The truth about driving electric cars in summer

Driving an electric vehicle in the summer heat is a whole different challenge. When temperatures rise sharply, the battery management system works faster, the air conditioner runs constantly, and algorithms work overtime to control performance.

Hot Cars wrote about the real consequences and important aspects of driving electric cars in the summer.

Range

According to Recurrent, when temperatures rise above 38 °C (100 °F), electric vehicles can lose up to 20–30% of their range. However, when temperatures are below 32 °C (90 °F), the impact is much milder — only about 2–5%.

A British guide also notes that EV batteries perform best between 20–25 °C (68–77 °F). Once temperatures exceed 35 °C (95 °F), drivers may see a range reduction of up to 15%. This is because battery cooling systems consume energy, leaving less power for driving and in-cabin comfort.

Air Conditioning

Although cooling the cabin consumes less energy than heating, losses can reach 20% once the temperature exceeds 35 °C (95 °F).

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Temperature Management

Battery thermal management systems cool, stabilize, and protect cells from thermal damage. According to ArXiv research, optimized systems can reduce battery degradation by up to 3% while prioritizing battery life over speed.

Charging in the heat

Charging an electric vehicle in the scorching sun can strain the battery and slow charging. Sometimes, when temperatures reach 35°C, the vehicle's power consumption increases dramatically in order to cool the battery while charging.

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