DESIGN
Winter can have a big effect on your electric vehicle’s performance. Here’s what to expect, and how to maximise your range when temperatures plummet.
How does cold weather affect electric vehicles?
T he lithium-ion cells found in most electric vehicle battery packs use a chemical reaction to store and release energy. Each has positive (cathode) and negative (anode) terminals, with a separator and liquid electrolyte to control the flow of electrically charged particles (called ‘ions’) between them. Charging moves the lithium-ions from the cathode to the anode and discharging (while driving) moves them back the other way. Like all chemical reactions, that process varies depending on the temperature of the components. Most studies suggest lithium-ion batteries perform best between 10 and 30°C, and peak somewhere in the middle of that range – in fact, new vehicles are tested for range and efficiency at 23°C.
If the battery falls below 10°C, the flow of ions slows down and this changes the speed at which it can take on energy and supply it to the motor. How does winter affect electric vehicle performance? As a driver, you’ll probably notice two symptoms from a cold battery: • Reduced range: Lithium-ion batteries drain more quickly when they are cold. A group test carried out by What Car found electric vehicles lose between 15 and 20% of their range during typical wintery conditions (between 3 and 6°C) and that drop in efficiency will also be reflected in higher per-mile charging costs
By Vivienne Kerry, Business Manager, EV Connectors
48 ELECTRONICSPECIFIER.COM
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