Electric cars in winter - a problem or a solution during blackouts? Real experiences of owners and expert advice on frost, charging and survival without electricity

Frost and range: where do the kilometers disappear to?

The biggest challenge for an electric vehicle in winter is the reduction in range, as different types of electric vehicle batteries are sensitive to low temperatures in different ways. According to statistics, average energy consumption increases from 16.8 kWh per 100 km in summer to 21.8 kWh in winter.

"In the current situation, you need to have two cars: an electric car and a car with an internal combustion engine. Now my car simply won't take off, consumption has increased by 30-40%. It would be easier if my car model had a heat pump," said Konstantin, the owner of a Volkswagen ID.4, which has a lithium-ion battery.

As Marina Kitina, an expert on the electric car market, explained to dev.ua, the presence of a heat pump significantly extends the life of an electric car. It eliminates the impact of temperature changes, cooling the battery in the summer and heating it in the winter. Kitina said that heat pumps began to be mass-installed in electric cars approximately from 2021-2022.

In the cold, any batteries (like those in phones or cameras) lose charge quickly. If a car without a heat pump spends the night outside, the range can be reduced by 20–30 km by morning simply because of the cold.

Kitina added that at temperatures below -15°C, chemical processes in lithium batteries slow down, leading to rapid discharge. However, the expert warns that not all electric cars need to be charged to the maximum, as this affects the battery's capacity.

“LFP batteries can be charged to 100%, but it is not advisable, while more sensitive NMC batteries are better kept between 20–80% for daily use,” Kitina noted.

Charging your car to 100% is only worth it for long trips. The less often you do this, the longer the battery will last.

Where to charge your car during blackouts and how to do it correctly

The widespread myth that electric cars can cause a collapse of the power system is not confirmed by the figures. According to Kytina, the entire fleet of electric cars in Ukraine consumes only 0.63% of the country's total generation. Even if the number of cars triples, the load will not exceed 1.9%, which is not critical.

Dmytro, a resident of Irpin, who experienced what it's like to live for more than 20 hours without electricity, and the owner of a Chinese BYD electric car, said that his car is not equipped with a heat pump, but he did not experience a critical shortage of charging despite the constant power outages.

"Car charging stations work even during a blackout. Of course, the range decreases in such weather, but I have not encountered any problems with charging, at least in Irpen and Kyiv. Another thing is if you live in settlements where the infrastructure of charging stations is not so developed, in which case you need to plan your route taking into account the current risks of power outages," Dmitry shared his experience of operating a Chinese BYD electric car and added that if the blackouts last for several days, diesel or gasoline cars will not be able to be refueled at gas stations without power.

Marina Kitina confirms that some stations do indeed work even during blackouts, as they are located near critical infrastructure lines where the lights are not turned off. And EDS charging stations come with built-in batteries that work like power banks: they store energy and release it when the network disappears.

What to pay attention to before charging a car

If the car does not have a heat pump, you should be careful with fast charging stations, and prefer slow home charging in a garage or parking lot (from 2.2 to 6 kW). The low current of a regular outlet is safe for the battery and does not depend on temperature, while the powerful energy flow from a fast charging station (DC) is harmful to a cold battery and accelerates its degradation.

Before connecting to a high-speed station, warm up the battery while driving by making a few extra laps in the car so as not to waste time warming up near the terminal.

"Drive a little so that the battery warms up while driving. When you drive up to the charger after you've done a couple of laps, it will already be warm, and you'll immediately start charging, rather than standing and waiting for it to heat up to the required temperature," Kitina noted.

When connected to a high-speed terminal in winter, the car will not start charging immediately. First, the energy will be used to warm up the battery to operating temperature, and only then will the process of restoring the range begin. That is why cars without a heat pump take much longer to charge in winter - they need additional time to “defrost” before receiving current.

In the case of a queue for fast charging, the auto expert advises connecting to a nearby slow charger while waiting - this will prepare the battery to receive high power.

