EVs Improving in Cold
January 13, 2025
One of the lingering doubts about EVs is their performance in cold weather. Headlines have focused on reduced average driving range of 25 to 41 percent in freezing weather conditions. Reports now indicate that battery performance during cold weather can be improved with the installation of heat pumps. In fact, many models produced after 2020 include heat pumps which add 10 percent additional range during freezing conditions.
Heat pumps move heat around to where it's needed. A heat pump in an EV brings the cabin temperature up by using heat from the battery pack. The car can also use the heat pump to keep the battery at an optimal temperature to improve charging performance, range and battery longevity - particularly in cold weather when lithium-ion batteries in electric cars perform less well.
For more:
What are heat pumps in electric cars? Range-boosting feature explained | Auto Express