How to make your electric vehicle last longer in winter

In the next few days, two waves of cold air will come one after another, directly causing the temperature in most parts of our country to drop sharply. For new energy car owners, some distress will also follow.

Since new energy vehicles are more susceptible to the impact of low temperatures, it is even more necessary to do a good job of cold protection and heat preservation to ensure that they can "drive freely" in severe winters. How to "keep cold and warm" for new energy vehicles? We have sorted out five winter precautions for new energy vehicles, hoping to help you:

1.Charge as you go, charge in time

When charging a new energy vehicle, the battery needs to be preheated first, and the battery will not start charging until the battery temperature reaches a certain level. This is why many car owners feel that the speed of electric vehicles will slow down during winter charging.

Therefore, in winter when it takes longer to warm up the battery, the best time to charge is just after driving. At this time, the battery is still in an appropriate temperature range. You can skip the warm-up stage and start charging directly, which can improve charging efficiency. , can also save the energy required to warm up the battery.

In addition, in a low temperature environment, the remaining power and remaining mileage displayed by the vehicle may be greatly reduced. If you maintain the habit of recharging when the battery power is almost exhausted at this time, it is likely to cause the car to run out of power halfway. It is recommended that you charge it as you use it in winter, and prepare the amount in advance for emergencies.

2.Regular charging

Pay attention to the maintenance of the battery in winter, and try to fully charge it. If it is parked for more than a month, it is best to charge it once a month.

This is because the battery pack of new energy vehicles that have been idle for a long time is in a state of power loss. When the vehicle is parked in this state, the battery pack is prone to chemical reactions, resulting in a decrease in battery capacity. The longer the idle time, the more damage to the battery pack. Therefore, it is necessary to regularly check the power and charge the car in time to avoid long-term idle power loss.

3.Charging ambient temperature

The outdoor temperature is low in winter, and being in a low temperature environment for a long time will affect the charging power of the battery. This is because the performance of the lithium battery will decrease to varying degrees at a lower temperature, which is manifested by the decrease of the charging current and discharge current, and the decrease of the battery capacity. 

Therefore, when using electric vehicles in winter, it is normal that the charging time becomes longer and the driving range of the vehicle becomes shorter.

The best ambient temperature for battery charging is 0~45°C. When charging in winter, try to avoid charging the car in an environment below 0°C, and choose to charge indoors first, such as in the underground parking lot of a shopping mall, or choose to charge when the temperature is high in the afternoon, which will help improve battery activity and reduce mileage loss.

4.Use the air conditioner correctly

As the weather turns cold, many car owners will turn on the heater in the car when charging to keep warm. In fact, turning on the air conditioner during charging will increase the internal charge load of the battery. In order to prevent potential safety hazards, it is not recommended for car owners to drive the air conditioner while charging. Car owners can wait in the waiting room of the charging station.

In addition, during the driving process, you must pay attention to the method of turning on the air conditioner. For example, do not turn on the air conditioner too much. The warm air only needs to maintain normal body temperature so that the body does not feel cold. The air volume should not be too large, and warmer air can be blown out by controlling it at 1-2 gears. Turning on the internal circulation mode can also save power. In addition, the warm air can be turned on intermittently, and the air conditioner can be turned off when the internal temperature of the vehicle reaches the set temperature, so that it can keep warm and the power loss can be controlled within an acceptable range.

5.Clean up the dirt in time

It is especially important to clean the dirt on the vehicle in time in winter. Rain or snow may freeze around the charging port. If it is not cleaned in time, it is easy to cause short circuit and leakage during charging.

When charging a vehicle, choose a charging pile that meets national safety standards, keep away from flammable and explosive materials, and avoid potential safety hazards. Before charging, make sure that the charging gun head and the charging port of the vehicle are clean and dry, especially when charging outdoors, be careful not to let rain or snow water flow into the charging port, which will affect the service life of the battery and cause driving hazards.