Electric vehicles are less likely to fail in very cold climates compared to internal combustion engine vehicles.

Winter is approaching in the northern hemisphere of the planet, and with it the fear that electric vehicles will fail due to very cold temperatures, even extremely cold, as is happening in some regions of the United States. But a report published by a roadside assistance company in Norway, one of the countries with the highest EV penetration in the world and also one of the coldest, tells a completely different story.

vikingThe Norwegian company that published the report says it responded to 34,000 requests for road assistance in the first nine days of 2024.

And while it is true that electric vehicles are a minority in the world, this is not the case in Norway, where Today, more than 25% of cars on the road are 100% electric.. This figure therefore sheds light on a widespread but unfounded fear.

One of the reasons (though not the only one) why the flames of fear about electric vehicles flare up in winter and in very cold temperatures is due to videos that have gone viral in recent weeks.

One of them, for example, shows a man on a highway in Northern Europe documenting four or five instances of electric vehicles stopped on the side of the road because they allegedly broke down due to the cold. While there is no way to prove that the vehicles are malfunctioning or that the cause is unknown, the video simply reinforces anti-electric prejudice. It is impossible to verify whether the person who took the video encountered more internal combustion vehicles in the same area and, if so, how many.

Another video shows several Tesla cars in the US allegedly abandoned in a Supercharger due to the cold. But all indications are that extreme weather, not cars, is the cause of charging station failures.

Loss of autonomy of electric vehicles in cold climates

Fear of cold weather and electric vehicles is also fueled by winter range loss. It is estimated that in winter, especially at subzero temperatures, an electric vehicle travels 10–20% fewer kilometers than in spring or summer.

But it also depends on the EV technology. Later models have improved battery conditioning systems so it operates at the most ideal temperatures in the shortest possible time. But the biggest problem with EVs losing autonomy in the winter is the energy required to maintain the battery. at a comfortable temperature.

The latter is especially important since the temperature outside is approaching zero, and the difference with the climate inside the cabin can be 20°C or more. This is why many electric vehicle brands are investing more and more in the development and innovation of heat pumps that are as efficient as possible, so that the difference in autonomy between winter and summer is as small as possible.

At the same time, the loss of power reserve of a gasoline car in winter can be up to 33% for short highway trips, according to the U.S. government.

In short, while electric cars aren’t perfect and have their technology-related problems, the data clearly shows that they have fewer failures than petrol or diesel cars. The general recommendation is that if it is very cold, you should prepare your car before traveling. This is achieved by turning on the air conditioning to adapt the interior and try to force the battery to operate at a more suitable temperature.