Just as we are used to with diesel and petrol vehicles, EVs performance and efficiency changes dependant on external factors. Here, we discuss how to get the best out of your EV, whatever the weather…
EVs are affected by extreme weather conditions. You may have experienced this during the cold winter, but hot weather can also impact your battery efficiency. Lithium-ion and lithium-iron batteries perform best at certain temperatures, ideally between 20 and 30 Celsius. HERE (the world’s leading location platform company) estimates that the range of an EV can drop by 15% when temperatures start to go above 35 Celsius, and whilst rare in the UK, heatwaves reaching these temperatures have been known.
So, as the gloriously unpredictable UK weather has thrown us a nice September heatwave, here we are with a few top tips to keep your EV at optimum performance:
- Avoid travelling long distances during very high temperatures.
- Ensure your EV is adequately charged before setting off. When batteries are too low, they can heat up quickly and be more prone to overheating or discharging rapidly.
- Limit rapid charging during warmer weather. The high kW rate will raise the temperature of your EV battery significantly.
- Charge your vehicle during cooler temperatures and not during the hottest part of the day.
- Try to park your vehicle in the shade.
- Use eco-mode to help with forceful accelerating, reducing the accelerator responses and helping conserve precious charge.
- Use the preconditioning feature. This can cool the cabin and have the battery at the best temperature possible in terms of efficiency when setting off.
- Pack light. Heavier luggage for those trips away will use more energy.
- Don’t charge straight after a journey. Your battery will be hot immediately after use, so do not charge straight away. The best time to charge is overnight when it is cooler, and you can benefit from off-peak rates too.
Many of these tips will help to maximise your battery efficiency in all seasons but as we approach the colder months, be sure to check out our winter top tips too.