Extreme heat could reduce EV battery range
Jul 12, 2021, 1:13 PM
Go Ultra Low Nissan LEAF on charge on a London street. Ultra-low emission vehicles such as this can cost as little as 2p per mile to run and some electric cars and vans have a range of up to 700 miles. Photo credit: Getty Images
SALT LAKE CITY — In addition to staying cool, electric vehicle (EV) owners might have to worry about the range of their car battery in this extreme heat.
Similar to a cellphone, an electric car battery can be affected by the weather. News outlets, like The Verge and Forbes, have reported on this issue in previous years.
Extreme cold can reduce an EV battery range by up to 40%, according to AAA. Fortunately, the effect on an EV battery is less with extreme heat. AAA says this can cause a 17% reduction in range.
The reduced range could end up costing more to own an electric car with the need for additional charging time.
This means electric car owners need to factor in the possible mileage reduction and extra hit to the wallet when planning summer road trips or even their daily commutes.
Tesla responded to The Verge after its story was posted. The company says it questions the legitimacy of the AAA report on how weather affects electric car batteries.
