heading away this winter? If so, make sure your car and charger are secure, so people don’t help themselves to your electricity for free! You can make your driveway charger more secure by removing the cable and locking the charger via the ev.energy app.

By locking your charger within the app, you’ll be able to allow only those you allow to charge using your wall charger, giving you peace of mind whilst you’re away

Those are our top tips for getting the most out of your EV this winter. If you have more to share we’d love to hear them! Get in touch via Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Ready to become a driver of change? Download the ev.energy app today.

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