As of: January 18, 2024, 4:45 p.m
By: Pauline Wyderka
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Winter temperatures are not ideal for electric cars.
Whether you can still leave them outside and how to charge them correctly in the cold season:
Nobody likes standing around outside in the cold, whether young or old, big or small.
Electric cars are also temperature sensitive.
In fact, if you have the opportunity, it's better to park your electric car where it's a little warmer.
Otherwise the cold can cost you dearly.
SÜDWEST24 reveals what you need to consider with electric cars in winter.
Does the outside temperature affect an electric vehicle?
How long does an electric car last in winter?
How do I charge my electric car in winter?
How long can you leave an electric car parked in winter – what do you have to consider?
Should you charge an electric car every day?
Electric cars in winter – there are also advantages
Does the outside temperature affect an electric vehicle?
Sure, all cars are somehow designed to be parked outside.
But electric cars – like combustion engines – have a few peculiarities.
They like some temperatures better than others.
According to manufacturers, outside temperatures of 20 to 22 degrees are ideal.
These are not winter conditions.
At ideal temperatures, the battery can best maintain itself at its comfortable temperature of 20 to 40 degrees and reach its maximum energy capacity, as the ADAC explains.
Below that it becomes more difficult for the battery.
It must first be heated up using energy.
The larger the battery and the lower the temperature, the more energy is required.
But the car should also be made ready for winter, otherwise you could face fines.
How long does an electric car battery last in winter?
In fact, this is not the only reason why an electric car battery lasts less long in winter.
In addition to driving, electricity is also used for lighting and heating, both of which are used more in winter.
On short journeys, battery consumption can increase by an average of 70 percent, as the ADAC warns.
To this end, the automobile club carried out various tests at ideal temperatures and temperatures below zero.
Converted to distance, some models can only cover half the number of kilometers in the cold.
Even in the best case scenario, the models lost at least 60 kilometers of range at temperatures below zero.
However, the range is lost in the tests, mainly due to the heating output.
The car heaters should actually achieve 23 degrees.
During the tests, however, in many cases the interior only reached temperatures below 20 degrees.
How do I charge my electric car in winter?
Of course, this means conversely that an electric car needs to be charged much more often in winter.
In general, the same applies to charging in winter, which also applies otherwise, only made more stringent: charge completely to full and avoid letting it run completely empty!
Frequent, heavy unloading should also be avoided.
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Fast charging also puts a strain on the battery.
It is better to charge overnight or for several hours during the day.
Exceptions are long journeys.
Once this is started, you can charge the battery to 100 percent shortly beforehand and “tap” it from the fast charging station while you are on the move.
But if possible, only do this when the battery is already at operating temperature.
You should also avoid charging from a “cold” state.
How long can you leave an electric car parked in winter – what do you have to consider?
If you leave your car parked for a longer period of time, you should leave it with a charge level between 30 and 70 percent.
This protects the battery the most.
You also don't have to connect it to charge straight away when it's cooled down.
Many wallboxes these days have adjustable timers built in for this purpose.
Due to the difficult conditions in the cold, it is advisable to park the car in a garage if possible.
Additionally, the vehicle's owner's manual usually contains instructions on what to do if you leave it for a long period of time.
Should you charge an electric car every day?
In the case of electric cars, “leaving it longer” can actually mean 12 hours.
To protect the battery, it is advisable to charge regularly and briefly.
However, it is not possible to say in general terms whether this is a daily occurrence.
This depends on the range of the battery and your own usage behavior.
Daily short journeys to work, supermarket or similar do not require daily charging.
However, on long journeys you will have to charge the battery more often.
Electric cars in winter – there are also advantages
Also good to know: You can preheat electric cars.
This means you don’t have to do a “cold start”.
Instead, turn on the auxiliary heater, let the car warm up, and drive off.
You can leave the car connected at home, so you don't lose any range and you don't have to scrape ice.
However, there are other tricks to avoid having to scrape ice.
(paw)