Electric vehicles are becoming more and more popular, and car brands are announcing new EV series all the time. So pretty soon in the future, electricity might become the only choice of energy you can get for your car, which is good news for the environment.
However, some people may be concerned about how well these gasless machines work in the uniquely cold winter climate. If you live in a cold area, especially in a place with a lot of snow, will an EV be fine? Are Electric Vehicles Good on Snowy Roads?
Advantages of Electric Vehicles on Snowy Roads
First of all, EVs come with large and heavy batteries so their weight makes them suitable for winter driving conditions. Heavy vehicles have a better chance of traction on snow or ice. Also, electric engines are gearless so getting up slowly on snow or ice is effortless.
An electric engine does not take any time to warm up. In Gasoline vehicles, because the air-dependent engine is very cold, it does not warm up for a few minutes at first. However, this is not the case with electric vehicles.
Most EV models have active thermal management with an app, so they can be warmed up without the need for an engine start. This allows the windows and mirrors to be pre-dissolved for visibility and the owners can control many of the vehicle's actions like turning on the heating in advance, without going to the car, from their phones.
The best part is that they can do it all while plugged in to avoid wasting precious battery life. Unlike gasoline vehicles, there is no loss of emissions when the car is warmed up for a long time.
Disadvantages of Electric Vehicles on Snowy Roads
Just like the advantages, there are also several disadvantages of electric vehicles in the snow. For example, EVs typically have low rolling resistance and tires with higher pressure for lower energy consumption. This provides less traction than softer alternatives, which is terrible for harsh winter weather.
Instant electric torque is another disadvantage when it comes to winter driving. Internal combustion engines need to rev itself up slowly to reach higher torque numbers, in EVs it’s either on or off, so it is instant. This creates a skidding problem at standing starts and might be dangerous for inexperienced drivers.
According to professionals, cold winter weather may reduce an EV's range by up to 40% in certain situations. In addition, features often used in cold weather such as the AC, heated seats & steering wheel can reduce electric range.
Hybrid vehicles probably won't use their electric batteries much in the cold due to their high energy demands. The downside is that your hybrid's fuel economy may not benefit as much in hot weather.
Are Electric Vehicles a Good Choice in Cold Winter Weather?
The short answer is yes; electric vehicles are mostly good in cold winter conditions. With the continuous evolution of electric vehicles and the new entry of different models into the market, they are also getting better all the time.
More improvements are coming every year for EVs so cold weather will affect them even less with every new technology. In addition, most electric vehicles undergo cold weather tests before production.
If you live in a constantly cold and snow-covered area, all-season tires might not be sufficient enough and you can benefit from using winter tires. However, if you usually drive in a mild winter season that lasts for about 3 months, all-season tires should work fine.
What Are the Best EV Models for Winter Driving?
If you are looking for a small city runner for winter commute, BMW i3 seems like the best choice. Even though it's rear-wheel drive, and has instant electric torque, it is also extremely capable in winter weather, as long as you have the right winter tires.
If you have the budget for more expensive options, Mercedes Electric Series, Ford Mustang, and Tesla S are all good choices. They have better traction control and stability programs so they will be much better than the cheaper options. Also, 4 wheel drive systems are the best for winter conditions.
Processors are very important for EVs and with the new inventions in near future we will have much better and faster processors. This means that electric cars will have better systems to aid drivers in winter conditions. Hopefully this will help us have fewer winter accidents as better technologies eventually emerge.
Protecting Your EV in Winter Conditions
If you are driving an electric vehicle, you should already know the name Coverking. After all they are the official partner of all the big names in the EV industry such as Tesla, Rivian, Lucid and Fisker.
Coverking has an extensive collection for each and every electric car models. You can get anything from car covers to custom made accessories. Check out their recommendation page for a nice customer experience.
Resources
- https://earthjustice.org/features/electric-vehicles-explainer
- https://www.economist.com/climate-change
- https://www.greencars.com/post/how-cold-weather-affects-electric-cars
- https://www.driveelectricvt.com/blog/winter
- https://www.myev.com/research/ev-101/how-winter-weather-affects-an-electric-car
- https://www.axios.com/the-cold-hard-truth-about-electric-vehicles-in-winter
- https://www.insidehook.com/article/vehicles/can-electric-cars-survive-winter
- https://www.caaquebec.com/en/on-the-road/advice/tips-and-tricks/tip-and-trick/show/sujet/driving-an-electric-vehicle-in-winter/
- https://www.treehugger.com/electric-cars-in-cold-weather-5197506
- https://blinkcharging.com/is-a-cold-climate-a-deterrent-to-ev-ownership/?locale=en
- https://www.consumerreports.org/hybrids-evs/how-much-do-cold-temperatures-affect-an-evs-driving-range-a5751769461/
- https://insideevs.com/news/556375/electric-car-winter-range-loss/
- https://www.wired.com/story/electric-cars-cold-weather-tips/
- https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a38883045/electric-cars-snow-cold-fact-check/
- https://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/a38747999/electric-car-range-in-cold-weather/
Coverking Links
- https://coverking.com/
- https://coverking.com/collections/custom-car-cover
- https://coverking.com/collections/other
- https://coverking.com/pages/recommendation-wizard
Tankut Basar
Tankut Basar is an ARA (American Rally Assoc.) Racing Driver and an FIA Bronze Category License Holder. His passion for driving began with karting like most racers. He started racing internationally at the age of 22. Tankut loves everything car-related and will keep enjoying the drive until the end.
