Is this winter EV range normal or is something wrong with my car?

I have a 2023 Niro Wind.

On Jan 5, I charged the car to 80%. The mileage at that time was 12,925, and the estimated range after charging showed 193 miles.

By Jan 13, the battery level dropped to 26%, and the mileage was 12,988. The estimated range now shows 56 miles.

This means I used 54% of the battery (from 80% to 26%), which is about 35 kWh from the 65 kWh battery to drive 63 miles. That gives an efficiency of 1.8 kWh/mile, but the car shows 3.5.

I live in Maryland, and it’s been cold (around 30°F/0°C). I don’t have a garage, so the car stays outside. I drive in ECO mode with one-pedal driving. I bought this car in December as a used vehicle, and the battery status was 100% at the time.

This is my first EV, and I’m feeling disappointed since I don’t have the option to charge at home. Am I doing something wrong, or is this just how it is in winter?

This sounds pretty normal for winter. Cold weather affects EVs a lot, especially if they’re parked outside.

Short trips might also be a factor. EVs use more energy during the start of a cold trip because:

  1. The climate control runs constantly until the car warms up, then it uses less energy.

  2. The battery performs worse in the cold because lithium reactions slow down. It warms up as you drive, but it takes time.

  3. Cold tires have more rolling resistance until they warm up.

For example, my Niro uses around 35 kWh/100 km for the first few minutes at -20°C, then drops to about 22 kWh/100 km once it warms up.

A few things you can try:

  • Turn off one-pedal driving. Coasting is often more efficient. Set regen to a low or auto mode.
  • Lower the climate control or turn it off. Seat heaters and a heated steering wheel use less energy.
  • Park indoors if you can. Charging while parked indoors is even better.

@Kiran
Thanks for replying.

  1. I haven’t used the climate control. The car has a heat pump, so I thought it would help in winter.
  2. My drives are mostly short, like 10 minutes one way. I guess that’s not enough for the battery to warm up?

Why do you think one-pedal driving is inefficient? I thought that’s how EVs are usually driven.

@Hale
Those 10-minute drives are the main issue, especially when you’re starting with a cold car each time.

If you did longer drives, like 1-2 hours, the efficiency would be much better.

Blaire said:
@Hale
Those 10-minute drives are the main issue, especially when you’re starting with a cold car each time.

If you did longer drives, like 1-2 hours, the efficiency would be much better.

I’ve noticed something similar. If I charge my car to 200 miles of range, I might only see 185 miles left after driving 20 miles. It feels odd.

@Hale
It might seem strange at first, but coasting is usually better for efficiency because it uses no energy at all. Regen isn’t 100% efficient, so you lose some energy when you use it.

Imagine coasting down a slope versus using regen and then needing more power to climb back up the other side. Coasting helps you keep more of your initial energy.

Cold weather lowers efficiency for several reasons, including battery performance and climate control use. Even with a heat pump, the cold has an impact.

In summer, I get around 320 miles of range with my e-Niro (64 kWh battery) and see 4 miles per kWh. In winter, it’s more like 250 miles, and short trips often show 2 miles per kWh. Longer trips can get closer to 3 miles per kWh, though.

@Harlan
This makes sense, thanks for explaining.

Hale said:
@Harlan
This makes sense, thanks for explaining.

Adding to that: in warmer weather, regen can be more effective since the battery is running more efficiently. But in winter, both regen and accelerating are less efficient, so coasting becomes the better option.

Short trips in the cold make things worse because the battery doesn’t have time to warm up. If you can’t charge at home, winter can feel much tougher.

For charging, try to use places that charge by kWh, not time, and look for chargers near places you visit often. Even short charges on a fast charger can help.