23% loss of range when very cold...but FINALLY someone mentions this:
"This isn't a problem that's exclusive to EVs. This happens to basically any kind of vehicle when it gets really cold."
this post was submitted on 01 May 2026
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But tucked away inside this building is a room that's heavily insulated and packed with powerful heaters and coolers. It can be cranked down to 20 degrees Fahrenheit, or up to 95.
20F is -6.67C, That is not very cold.. We can get months of anywhere between -25C to -40C without the wind chill here. I would be interested in more tests at cold tempatures. Last we need is people expecting more than they are going to get. I would just expect range to be cut in half but either way I would much rather have an electric car.
Great call out. I love my EV but there is a massive loss in range between 20F and -20F. On a nice day I get like 3.8 mi/kwh. Dead of winter I get 1.8 mi/kwh. That is with the heat at 68F.
Also losses on a combustion engine are minimal in winter. Winter blend fuel takes an efficiency loss up front, but I don't really notice any significant loss beyond that even as the temperature plummets. Heat is a byproduct of combustion, so you aren't wasting energy to keep yourself warm even if the heat is blasting. Similarly, running the AC doesn't really hurt mpgs in my experience. I'm guessing running the AC in an EV in 120F Arizona heat would drain that battery quickly.
EV's are great for so many reasons (and generally far superior in my opinion) but saying they have the same efficiency problems in extreme temperatures is misleading. Especially since it's very easy to make a bigger fuel tank to extend range. It is not easy to do the same with a battery.
It is not easy to (make a "bigger fuel tank") with a battery.
As battery technology improves, more energy storage can be packed into the same space.
Let's take a current 3000mAh rechargeable Li-ion AA battery, vs older 2000 mAh versions in the same format.
If you look even further back at older tech NiCad batteries, those topped out at 1000mAh for AA's
Now whether your vehicle's charging electronics can handle the greater capacity, much less different battery technologies, that's another story.
I would love it if I could drop a shiny new semi-solid-state battery into a used EV, and gain all the benefits.
Sure, but you're still going to get 20% loss at 0° F. It's the nature of any battery, they have operating temps because of the chemistry, not the capacity.
I live there too - or in a space just like it. It's heavily rural so between the temperatures and the distance we will be the combustion engines last stand.
Yes it is going to be difficult with rural places. I feel like (PHEV) plug in hybrids with electric only modes have been skipped over.. There is certain area that would benefit from them. I could do 80% of my driving on electric and gas only when needed. There is a couple models I'm looking at for my next car, if only I can find one used for a good price. 😂
The efficiency of a combustion engine is so low that a) waste heat is always present b) the impact on range is much lower so most drivers just simply don’t notice.
Heat pumps help I hear. My car is resistive. 1/2 range gone. Still cheaper than petrol.