Reduced range in 40F-50F weather

[Prufrock]

I've had my Lightning for about 6 weeks and put 3300 miles on it. The weather here in Nor Cal has come down from average 60s-70s to high 40s-50s Farenheit. I am still averaging 2.4 kwH/mi but my range is reduced by about 8%. Are other owners seeing similar reduction? Thanks.

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[Maquis]

Battery capacity changes with temperature.

Typical lithium ion curve…

 

[RickLightning]

I've had my Lightning for about 6 weeks and put 3300 miles on it. The weather here in Nor Cal has come down from average 60s-70s to high 40s-50s Farenheit. I am still averaging 2.4 kwH/mi but my range is reduced by about 8%. Are other owners seeing similar reduction? Thanks.

While your AVG may be 2.4, it's dropping. You will see about a 20% drop if the temp hangs around 40 degrees. So 2.4 will become 1.9 - 2.0.

 

[Akbrian]

While your AVG may be 2.4, it's dropping. You will see about a 20% drop if the temp hangs around 40 degrees. So 2.4 will become 1.9 - 2.0.

And 1.5 at 20 degrees. And right around 1 at 0 degrees. While battery capacity is a function of temperature it is mostly the climate use and the usage trying to maintain the higher battery temperature that is taking away driving energy.

It has been right around 20 degrees for two weeks and I am 1.45 average everyday. 90% = 170 miles.

 

[metroshot]

I've had my Lightning for about 6 weeks and put 3300 miles on it. The weather here in Nor Cal has come down from average 60s-70s to high 40s-50s Farenheit. I am still averaging 2.4 kwH/mi but my range is reduced by about 8%. Are other owners seeing similar reduction? Thanks.

Aren't you glad you don't live in the colder latitudes where range really drops?

I would hate to be in freezing or below temps.

Instead, I love my 75 degree weather in sunny So Calif at EPA +25% range in November....

 

[chillaban]

Yep and just to add, this is pretty consistent across most EVs. We even have a Model Y with a heat pump and the current 15 degree F weather also obliterates range. In theory it should be able to allow me to run cabin heat more liberally, but we usually wear coats in our cars and heat to 62-64 no matter which car, so most of the loss is simply coming from operating the car in cold weather.


On the bright side, the other extreme (high heat) doesn't really impact EV range as much if at all, we drive through the desert to Vegas all the time.

 

[Firestop]

FWIW, I completed a 270+ mi mostly freeway trip last night (Net ~190 ft. elevation gain, Cabin heat @ 68 deg. F, ~700 lbs total added load including passengers, tonneau cover - no other mods)).

Results: Great trip and no surprises thanks to all of the info shared on this forum. I probably could have made the entire trip w/o a charge, but the first 120 kW Charger was at the restaurant and I wanted to try the second newly installed/upgraded 350 kW EVgo Charger.

ABRP Calibration (~90% certainty)
Starting: 2.1 mi./kWh @ 65 mph
Ending: 1.93 mi./kWh @ 65 mph

1st - 101 mi. Leg after preconditioning: 2.14 mi./kWh @ ~49 mph ave. - [Rush Hour slowdown after 1st hour] (BlueCruise mostly set to 69 mph, 1-pedal) w/ 40-44 deg. F and a total 230‘ elevation drop.

2nd - 50 mi. Leg after 1 hr dinner/fast charge stop: 1.4 mi./kWh @ ~63 ave. mph (BlueCruise set to 74 mph, 1-pedal) w/ 31-33 deg. F and 128’ total elevation gain.

3rd - 73 mi. Leg after 15 min. fast charge: 1.6 mi./kWh @ 60 mph ave. (BlueCruise mostly set to 64 mph, 1-pedal) w/ 34-38 deg. F and 314‘ total elevation gain.

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