Electric Car in Winter: Warms Up for Half an Hour, Drives for Ten Minutes, and Looks for an Outlet Again

During winter, electric cars face a number of issues rarely discussed in car dealerships. At low temperatures, battery efficiency decreases, and the range decreases. Expert Dmitry Novikov explained to 32CARS.RU that at -7 degrees Celsius, the range decreases by 30%, and at -20 degrees, it’s almost 40% less. The reason lies in chemical processes: cold weather reduces the output of lithium-ion elements and increases internal resistance.

The heating system in the cabin also consumes additional energy – up to 5 kW, equivalent to 20–30% of the range. Charging in cold weather is also slower: the electronics limit the current until the battery warms up. In Tesla and other models, the first kilometers of the journey are used for ‘self-heating.’