Electric car tips! How to save electricity on your electric car when it's cold

Cold weather shortens the range of electric cars

The range of an electric car is reduced in the winter. There are several reasons for this. The cold causes the battery to have less capacity, while you use more electricity to keep the car warm.

One of the advantages of driving an electric car is that you can make small changes on your own, which can have a big impact on your consumption over time. Together with a consistent and "sensible" driving style, these simple steps can significantly reduce your electricity consumption.

Some smart tips for preserving your range in winter are:

• Park your car indoors if possible
• Preheat the passenger compartment while the electric car is charging.
• Use seat heaters instead of running the air conditioning on full blast.
• Fast charging is slow with a cold battery. It is therefore worth charging your electric car when the battery is warm.
• Preheat the battery. On newer electric cars, this can often be set. Alternatively, you can set the charging so that the car is charged just before departure. This will save you from spending energy on heating the battery when you go out for a drive.
• Plan your car trip if you are going on a long trip . You may need to make more charging stops in the winter than in the summer.

Preheat the electric car before driving

A warm battery has significantly lower consumption than a cold battery. It is therefore a good idea to preheat the car before driving. You do this through settings in the car or in the car's app. By using the car's timer, you can ensure that the car is both fully charged and preheated by the time you have planned to drive.

While driving, it is most energy-efficient to stay warm by using steering wheel and seat heating, rather than turning the air conditioning on to maximum power.

Charge the electric car when the battery is warm

Electric cars charge more slowly when it's cold. It's faster (and therefore cheaper!) to charge a warm battery than a cold one. If it's really cold, it can take several hours for the battery to warm up. So plan to charge on the way to the cabin while the battery is warm, rather than starting the trip home charging an ice-cold battery.

Charge the electric car to 80% instead of 100%

For most people, setting the maximum charge level to 80% is sufficient for everyday driving, except when it is very cold outside. For long trips, you can set it to 100% and thus start the trip with a fully charged battery. You can easily adjust the charge level in your car or in the car's app.

Charging after 80% is very slow for most electric cars. If you charge overnight, this doesn't matter much, but if you fast charge, it can be worth it in both time and money and instead include an extra short charging stop on the road. It is also good charging practice to stop

Setting the charge level to 80% is also the most gentle on the battery, and will help increase battery life in the long run.

Use eco mode

By putting the car in eco mode, you can drive more energy-efficiently. In eco mode, the heating system and engine output are reduced, and the car is therefore driven in a form of economy mode. You set the car's driving mode in the car's settings. This is great for long drives and when you want to get the most range out of the car.

Smart charging

Today's modern technology offers many new opportunities for sensible planning. By planning your charging, you can charge when your consumption is lowest and the electricity price is also at its lowest. Use the timer in your car, the app for your wall charger or your electricity supplier's own apps, and start charging when you see that the price is at its lowest. This can save you significant sums of money over a year!