Cold snap creates new headache for electric car owners - heating drains battery fast
EV drivers face tough choice between warmth and battery life as winter hits UK. Experts suggest smart-heating tricks while Storm Bert brings freezing temps and heavy snow to Britain
As winter-time hits Britain EV owners face an unexpected challenge - their cars heating systems drain batteries super-fast (which isnt a problem for regular fuel cars)
Greg Carter from AA explains the situation: “Cold weather affects all electrical stuff but the real problem is the heating system.“ He points out that EVs dont get the free heat that comes from burning fuel‚ instead they use up precious battery power to keep passengers warm
Heat in ICE vehicles is a by-product of them running
Steve Gooding from RAC Foundation suggests some work-arounds: heated seats use less power than air-blowers; also its smart to warm-up your car while its still plugged-in (this saves battery life for actual driving)
The timing couldnt be worse as Storm Bert brings snow and super-cold temps to UK regions:
- North-east England
- North-west areas
- West Midlands
- Yorkshire
- Most of Scotland
With temps dropping to -7.5C in some places (way below normal for this time-of-year) the UK Health Agency put out its first amber cold alert. This comes as car-makers like Nissan ask for changes to strict EV sales rules‚ while Ford cuts 800 jobs - all before the governments 2030 gas-car ban kicks in
