The weather affects how much your EV consumes. You have a large range in the summer and a smaller range in the winter. The additional heating or cooling needed for passenger comfort requires more energy than more moderate temperatures would. Cold batteries also have greater resistance to charging and do not hold a charge as well.

For example, EVs can lose up to 30% of their range in freezing condition, so pre-condition your EV before your journey, whenever possible, whilst your vehicle’s battery is still charging to aid performance.

• Use accessories wisely: accessories such as heating, air conditioning, and entertainment systems affect fuel economy on all vehicles, but can have a greater effect on EVs. However, using seat warmers instead of cabin heater can save energy and extend range.
• Use the economy mode: many EVs come with an “economy mode” or similar feature that maximises the vehicles fuel economy. In some vehicles, this mode can be activated by simply pressing a button. The economy mode may limit other aspects of the vehicle’s performance, such as acceleration rate, to save fuel.
• Plan ahead before driving: pre-heating or pre-cooling the cabin of an all-electric vehicle or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle while it is still plugged in can extend its electric range. Especially in extreme weather.
• Avoid hard braking and anticipate braking: this allows the vehicles regenerative braking system to recover energy from the vehicles forward motion and store it as electricity. Hard breaking cause the vehicle to use its conventional friction brakes, which do not recover energy.
• Observe the speed limit: efficiency usually decreases rapidly at speeds of 50mph and above.