Heat and electric cars: How to protect your electric car in the summer?

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What driver wouldn’t know about this: despite our last parking spot in the shade in front of the swimming pool, the car is standing in the scorching sun after cooling in the wet. The only thing that helps: ventilate and turn on the air conditioner.

We know that when temperatures drop below freezing in the winter, the range of electric cars sometimes narrows sharply, but what effect does extreme heat have on the battery performance of electric vehicles in the summer?

It’s only dangerous from 130 degrees

In general, the car does not receive serious damage from the summer heat. However, from about 35 degrees, the storage capacity of the battery may decrease and therefore the range may be shortened. However, such temperatures are not a problem for the battery itself. A chemical reaction at just 130 degrees can cause a short circuit.

With many Stromers, temperature sensors and cooling systems provide the right temperature. In an emergency, the car can even reduce power or top speed. But we drivers can also do something to protect the electric car in the heat.

shadow park

Lithium-ion batteries are installed in most electric cars. They work best in temperatures between 15 and 35 degrees. Too cold or too hot – storage capacity will suffer. Meaning: range is reduced. When the temperature is very high, it helps to park the car in the shade or, if possible, in the underground car park.

If your e-car gets too hot, the air conditioner is probably running at full speed. This consumes energy and then the car doesn’t need it to drive: the range melts like ice cream in the sun. If possible, it is advantageous to pre-cool the passenger compartment during charging. So you don’t lose any range.

low power charging

If you are planning long distances with your electric car in the summer, you should allow longer charging pauses. Because: The higher the temperature, the lower the charging capacity should be. The battery monitoring system regulates the maximum charging power to prevent overheating which slows down the charging process. In more extreme cases, this can be interrupted until the battery cools down. Some e-cars, such as Tesla models, can precondition the battery, meaning it can bring the battery to the right temperature before charging.

Heat affects not only built-in batteries, but also stationary charging stations. Charging performance suffers here too due to overheating. The problem: Public charging infrastructure often has no protection against extreme temperatures – there are of course exceptions here, such as Fastned’s charging stations.

relaxed on vacation

Hectic and restless driving behavior leads to higher energy consumption. Same number of acceleration and braking maneuvers. This puts more strain on your vehicle’s electric drive, which puts an additional strain on the increased operating temperature. This means: Ride comfortably and evenly – especially if you drive a longer distance on vacation.

One final tip: Always check your car thoroughly before a long drive. In e-cars this is especially true for the battery cooling system.

Source: Blick