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Does temperature affect the range in an EV?

There are a variety of factors that can affect range in an EV including weather conditions and temperature; your driving style and the type of journey and road/traffic conditions; the vehicle’s condition and whether any accessories are fitted; the weight and using air conditioning/heating. 

One of the biggest factors which can affect range is outside temperatures. The optimal temperature for an EV battery when it comes to driving range is 21.5°C, which can be difficult to achieve in winter. If it drops below this, it will affect not only the range but also charging times. This is because in colder weather the battery needs more energy to reach its optimum temperature. In the colder months you are also more likely to switch on the heating, air conditioning and windscreen defroster to make the cabin more comfortable. All of these features use energy directly from the battery unlike combustion engines that use heat energy lost from the engine to warm the car. 

The same is also true in hot weather conditions as switching on the air conditioning to cool the cabin down can also reduce your range. 

If your EV is fitted with a heat pump this will help maximise the driving range in all conditions – even when you have the heating running in colder months. This is fitted as standard in the Subaru Solterra which means you are more likely to achieve the advertised range unlike many other EV models which either don’t have this fitted or will charge you extra to have one installed.

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