this post was submitted on 01 May 2026
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59
How well can Electric vehicles(EVs) handle the heat — and the cold? AAA put them to the test (text.npr.org)
submitted 12 hours ago by Deep@mander.xyz to c/technology@lemmy.world
20 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

Electric vehicle batteries are a lot like people, in one important respect: They're most comfortable in temperatures around 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

When the weather gets much colder or hotter than that, a battery works less efficiently. It has to work harder, too, to keep the vehicle's cabin comfortable for its equally picky human occupants.

The result? Electric vehicles can't drive as far or as efficiently in extremely hot or cold weather.

AAA has been testing exactly how big an effect temperatures have on modern EV batteries. In its latest research, shared exclusively with NPR, it found that hot temperatures reduced range by an average of 8.5%. Cold weather cut vehicles' range by a whopping 39%.

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[–] onlyhalfminotaur@lemmy.world 7 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago) (1 children)

I wouldn't trust anything from AAA. 39% loss in cold is straight up false unless you're talking like -20F. These tests have been done many many times by more respectable orgs and they usually get around 20%

[–] partial_accumen@lemmy.world 6 points 7 hours ago

39% loss in cold is straight up false unless you’re talking like -20F.

My guess is that this number may be possibly accurate for cars without a thermal management system for the battery. In the USA, this would be exactly one car model and even of those there are years where it would be fine: the Nissan Leaf.

The Leaf came out in 2010 and has been air cooled until just this year in 2026. Some models had a battery heater though, but not all. I could see for a model without a heater and extreme cold the 39% range suppression. However, since its only one car, putting that 39% number is disingenuous because it suggest its more widespread when it isn't.