Especially in a beautiful winter landscape the electric car is really enjoyable. Winter has a lot in store for us with highlights like Christmas, New Year's Eve and, with a little luck, wonderful snowy landscapes. But where there is light, there is also shadow. Drivers of electric cars face a challenge in winter: they consume more energy and therefore have less range. Depending on the vehicle model, this loss of range can be up to 50% of the range in summer.
The cold season has three main effects. The first one is the most obvious: if you don't want to freeze in your car, you have to turn on the heating. With the exception of the drive, it consumes the most energy in the vehicle. In addition, the rear and front windscreens must be heated so that the driver can see well enough. Would it be possible to simply drive faster in order to arrive sooner and heat for a shorter time? Unfortunately not, because at higher speeds the range decreases even further due to friction losses or wind resistance. Secondly: the cold affects the conductivity within the batteries which means that chemical reactions take place more slowly. The efficiency of the energy storage system decreases. To prevent this, the battery in many electric cars is heated, which increases the energy consumption once more. And thirdly, it is darker in winter, so drivers need to drive with their lights on more often. This third aspect also puts a strain on the batteries and thus reduces the range. So what can you do?
