As summer temperatures reach the 40s in certain countries It is possible that you are wondering whether the heat is affecting my electric car charging. The truth is that it will. Indeed, electric vehicles can be exposed to extreme temperatures and freezing conditions. But don't worry! This article will give some of the most effective ways to minimize the adverse consequences of the summer heat.

What happens when extreme heat is a problem for the electric car I drive?

Let's go over the details by describing how heat affects your electric vehicle:

The high temperatures can limit the range (how far an electric vehicle can travel on a single recharge) of your electric vehicle. how? When the battery is trying to keep it cool, it needs more energy. This means that your electric vehicle generally won't go as much when fully charged. If you also add use additional gadgets or features to help to keep your temperature at a minimum (such as blowing cool air) the range of your EV is reduced even more.

The vital component of an electric motor is its lithium-ion battery. The battery is susceptible to overheating when exposed to high temperatures. If your battery becomes excessively hot, it may alter the battery's chemistry and cause premature degradation of the battery (your electric vehicle will be unable to charge for a portion of its capacity).

When discussing how to manage your electric vehicle during hot weather, keeping the above consequences in mind, it's recommended to break down our suggestions into two categories: the maintenance of range and the protection of the battery in your EV.

So, let's get started!

A woman's hands are charging an electric car in the sunlight

How can you maintain the range of your electric car during summer:

1. Use Eco Mode

The majority of electric vehicles today come with Eco-Mode, a useful feature that allows you to reduce miles driven by reducing the use of energy for other features, like air cooling. Furthermore, this cool feature can help with acceleration that is fast by slowing the accelerator response and helping to save battery.

2. Utilize preprocessing

Preconditioning is a well-known feature to heat inside an electric vehicle during colder weather (as discussed in this blog) However it could also be useful in the summer months. If your car has preconditioning, it is possible to remotely cool the cabin prior to getting into the vehicle. It doesn't just help the range of your vehicle by adjusting the EV to the optimal temperature so it won't be working harder during the day It also guarantees the most comfortable and dry driving experience. It also saves time since you can set your electric vehicle in advance of your leave, ensuring that you don't waste time blowing the air conditioner or scrubbing your windows. A win-win-win! Tesla is among the most popular electric vehicles that have this feature. And you can also set it up using an app remotely which means you don't need to leave your home!

3. Travel light

The batteries in electric cars are extremely heavy, which means that when you add additional baggage more energy is utilized to transport the additional weight. In this regard, we recommend taking a light load when driving during summer to ensure your safety.

Tesla's electric car has a touchscreen display for the hand.

How can you maintain the battery during the summer months:

4. Your EV's shade can be its most trusted friend

The most straightforward and simple (though likely the most important thing to remember!) is to stay clear of parking your vehicle near the direct sun. It is better to park your car in shade. No matter if you're under trees or in the garage or any other location in between, as long as your vehicle isn't in direct sunlight for a long period of time (and legally parked! ) This will help keep your batteries from getting too hot (and will help increase range as the EV won't use the energy needed in cooling it! ).

5. Only charge up to 80%

Experts from the industry advise that for optimal battery health, keeping it between 20% to 80% is the standard, however, this is particularly important in the heat of summer. Similar to a cellphone the more time you use it the hotter the battery will become and, if you combine the sun and a hot day, it could result in a faulty battery (not to mention the increased possibility of rapid degradation of your battery).