Fear of range – this is how you cover long distances with an e-car in winter

In the evening the on-board computer still showed 300 kilometers, the next morning it is only 250 kilometers. The winter takes its toll on e-car batteries – this mainly affects the range.

Light, heating and fans require a lot of energy. To do this, the cells in the battery must be within a certain temperature window – the battery also needs electricity for this. But there are ways to save electricity even in winter.

But first, the experts are warning everyone who is now afraid that their modern e-car won't get far at all. "Thanks to large batteries, fast-charging functions and heat pumps, a current e-car can be driven comfortably and far in winter," says Marcel Mühlich, technology expert at the Auto Club Europa (ACE). Matthias Vogt, an expert in electromobility at the ADAC technical center in Landsberg, is of the same opinion.

Especially since the first glance of the display of the remaining range can be deceptive. At low temperatures on a winter morning, this can be drastically lower for a cold car than when it was parked the day before, says Marcel Mühlich. "This is related to the current battery temperature calculation."

Manufacturers have recognized this - and there are infotainment systems and special apps for preconditioning the battery while it is connected to the wall box. "If the battery cells are already heated up to their comfortable temperature in the morning, then they need less of their own energy," says Jens Dralle, Head of Test and Technology at "Auto, Motor und Sport".

By the way: A warm battery absorbs electricity more quickly than a cold one – this is important for fast intermediate charging.

You can also save battery power if you preheat the electric car on the wall box, ideally in the garage. In this way, passengers get into a preheated car without using energy from the battery and thus reducing its range, says ADAC expert Matthias Vogt.

Those who activate heating systems close to the body, such as seat or steering wheel heating, can also save. "It's more efficient than heating the entire interior," says Matthias Vogt. “In some cars, only the driver's side can be heated. That saves electricity when you are alone in the car.”

But safety always comes before reach. "E-car drivers shouldn't save energy on lighting and heating for the windows, that's dangerous," says the ADAC expert.

On the road, it depends on the driving style. "Anticipatory driving with gentle acceleration and long coasting with gentle recuperation saves energy and reduces the range less drastically," says Jens Dralle. Recuperation is energy recovery when braking, the intensity is often adjustable.

It certainly helps to use recuperation frequently to feed the energy gained back into the battery when braking. Only: "Repeated, hard braking is not enough to compensate for the loss of energy after strong acceleration," says Dralle. However, the manufacturer's automatic recuperation functions help to save energy.

Most of the energy can be saved in speed. "If you reduce your speed to around 120 km/h on the motorway, you save a lot of energy - more than if the heating is switched off," says Mühlich. With modern navigation systems, a route can often be set with the most energy-saving route possible.

By the way: Active cruise control often drives more efficiently than the pilot. Most e-cars have an energy-saving eco mode in which the drive and heating power is throttled.

You should know: "Short journeys increase consumption and thus shorten the range," says Matthias Vogt from ADAC. Because the car has to warm up again and again.

On average, consumption increases by between 10 and 30 percent in winter, and by up to 50 percent on extremely short journeys. E-car drivers should therefore plan for a sufficient range reserve when driving in winter.

There are no general care tips for e-cars in winter, but Matthias Vogt advises moving them regularly. “Otherwise, if the battery level is very low, the battery can become deeply discharged after weeks of inactivity. Therefore, the battery should be at least 20 percent charged,” he says.

The operating instructions provide precise information. However, the high-voltage battery rarely discharges deeply. But then the car is a case for the workshop.

In winter, an empty starter battery, as in cars with combustion engines, is one of the most common causes of breakdowns in e-cars. The 12-volt starter battery must bring the high-voltage battery to life. If this is discharged, the e-car goes on strike.

In some e-cars, the high-voltage battery does not automatically charge the starter battery when charging at the charging station. "Anyone who uses too much electricity during charging breaks, for example leaving an entertainment system running, may not be able to start their car after charging," says Marcel Mühlich.

A discharged battery can usually be brought back to life quickly with the normal jump start of a donor car or with a so-called start booster – as long as it is not defective. Because it requires little current and only sufficient voltage. It is then recharged by the high-voltage battery.

But: Most e-cars cannot provide jump-starts. Your 12-volt starter battery has a low capacity and is too weak for the high starter currents of combustion engines.

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