The Impact of Hot Weather on Electric Vehicle Performance

A recent analysis by Recurrent, which produces battery health reports for used EVs, found that air conditioning has a much smaller impact on EV range than heaters used in cold weather. The average range loss due to air conditioning at 80 degrees Fahrenheit was just 2.8%, increasing to 5% at 90 degrees. Hot weather is less of an issue for EV range compared to cold weather because less energy is required to make the car interior comfortable. Unlike internal-combustion cars, EVs do not have a heat-producing engine, so there is no difference in energy use when running the air conditioning while idling or driving. EVs can also pre-cool their cabins while plugged in, saving energy. Cold-weather range loss does occur but varies by model, with EVs equipped with heat pumps retaining most of their range.