EV drivers know all too well that their vehicle's rated range is best used as a guideline. A vehicle's true operational efficiency is influenced by numerous factors including road conditions, weather, topography, speed, tire inflation, and driving style. Understanding what causes range loss can increase confidence for EV drivers and fleet managers. It provides guidance on selecting the right vehicle for the job and conditions at hand. In this article, we are going to discuss how the weather affects your EV range.

• Weather

Temperature, particularly cold weather, can have a very significant impact on an electric vehicle's range. In optimal temperatures, the true range is on average 15% better than the rated range. However, Batteries tend to operate less efficiently in the cold, so the range can be reduced anywhere between 5% and 20% for EVs. Crank up the heating and that range evaporates even more, losing as much as 40%. The problem is that, unlike a conventionally powered car, an EV has to draw energy from the battery to generate heat. But is temperature the most significant factor impacting range?

• Winds

Winds are another factor that can affect EV range. When driving into a headwind, the vehicle has to work harder to overcome the increased air resistance. This requires more energy from the battery, leading to a reduction in range — in some cases by as much as 15%. On the other hand, when driving with a tailwind, the effective air resistance is reduced, which can actually improve the vehicle's range by as much as 10%.

• Drag

Drag is essentially the force that the vehicle needs to overcome in order to move through the air. Drag is additionally influenced by the density and characteristics of the air itself, which changes with wind speed, altitude, temperature, and humidity.