Winter is here and it's getting colder. The question is, how does this affect you and your EV?

The answer is, not too much! There are however, a few things to be aware of, especially if you're new to EV:

Lower Range

Colder climates mean that your EV's range is likely to drop. Don't be alarmed, this is normal. You just need to keep more of an eye on your range (which could be 10-20% less).

TIP - try and use as much regenerative breaking as possible to help keep topped up!

Public Charging

It's worth noting that public chargers might be slower. Tesla have previously stated that colder weather can result in slower charging and it's safe to assume that this would impact other providers as well.

TIP - it's the time of year to make sure you're either topped up at home or have planned a route identifying where you're going to stop.

Heating

Keeping the car warm inside and cranking up the heating does use quite a lot of energy. You will see when you put the climate control on your range drops. This is normal but just keep an eye on how long you keep the heating on for.

TIP - If you're lucky enough to have heated seats or a heated steering wheel use these instead as they use considerably less energy!

Safety

As with all cars, tyre pressure is incredibly important and this continues to be important in winter.

TIP - Make sure that your tyres are at the optimal pressure (check your cars manual or on the inside of the drivers door). If you are considering winter tyres, make sure those that you're getting are compatible with EVs. EVs are typically heavier than petrol / diesel cars and have more specific requirements so check these before purchasing.

Travelling soon? Whether you're going in to town to do some Christmas shopping or going away for the holidays, make sure you're accessing your public charging and parking discounts!

You can log into your EV Benefits Dashboard HERE