Overview
- Consumer Reports says EVs lose about 25% of range at 16°F during 70 mph highway driving compared with mid‑60s conditions.
- CBS reports temperatures have plunged as low as 21 below zero near Minneapolis, with forecasters warning of record lows across the Southern Plains and Mid‑Atlantic.
- Industry groups and automakers note newer EVs increasingly use heat pumps and improved battery encasements to retain efficiency in cold conditions.
- Guidance for EV owners includes preconditioning while plugged in, parking indoors when possible, and using heated seats or steering wheels to reduce cabin-heater load.
- For gas cars, a Rochester mechanic advises keeping the tank at least three‑quarters full, testing weak batteries, understanding ABS braking behavior on snow, and washing off road salt; charging an EV outdoors is reported as not harmful to battery health.