Electric vehicle drivers are being warned about using heaters during the current cold weather, as it could significantly drain their batteries.
The warning comes as Britain braces for Storm Bert, which is bringing in snow, rain and gusts of up to 70mph across the country.
Experts have cautioned EV owners, particularly those with older models, to be mindful of how heating their vehicles could reduce their driving range.
Unlike petrol and diesel cars, electric vehicles must use additional battery power to generate their own heat. In petrol and diesel vehicles, heat is generated as a by-product of the engine running, making it effectively free for drivers, experts have revealed.
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However, EVs must rely on their battery capacity to produce warmth, which requires a substantial amount of energy and could risk damaging the battery.
This additional power consumption directly impacts how far the vehicle can travel on a single charge, meaning drivers will end up spending more to power their car for longer,
The issue particularly affects older electric vehicles with lower ranges, forcing drivers to make a choice between staying warm and preserving their battery life.
Pre-conditioning features, which allow owners to warm their cars while still connected to charging points, can help mitigate this problem.
Greg Carter, the AA’s technical specialist, told The Telegraph: “All electrical systems struggle in the cold a little bit. The main culprit for damaging the range is the heating system.
“This was best done using electricity from the charging point, as opposed to draining the battery while driving.
“Heat in ICE vehicles is a by-product of them running. There’s a tiny amount of electricity used to run the blower, but the heat itself comes from combustion meaning it’s effectively free.”
Meanwhile, Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, advised EV drivers to carefully consider their heating options during icy weather.
“In a petrol or diesel car a heated seat is a luxury but in an electric vehicle it is often a better bet than turning on the blower which requires a lot of battery energy to heat the air,” he said.
Gooding explained that while cold temperatures don’t affect EV charging itself, drivers need to make conscious choices about staying warm.
This is because traditional combustion engines provide hot air from waste heat, while EVs must generate this warmth using valuable battery power.
The warning is particularly apparent after the Met Office recorded temperatures as low as -7.5C in Warcop, Cumbria – around 10C below the national average for this time of year.
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Meanwhile, the UK Health and Security Agency has issued its first amber cold weather health alert of the season, warning of increased risks to vulnerable people, including the elderly.
The severe weather has already forced hundreds of schools to close due to heavier than expected snowfall.
