Driving into the Future: EV winter driving tips

Well, it was inevitable; winter is upon us.

Before the snow starts falling, experts say drivers, regardless of whether they drive a gas or electric vehicle, should be “winter road ready.”

But, for EV owners, this also means getting your vehicle ready to maximize efficiency in the cold.

“EVs have a lot of great functionality. They’re great for winter driving,” said Ingrid Malmgren with Plug in America.

Ingrid said electric vehicle owners need to think about battery charge, pre-heating the cabin and tires once the temperatures dip.

“An EV and a gas car are exactly alike when it comes to tires and winter tires. So, if you normally get snow tires in the winter, totally get snow tires,” she said.

Ingrid said EVs get great traction in both ice and snow. And that is for a couple of reasons.

“One is that the car is a little bit heavier and has a lower center of gravity. But the other reason is that EVs often have dual motors if they’re All Wheel Drive.”

Most EVs now also offer a function to set driving conditions.

Ingrid said Ford has something called the “slippery roads” mode that she uses in her F-150 Lightning.

“I can select that, and it will customize how much torque each tire gets and exactly the ideal situation for handling slippery roads.”

She also suggested to maximize range and help with charging, precondition the vehicle’s battery.

“A lot of EVs will actually precondition the battery as you’re driving so that when you get to the charge port, it can charge really quickly.”

Another great tip: heat up the cabin while charging, if you charge from home on the grid. Unlike gas cars, which generate heat from the engine, EVs need to use the battery to keep the car interior warm.

“It just doesn’t get any more convenient than walking out your door, hopping into a nice warm car and driving off with a full charge,” she said.

Ingrid said it is not a myth that EVs generally lose range in cold weather.