CAA’s 2025 EV Circuit challenge, where different brands and models were put to the test for real data on their winter performance. | PHOTO: COURTESY OF CAA
Do Electric Vehicles Perform Well in Cold Weather?
Three questions with Kurt Sampson, zero-emission vehicle advocate, who gives us the cold, hard facts about how temperature affects performance.
By Alexis Nicols
Electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming common on our roadways and accessible to more drivers. As we grow into being comfortable enough to start considering an EV as a next car or truck purchase, one question comes up: can EVs handle Canadian winters?
According to Kurt Sampson, zero-emission vehicle advocate at CAA Atlantic, the positives outweigh the negatives. CAA Magazine sat down with him to discuss the performance of EVs in winter.
Road performance
QUESTION ONE
How do EVs manage on snow and ice?
Kurt Sampson: EV performance in deep snow, just like with any vehicle, will depend largely on vehicle characteristics like ground clearance and tire diameter. Some features of EVs lead to their performing really well in winter. On a true platform EV (a vehicle designed from the start as an EV, not a gas-engine vehicle redesigned as an EV), the battery sits low in the middle of the car, giving it the perfect centre of gravity. That’s also why rear-wheel drive (RWD) EVs perform substantially better than RWD combustion vehicles — what we consider traditional gas-engine vehicles — in winter conditions. Traction control is another edge. Combustion vehicles adjust for wheel slippage 10 to 15 times per second; EVs do it up to 2,000 times per second. Their ability to maintain traction and hold the road is on another level. One thing to keep an eye on if you drive your EV in deep snow is the radiator. Some people might be surprised to hear that there even is a radiator on the front of EVs. They’re usually much smaller because they aren’t required to dissipate the waste heat from a combustion engine. The smaller radiators in EVs are usually low in the front of the vehicles, often with fins that open and close as needed. Keeping these free from snow and ice buildup is important. Combustion vehicle radiators usually get very hot from engine heat, melting ice and snow. On EVs those radiators get cold while heating the interior or battery, so snow and ice buildup is more likely. Proper functioning of the heating and cooling system in an EV is very important for optimizing battery performance and longevity, so taking time to make sure your radiator isn’t clogged with snow and ice in the winter (similar to how we do for leaves in the fall) is good practice.
The EV displays data, providing a snapshot of the vehicle’s performance. | PHOTO: COURTESY OF CAA
Battery charging
QUESTION TWO
Does EV range decrease in winter, and is charging slower?
KS: Driving any vehicle in winter conditions will result in less range due to things like less efficient winter tires, more resistance driving on snow and pushing through cold air that is more dense. However, the unique thing about EVs is that they can’t rely on waste heat from the engine to heat the interior. The colder it gets the more power is required to keep the battery and interior at a reasonable operating temperature. On winter days where it might be single digits below freezing, your range might be 10 percent less than on a hot summer day. But at –30°C you’re probably looking at 30 percent less range compared to that summer day. One tip for minimizing winter range loss is preconditioning. With many EVs you can either manually start preconditioning from the mobile app or schedule your EV to be charged and warmed up — say every weekday by 6:30 a.m., like I do so it’s warm and ready for the drive into work. Maintaining a moderate temperature in a vehicle once it's heated requires much less energy than warming up a frozen vehicle, and it’s also very nice to get into a toasty vehicle on a cold morning. If the EV battery is already warm, from driving or preconditioning, then charging when it’s cold outside is not much different than charging when it’s warm. However, if you try to charge a cold battery, it’s either going to be slow or require warming before it will charge. Don’t let a low battery get cold. Charge it right when you get home from a drive instead of the next day. One good thing is that batteries generally last longer — degrade slower — in the cold. One benefit of EVs in the winter is that you almost never have to worry about them not being able to start. An EV with a full battery can often sit for weeks in the cold and start no problem.
Preconditioning refers to warming the battery and the car’s interior before you start to drive. While your vehicle is plugged in, you can warm it up, drawing power from the grid and conserving your battery for the ride.
Charging may be slightly slower in winter, but there are some tips to help maximize it. | PHOTO: COURTESY OF CAA
Future tech
QUESTION THREE
What new developments are emerging in EV technology?
KS: Heat pumps have been the biggest shift in recent years. You can essentially heat the interior of the vehicle with about 40 percent of the energy compared to using a resistance heater, and most of the best EVs have them. Newer models are also recovering waste heat from the inverter to further boost efficiency. And range anxiety is on its way out. We have EVs now with an 800-km-plus range. It’s just a matter of the charging infrastructure improving by having more access to chargers. If EV owners have the ability to charge their EV where they live, then the range in the winter is barely an issue. They will likely not even notice it.
