Chevy volt range in cold weather free#

According to its findings, results vary for each model, and older EVs like the Chevy Volt can experience a big loss of range. The battery analysis firm Recurrent released a study at the end of 2021 that details cold weather and EV range. Still, the company didn’t share a number to ease drivers’ minds. Tesla has disputed AAA’s report that temps under 20-degrees F can lower the range by 41% and said that owners wouldn’t experience a decrease anywhere remotely near that high.

Chevy volt range in cold weather free#

If you need the cabin heater, feel free to crank it up. The EPA estimates that gas-powered vehicles can lose upwards of 25% while using the AC.Īdditionally, Tesla says to use seat warmers to keep warm, as they use less energy than the cabin heater and will improve range. And while that’s certainly not good, it’s not awful, either. I’ve seen comments online that the AC will lower an EV range by 50%, which is not true, especially on modern electric vehicles.įor example, in 2019, research from AAA suggested that when outside temperatures reach 95-degrees F during the summer and AC is used in a vehicle, the driving range can decrease by around 17%.

However, it’s not nearly as bad as some people would have you think.

How Does A/C Affect EV Range? Teslaĭuring warm summer months running the air conditioner in a gas vehicle will lower your MPG, which happens in an EV too. As a result, EV batteries have built-in heating and cooling systems that help maintain the best operational temperatures. Hot or cold temps can affect driving range, battery life, charging times, and more. Anything too cold or too hot will deliver less than optimal performance. The ideal range is around 40-110 degrees F. And on the other end, heat causes charging speeds to decrease. Cold temperatures slow down the chemical reactions in battery cells, reducing driving range and increasing charging times.