Winter is here, and many electric car owners have found that the range displayed when fully charged is "halved", the charging speed is slowed down, and even the power output is weakened. Some people say that "electric cars are naturally afraid of cold", while others question that "there are problems with the battery quality". What is the truth? This article will analyze the impact of low temperature on electric car batteries based on the chemical properties of lithium batteries, and provide a full range of solutions from charging skills to driving habits to help you say goodbye to winter range anxiety.
I. Are electric car batteries really "afraid of cold"?
1. The essence of low temperature effects: reduced activity, non-permanent damage
When lithium batteries are at low temperatures (especially below 0°C), the viscosity of the electrolyte increases, and the migration speed of lithium ions between the positive and negative electrodes decreases significantly, resulting in:
- Reduced available capacity: At -10°C, the battery capacity may decrease by 30%-40% (data source: U.S. Department of Energy Laboratory).
- Increased internal resistance: reduced discharge efficiency, manifested as weak acceleration and reduced output power.
- Slowed charging speed: To protect the battery, the charging power will be limited by the system at low temperatures.
Key conclusion: The reduction in battery life caused by low temperature is a temporary phenomenon. Battery performance can be restored after warming up, but long-term use in extreme low temperatures may accelerate battery aging.
2. Low temperature is not fatal, but two major risks need to be avoided
- Low temperature charging damage: Direct charging below -20°C may cause lithium metal precipitation, causing short circuit risk.
- Thermal management energy consumption: When the battery heating system is running, it will consume additional power (heating power consumption of some models can reach 1-3kW).
II. Scientific response strategy: Four steps to improve winter battery life
Step 1: Preheat the battery before charging
- Principle: Raising the battery temperature to above 5°C can significantly improve the charging and discharging efficiency.
- Operation guide:
a. Home charging pile: Wait 10-15 minutes after plugging in the gun before starting charging (some models automatically preheat).
b. Public fast charging station: Remotely turn on the battery preheating function through the mobile phone APP before departure (such as Tesla, Weilai, etc. support this function).
c. Models without preheating function: charge after driving at low speed for 10 minutes, and use the heat generated by driving to heat up.
Step 2: Optimize charging habits
- Prioritize slow charging: Slow charging (AC charging) generates less heat, is more suitable for low temperature environment, and is conducive to battery balancing.
- Charge as you use: Charge immediately after parking (battery residual temperature is high), which is more than 20% more efficient than cold car charging.
- Avoid full storage: If the vehicle is idle for a long time, keep the power at 50%-60% to reduce electrolyte decomposition caused by low temperature.
Step 3: Adjust driving mode and habits
- Enable "Energy Saving Mode": Limit motor power output and reduce energy loss caused by sudden acceleration/sudden braking.
- Pre-plan route: Preheat the battery through the navigation system before using the car (such as BYD's "Battery Intelligent Temperature Control System").
- Make good use of kinetic energy recovery: Increase the kinetic energy recovery level to maximize the energy recovery efficiency during deceleration.
- Reduce vehicle load: clear unnecessary luggage, turn off non-essential functions such as seat heating and steering wheel heating (air conditioning is recommended to be set at around 20°C).
Step 4: Improve parking environment
- Indoor parking is preferred: underground garages or closed parking spaces can reduce battery temperature loss at night.
- Outdoor parking protection: Use an insulating car cover to cover the front cabin (battery area) to prevent direct cooling by cold wind.
- Avoid ice and snow coverage: After parking, clear the snow on the surface of the battery pack in time to prevent ice after melting.
III. Black technology of car companies: How to relieve winter anxiety?
1. Heat pump air conditioner
- Principle: Recover the waste heat of batteries and motors for cabin heating, which saves more than 50% energy compared to traditional PTC heating (such as Tesla Model Y, Xiaopeng G9).
2. Battery preheating technology
- Case: Weilai BaaS service supports remote appointment heating, which can heat up 2 hours in advance when the gun is plugged in.
3. All-weather battery (patented technology)
- Breakthrough: The self-heating battery developed by CATL can maintain more than 80% of its performance at -30°C.
IV. Summary: Rational response, equal emphasis on technology and habits
The reduction in the range of electric vehicles in winter is due to the physical properties of lithium batteries, but this pain point can be completely alleviated through scientific charging, driving habit optimization and car company technology upgrades. Remember three key principles:
- Temperature management is above all else: preheating the battery and improving the parking environment are more effective than blindly increasing the power.
- Learn to cooperate with the BMS system: trust the vehicle's own energy management logic and avoid human intervention (such as frequent full charging).
- Accept reasonable loss: Battery life is calculated based on the "full cycle", and there is no need to be overly anxious about temporary attenuation in winter.
Final reminder: If your electric vehicle has abnormal power loss, cannot be charged, or battery failure prompts at low temperatures, please contact after-sales immediately. Safety is always the top priority!
