Electric vehicle batteries are a lot like people, in one important respect: They’re most comfortable in temperatures around 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
When the weather gets much colder or hotter than that, a battery works less efficiently. It has to work harder, too, to keep the vehicle’s cabin comfortable for its equally picky human occupants.
The result? Electric vehicles can’t drive as far or as efficiently in extremely hot or cold weather.
AAA has been testing exactly how big an effect temperatures have on modern EV batteries. In its latest research, shared exclusively with NPR, it found that hot temperatures reduced range by an average of 8.5%. Cold weather cut vehicles’ range by a whopping 39%.
The real issue is the comparative lack of charging stations and the duration of the refill. There are solutions being worked on now.
Those of us who like to road-trip and camp have real anxiety about range and charge availability.
Range anxiety is real, but I haven’t had too many issues with the time spent at a charger. My car gives me a target charge to get me to the next charger instead of expecting me to charge to full. This pairs well with the charger that only charges at max speed until the battery gets to 60% or so.
If I’m on a long enough trip to need multiple stops, I’m generally more than happy to spend the 15-20 minutes stretching my legs, going to the rest room, and picking up coffee or a snack from the store. That said, if I was taking an emergency long trip and felt like every minute counted, I would take my gas truck.