How Much Range Do EVs Lose in Winter?
Have you heard horror stories about how EVs are “useless” in the winter and get less than half the range they “should” get? What about how if you get stuck in a snowstorm with an electric car, you won’t be able to get home without running out of battery?
Are you ready to learn the truth?
First off, winter range loss is real, but not as serious as some make it out to be. On average, EVs lose 20 percent of their range in the winter. If your car gets 300 miles in warm weather, it will still get around 240 miles when it’s freezing. That’s six times more miles than most Americans drive in a day, and about four hours of driving at 60 mph. Chances are, you will still have enough range to get where you need to go.
Of course, when it’s even colder than freezing, your range may drop more, but there are technologies and tips that you can use to make that range loss painless. Knowing what to expect and how to prepare will ensure that winter EV driving is not just possible, but easy.
Why Does Range Drop in the Winter?
Electric cars use big batteries to store energy and power the car. In winter, cold temperatures slow down the chemical reactions that power the battery, so the car can’t get as much energy out of it, or it can’t get as much energy as quickly.
But, the big reason that EVs lose range in the winter is that it takes a lot of energy to keep the inside of the car warm for the driver and passengers. Unsurprisingly, this energy comes from the battery. In a gas-powered car, heat is basically free. Gas engines are very inefficient, and produce a lot of waste heat – you’ve probably noticed that if you’ve ever put your hand on the hood of a car that just got off the highway. In the winter, gas cars can use the excess heat from their engines to warm the cabin.
On the other hand, electric cars have motors, instead of engines, and their motors are very efficient. This means there isn’t a lot of waste heat that can be used to warm the car. Instead, they use battery power for heating, the same battery you use to drive. This extra energy use can make your car’s range (how far it can go on one charge) drop by 20 to 30 percent.
EVs with the Best Winter Range
Some electric cars are designed with cold weather in mind:
- Cars with heat pumps are much more efficient at heating the cabin because they use less energy than regular heaters (learn more about this below).
- Other cars come with battery warmers, which keep the battery at a good temperature so it doesn’t lose as much power.
- Many EVs come with seat and steering wheel heaters, which provide localized heat and use less energy than the car’s climate control system.
The battery science team at Recurrent processes hundreds of millions of miles of EV driving each year. For the company’s 2024/2025 winter study, they analyzed real-world driving data from over 18,000 vehicles in the US across 20 popular models. In the chart below, the blue bar represents what percentage of the car’s maximum range (usually in the spring or early summer) is available when it’s 32°F or 0°C.
Range data for some vehicles is a combination of last winter (2024) and this winter (2025). For newer vehicles, all range data has been collected this winter. Read more here about the results and methodology.
Electric Cars in Winter: How Do Heat Pumps Help?
Traditional resistance heaters in cars are like baseboard or radiator heat in your house. They work well, but use a lot of energy to create heat from electricity. Heat pumps are different; they move existing heat, which uses three to four times less energy in mild cold weather. This means the car doesn't have to use as much battery power to stay warm, helping the battery last longer. How far? Cars with heat pumps can drive about eight to ten percent farther in cold weather compared to those without them.
By the way, this is the same technology as used in the energy saving heat pumps that people have installed in their homes. For a deep dive on how heat pumps are more efficient, check out this article. In short, until you hit around 10°F, a heat pump will be more efficient than a resistance heater.
What If I Get Stuck in My EV in the Winter?
Like heating, cold weather idling is different in an EV than in a gas-powered car. While traditional cars burn fuel to keep running and provide heat, EVs use energy from their batteries. However, since the EV motor is more efficient than a gas engine, they are much more efficient at idling in the cold. Most of the energy goes toward heating the cabin and maintaining the battery's temperature, making them surprisingly good at staying warm without draining too much power.
In a worst-case scenario, such as being stuck in an idling EV during an extreme snowstorm, the car can still keep you warm for a long time. On average, an EV might lose about one or two percent of its battery charge per hour of idling, but in very cold weather, it could be slightly higher if the heating system has to work harder.
For example, if your EV’s battery is fully charged and has 75 kWh of power, it could idle and keep the cabin warm for 20 hours or more, depending on the size of the battery and the outside temperature.
In fact, someone just tested this, leaving their Tesla Model 3 on for 12 hours in -28°C (-18.4°F) temperatures with a pretty warm cabin temperature set. The charge dropped from 66% to 30%, meaning that 24.4 kWh were used. In a real emergency, you could certainly conserve power by lowering the cabin temperature, use seat heaters, or turn off non-essential systems to maximize battery life until help arrives. But overall, EVs are a safe and efficient option for staying warm in emergency situations.
Tips for Driving an Electric Car in Winter
A few small changes to your behavior can really extend how far you can drive in winter in an EV:
- Precondition your car: Getting the car to a comfortable temperature takes more energy than keeping it warm. So, before you start driving, warm up your car while it's still plugged into the charger. This way, you use electricity from the wall instead of the car's battery.
- Use seat warmers: Seat warmers (and a heated steering wheel) use less energy than heating the whole car. Using them can help you stay warm without draining the battery too much. This works especially well if your car is preconditioned and already toasty warm.
- Keep your car warm and plugged in: Park your car in a garage or sheltered area to keep it warmer. If you’re able to keep it plugged in, leave the maximum charge time set to 70 - 80 percent so the battery warmer can keep the battery at a good temperature range.
- Fast charging may be slower: but in many new EVs, you can set a fast charger as your destination and have the car preheat the battery. This will make it able to accept a higher charge rate and get you back on the road faster.
It’s important to remember that winter range loss happens to every electric car, no matter the brand or model. It’s a lot like how gas cars also get fewer miles per gallon in the winter. By taking simple steps like preconditioning your car and driving more gently, you can make sure your car is ready for winter and keeps you moving.
Winter might be cold, but with a little preparation, your electric car can still get you where you need to go!
