How to Protect Your Electric Car from the Cold

When a Swedish-gene manufacturer like Polestar gives us some tips for facing the cold, we listen.

Designed in Sweden and tested in the coldest conditions, Polestar vehicles are familiar with cold weather. The manufacturer provides a few tips on how to optimize your electric car’s range and performance during the winter months.

The main reason electric vehicles are affected by the cold is the temperature of the battery. If the temperature drops too low, electrochemical processes inside the battery will slow down, which impacts both charging speed and range. Additionally, heating the cabin to a comfortable temperature requires more energy than in summer.

Preheat your car

Most electric vehicles have a preconditioning feature. As the name suggests, it allows you to preheat the car before driving. Besides providing a cozy interior, it helps save range because you won’t have to heat the car while driving. If you schedule preconditioning while the car is charging, your battery will have time to warm up and reach an optimal temperature before you leave. Additionally, using a cover or frost guard can save extra energy during warming and protect the bodywork.

Drive carefully

When roads turn icy and snow begins to fall, safety is your top priority. Good news: the safest way to drive in winter is also the way that maximizes range. Your wheels have less grip on cold roads, which means sudden acceleration or braking can cause skidding. Gentle and precise handling is the key to optimal winter driving.

Keep your battery charged

Whether it’s cold or not, always avoid fully draining the battery and keep it above at least 20%. In winter, this guarantees you have enough margin to warm up the vehicle while maintaining reasonable range.

To master winter, you must be prepared for unexpected driving conditions. While the weather isn’t an exact science, electric technology is. You are now ready to face winter with zero degrees, zero emissions, and zero worries.

READ ALSO: With Polestar, you plug in and recharge!