How to protect your electric vehicle in extreme heat

This latest stretch of triple-digit temperatures may impact your commute. When it comes to electric vehicles, NBC 5 Responds asked experts: can you get as far on one charge as you expected in August?

A DRIVER TURNED EV ADVOCATE

Since buying her car new in 2018, Lindsey Perkins said she’s driven the electric vehicle through four, nearly five, North Texas summers.

“The car manufacturers have thought of everything to make sure that people can get from point A to point B,” Perkins said. “It has held up. That has been my experience from the start.”

Perkins said a few years after buying her Tesla Model 3, she began working for Plug In America, an EV advocacy nonprofit. We connected with Perkins after reaching out to the North Texas Tesla Owners Group, where she’s a member.

“The most common question in the summer in the owners' group is about the cabin overheat protection, which keeps the cabin below a certain temperature during the summer. That's where people lose range if they leave it on all day,” Perkins said.

Under summer driving tips on Tesla’s website, it says to expect a reduction in energy from the battery pack if running the climate system when the vehicle is unplugged for a prolonged period of time. It also notes range can be impacted by extreme cold or hot temperatures. The impact would seem more noticeable in cold weather.

MEASURING RANGE IMPACT AND BATTERY HEALTH

Exactly how does high heat, the kind we experience in North Texas, impact the distance the car can go on a single charge? Liz Najman, lead researcher at Recurrent said the answer can depend on the type of vehicle, its battery and driver behavior.

“We found that up until around 90 degrees, range loss is pretty minimal,” Najman told NBC 5.

We asked about 100-degree heat. Najman said those data points are limited.

“Our data in the three digits is still preliminary, but we did see the potential for a range loss of up to 30% in some vehicles,” said Najman.

Najman said she would point out fuel efficiency in gas-powered cars is also impacted while driving with the air conditioning on blast in the summer.

EV drivers, who rely on public charging stations to get around, may worry about running out of juice.

Recurrent said it takes read-only data from its subscribers to help drivers understand how they’re charging and how far they can go. Recurrent said it also scores expected range on a vehicle in the future. A tool, Recurrent explains, consumers can use before buying a used electric vehicle.

Cox Automotive, which runs companies that include Kelly Blue Book and Auto Trader, said it’s working to develop its own EV battery health tool. 

“When you think about internal combustion engines, it's all about mileage. We've had lots and lots of data on mileage and we can compare vehicles. But EVs, it's all about the battery, which can be up to 50% of the value of the vehicle,” said Stephanie Valdez Streaty, director of strategic planning at Cox Automotive.

“Knowing the health of that battery is going to be important,” Valdez Streaty added.

Cox Automotive said it’s piloting the research in ten regions around the country – including Dallas.

Electric vehicle makers are finding customers in Texas. According to the most recent numbers shared by the Department of Energy, Texas has 149,000 electric vehicle registrations. That’s the third-highest number in the U.S. Another warm-weather state, Florida, comes in second with 167,990 EV registrations. California has the highest number of EV registrations: 903,620.

DRIVER RECOMMENDATIONS

Best practices for EV drivers in this heat include a simple tip: park in the shade. That way, the electric vehicle uses less energy to protect its battery and cool the car. If you can’t park in the shade, Najman said consider your charge level before you park. Batteries are more stable around a half charge.

The Zero Emission Transportation Association, a trade group representing EV companies, tells NBC 5 Responds one of its members shares these tips for drivers to protect EV batteries and improve range.

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