What to do if electric vehicles can't run far in cold weather? Don't rush to change the battery, try these 5 methods, maybe you can run 10 kilometers more
As the temperature gradually turns cold, many electric vehicle owners will find that the electric vehicle that could run 50 or 60 kilometers on a full charge can only run 40 kilometers now. Many people feel that there is a problem with the battery of the electric vehicle or the car, and everyone will rush to replace the battery or repair the electric vehicle. In fact, it is normal that electric vehicles can't run far in cold weather and the endurance of electric vehicles decreases. You might as well try these 5 methods first. Maybe you can run 10 kilometers more on a single charge!
Before introducing the method, let everyone understand a principle, that is, why does the range of electric vehicles decrease when the temperature drops?
This is because the decrease in temperature will reduce the activity of the battery. The lower the temperature, the worse the battery's ability to store electricity becomes, and the battery capacity will also become smaller. Once the battery capacity becomes smaller, the charging and discharging efficiency will decrease, and then the range will decrease.
Therefore, when the weather turns cold, the temperature drops, and the range of electric vehicles also decreases. It is often not simply due to the battery. Therefore, don't rush to replace the battery when the range of electric vehicles decreases in winter. Instead, find a good way to extend the battery's range. When the weather gets hot next year, the range of electric vehicles will naturally return to normal.
So please remember: Don't rush to replace the battery when it's cold, unless your battery is really old and needs to be replaced. Generally, within the normal warranty period, the battery can still be used normally, but you must learn to maintain it.
Here are 5 battery maintenance methods to help you keep your electric vehicle running far in winter, and it will also help extend the service life of the electric vehicle.
1. Charge frequently when it's cold, and the charging time should be longer, 7-10 hours each time.
Why should you charge more frequently when it's cold? Because the battery capacity will decrease in the low temperature environment in winter, the range of electric vehicles will decrease a lot. Naturally, you need to charge more frequently and replenish the power in time, which will help both riding and batteries.
At the same time, the charging time in winter is also longer, generally one or two hours longer than in summer, because when it is cold, the battery will decay and the charging efficiency will decrease accordingly. If we take 25 degrees as the standard, the battery capacity will decrease by about 1% for every 1 degree drop in temperature. Some people compare it to saying that every degree drop in temperature will reduce the range by 1 kilometer, which is basically the case.
So after the electric vehicle charger turns green, we have to continue floating charging for 2 hours to charge the battery more fully. According to the temperature conditions in various places, the general charging time is 7-10 hours.
2. When it is cold, try to charge the electric vehicle indoors and maintain a certain charging temperature.
As we all know, the best charging temperature for electric vehicles is 25 degrees. If you charge it outdoors in winter, especially when the weather drops to 0 degrees, it will be even more unfavorable to charge it outdoors. At this time, we try to charge the electric vehicle indoors, such as the underground parking lot in the community, or in your own garage, or in the carport. Usually, if the temperature drops to 0 degrees, the cruising range will generally be reduced by 30%, which means that you can run 50 kilometers on a full charge in summer, but only 30 kilometers when it snows in winter.
3. Adjust the riding method when it is cold. When starting or going uphill, accelerate slowly or use manual assistance.
When the electric vehicle is starting and climbing, the power consumption is very large, especially in winter. The start should be smooth and slow, and the acceleration should be gradual. Don't twist the handlebar to the bottom at once, so that the current discharge will be relatively peaceful. If a large current is discharged suddenly, it will cause a large increase in power consumption.
When riding, if you want to save power in cold weather, do not brake frequently or use high speed, because braking and high-speed driving will consume more power. If you need to brake, you should step on it lightly in advance, which can not only reduce power consumption and extend the cruising range, but also use less high speed and drive at medium and low speeds, which is not only safer but also more power-saving.
4. Try not to use fast charging stations to charge.
Some car owners do not have much power in their cars when they go out, or the mileage on the day exceeds the usual, causing the car to run out of power halfway. In this way, choosing a fast charger on the roadside to charge feels time-saving and convenient, but a fast charging station is a kind of charging through a large current, allowing the battery of an electric vehicle to be charged with a large amount of power in a short time. At present, many fast charging stations on the market use high-voltage and high-current pulse charging, which will cause certain damage to the battery. If you often use fast charging stations to charge, or the fast charging time is long, it will accelerate the aging of the battery.
5. If the electric vehicle is not used for a long time, remember to charge it once a month.
If an electric car is not used for a long time, there will be a small amount of power consumption. Over time, it will lead to insufficient battery power. If the electric car is always in a state of low power, it will cause sulfuric acid oxidation of the battery, that is, the battery will age and decay due to excessive hunger. So even if we don't use electric cars, we must remember to charge them once a month to keep idle electric cars at a stable power balance.
The above are 5 maintenance methods for electric cars in cold weather. Maintaining good riding habits is beneficial to the maintenance and riding safety of electric cars. Mastering relevant electric car charging skills can effectively extend the service life and range of electric cars.