Electric cars tend to have a shorter range in winter, but with these five smart tips, you can extend your EV's battery life and range by 20-40%. Let's explore some charging tips.

Electric car range decreases in winter.

Winter significantly impacts the range of electric cars. As temperatures drop, battery performance slows, potentially reducing range by 20–40%. Therefore, it's crucial to maintain your EV properly. If you want your electric car to maintain its same range even in cold weather, the following simple tips will help. Let's explore them in detail.

Pre-condition the EV

• In cold weather, the battery temperature drops significantly, causing the car to consume more energy initially. Therefore, preheat your car using the app while plugged in for about 30–40 minutes before leaving the house in the morning. This warms both the battery and the cabin. Preconditioning also has the advantage of drawing energy directly from the home's electricity supply, not the battery. This can increase your range by 20–30% and make your car drive smoother immediately.

Pay attention to tire pressure and winter tires.

• Air shrinks in winter, reducing tire pressure by 3–5 psi. Check it weekly and maintain a 2–3 psi increase. If your area experiences extreme cold or snow, M+S or winter tires are essential. Providing a good grip saves range and increases safety.

Accelerate slowly and adopt one-pedal driving.

• Regeneration is reduced in the cold, so sudden acceleration puts a greater strain on the battery. Accelerate gradually and use one-pedal driving as much as possible. This keeps the battery warm and conserves energy.

Use the heater wisely.

• PTC heaters draw a lot of power—sometimes up to 5–7 kW. So, first use seat heaters and steering heaters, which consume only 100–200 watts of power. This keeps the cabin warm and preserves range.

Charge properly

In winter, it's best to keep the battery between 20–80%. Plug in your EV as soon as you get home at night. This keeps the battery warm even in the cold and ready to charge at full capacity in the morning. Avoid DC fast charging in extreme cold and use a Level-2 AC charger.