"If the fast charging port is busy, switch to slow charging to start warming up the battery. You can stand there for even 10 minutes, and they will really save you: when the fast port becomes free, you will move the car and it will charge much faster, because the battery has already warmed up."

It is also worth remembering that the charging speed is limited by the capabilities of your car, not the power of the station. Even if you connect a car with a 100 kW inverter to a high-power 350 kW station, the process will proceed at a speed of 100 kW. Therefore, you should choose a station taking into account the technical characteristics of your car, because it will not “jump” above its factory limit.

What not to do

Do not try to insulate the engine compartment yourself with foil or other materials - this does not give a guaranteed effect, but creates a fire hazard.

"I wouldn't recommend climbing into the car's structure at all, putting anything in, because it's dangerous. That's why I wouldn't recommend putting anything in there, not insulating it yourself."

Refrain from installing additional fuel heaters (such as Webasto) using a homemade method, as this is an uncertified intervention in electronics.

"We don't have any official service that does this. Any intervention by a non-specialist is a risk. Electronics may malfunction, some devices may not connect to each other."

Do not charge the electric vehicle directly from the generator, as this is not intended by the manufacturer and may damage the equipment.

"There's no way in the history of the automotive industry to charge a car from a generator. If people want to risk their lives, the generator, or the car, they can do it, but it's dangerous."

Electric car as backup power for the home

Recently on dev.ua we wrote about a software developer who used his Hyundai Ioniq 5 electric car as a backup power source for his home during long power outages.

This is not an isolated case in today's realities, as Ms. Marina said, using an electric car as a UPS is a completely real story that can save during blackouts.

“Electric cars are often mockingly called ‘power banks on wheels.’ But this power bank can power an entire townhouse for a long period of time,” the expert noted.

Kitina said that a huge advantage of modern electric cars, especially in blackouts, is the V2L (Vehicle-to-Load) function. With an average battery capacity of about 65 kW (and flagships like the Cadillac Escalade have up to 200 kW), the car is capable of producing up to 6 kW of power. This resource is enough to power a large apartment or even a townhouse for several days.

"The case of my friends confirms that a car can power lighting, water pumps, and household appliances, including washing machines, if the load is distributed wisely," Kitina explained.

However, the integration of the car into the home network should be approached with extreme caution. As in the case of portable stations such as EcoFlow, the connection should be carried out exclusively by a professional electrician. Attempts to make a circuit yourself often end in confusion with phases and connectors.

The result is burnt V2L adapters (especially often such cases are recorded with Zeekr models), and this is the best scenario, because repairing an adapter is cheaper than repairing car electronics or house wiring.

Technological comfort

A big advantage of modern electric cars is the presence of their own application, which allows you to not only monitor energy consumption, but also start the car remotely. Although not all automakers have yet fully switched to this standard, brands such as Tesla, Volvo, BMW, Mercedes and even MG already offer full-fledged mobile applications. Audi and Porsche owners also have similar software, although its functionality sometimes still needs improvement.

“I get up in the morning, start the car remotely via the app, and calmly make coffee. In 30 minutes the car is fully warmed up and ready to drive,” said Tesla Model Y owner Valeriy about the convenience of modern electric cars.

He also advised other Tesla owners not to forget to lubricate the rubber seals with silicone, as the frameless design of the car doors can cause the glass to freeze during severe frosts.

An unexpected advantage

The experience of this winter proves that an electric car in Ukraine is no longer just an environmentally friendly means of transport. This is a technological advantage that, however, does not forgive negligence. Losing kilometers in the cold or the nuances of fast charging are physics that cannot be fooled, but for which you can prepare.

Constant blackouts and low temperatures affect both range and battery capacity. However, the ability to warm up your car via your smartphone without leaving home, and the function of powering your home during blackouts, turn an electric car from a simple means of transportation into a strategic gadget for survival.

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