The range for EVs is increasing and showing improvement in winter. | PHOTO: COURTESY OF CAA
One thing Sampson wants drivers to know: owners are not limited to purchasing tires labelled as “EV winter tires.” Tires marketed for EVs might have special features, such as lower noise and rolling resistance (though EVs are generally much quieter than combustion vehicles, if you choose to run studs you’ll likely hear the additional road noise a bit more in an EV). However, the same factors — such as size, performance and driving conditions — are key, regardless of whether opting for EV-specific tires or not. Ensure the fit and the weight rating. Decide whether you’re prioritizing ice and snow or tread life, and you’ll be set to power through winter. CAA
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The EV displays data, providing a snapshot of the vehicle’s performance. | PHOTO: COURTESY OF CAA
Road performance
QUESTION ONE
How do EVs manage on snow and ice?
Kurt Sampson: EV performance in deep snow, just like with any vehicle, will depend largely on vehicle characteristics like ground clearance and tire diameter. Some features of EVs lead to their performing really well in winter. On a true platform EV (a vehicle designed from the start as an EV, not a gas-engine vehicle redesigned as an EV), the battery sits low in the middle of the car, giving it the perfect centre of gravity. That’s also why rear-wheel drive (RWD) EVs perform substantially better than RWD combustion vehicles — what we consider traditional gas-engine vehicles — in winter conditions. Traction control is another edge. Combustion vehicles adjust for wheel slippage 10 to 15 times per second; EVs do it up to 2,000 times per second. Their ability to maintain traction and hold the road is on another level. One thing to keep an eye on if you drive your EV in deep snow is the radiator. Some people might be surprised to hear that there even is a radiator on the front of EVs. They’re usually much smaller because they aren’t required to dissipate the waste heat from a combustion engine. The smaller radiators in EVs are usually low in the front of the vehicles, often with fins that open and close as needed. Keeping these free from snow and ice buildup is important. Combustion vehicle radiators usually get very hot from engine heat, melting ice and snow. On EVs those radiators get cold while heating the interior or battery, so snow and ice buildup is more likely. Proper functioning of the heating and cooling system in an EV is very important for optimizing battery performance and longevity, so taking time to make sure your radiator isn’t clogged with snow and ice in the winter (similar to how we do for leaves in the fall) is good practice.
Charging may be slightly slower in winter, but there are some tips to help maximize it. | PHOTO: COURTESY OF CAA
Battery charging
QUESTION TWO
Does EV range decrease in winter, and is charging slower?
KS: Driving any vehicle in winter conditions will result in less range due to things like less efficient winter tires, more resistance driving on snow and pushing through cold air that is more dense. However, the unique thing about EVs is that they can’t rely on waste heat from the engine to heat the interior. The colder it gets the more power is required to keep the battery and interior at a reasonable operating temperature. On winter days where it might be single digits below freezing, your range might be 10 percent less than on a hot summer day. But at –30°C you’re probably looking at 30 percent less range compared to that summer day. One tip for minimizing winter range loss is preconditioning. With many EVs you can either manually start preconditioning from the mobile app or schedule your EV to be charged and warmed up — say every weekday by 6:30 a.m., like I do so it’s warm and ready for the drive into work. Maintaining a moderate temperature in a vehicle once it's heated requires much less energy than warming up a frozen vehicle, and it’s also very nice to get into a toasty vehicle on a cold morning. If the EV battery is already warm, from driving or preconditioning, then charging when it’s cold outside is not much different than charging when it’s warm. However, if you try to charge a cold battery, it’s either going to be slow or require warming before it will charge. Don’t let a low battery get cold. Charge it right when you get home from a drive instead of the next day. One good thing is that batteries generally last longer — degrade slower — in the cold. One benefit of EVs in the winter is that you almost never have to worry about them not being able to start. An EV with a full battery can often sit for weeks in the cold and start no problem.
Preconditioning refers to warming the battery and the car’s interior before you start to drive. While your vehicle is plugged in, you can warm it up, drawing power from the grid and conserving your battery for the ride.
The range for EVs is increasing and showing improvement in winter. | PHOTO: COURTESY OF CAA
Future tech
QUESTION THREE
What new developments are emerging in EV technology?
KS: Heat pumps have been the biggest shift in recent years. You can essentially heat the interior of the vehicle with about 40 percent of the energy compared to using a resistance heater, and most of the best EVs have them. Newer models are also recovering waste heat from the inverter to further boost efficiency. And range anxiety is on its way out. We have EVs now with an 800-km-plus range. It’s just a matter of the charging infrastructure improving by having more access to chargers. If EV owners have the ability to charge their EV where they live, then the range in the winter is barely an issue. They will likely not even notice it.