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OAK CREEK, Wisconsin — Saminu Abubakar said he was in no hurry.
The Madison resident said his Tesla can normally drive to and from Milwaukee on a single charge, but Abubakar’s electric car needs to be charged for 30 minutes before the return trip.
“When I left, it was 94 percent,” Abubakar said. “When I got to Milwaukee, it was about 37 percent.”
In spring and summer, Abubakar said his Tesla’s range is between 220 and 250 miles. He was keeping a close eye on his battery percentage as temperatures plummeted into single digits on Monday.
“Usually tops out around 150-160, so range can drop by 20-25%,” Abubakar says of the change in mileage at low temperatures.
According to the American Automobile Association, electric vehicles can lose up to 40% of their range when using their heating systems in sub-zero outside temperatures.
Cold weather slows down the flow of electricity at the molecular level, says Jim Naulocki, an electric vehicle expert at the Silver Lake Auto Center in Oconomowoc. EV batteries also drain quickly as we have more to do in the winter.
“The heat, the heated seats, the steering wheel, everything eats up the mileage of the car,” says Nawrocki. “Instead of heating the internal combustion engine to keep the car warm with warm coolant, I almost always use a hair dryer to keep the car warm. It’s basically a heater.”
Nawrocki said the Wisconsin winter shouldn’t scare prospects away from electric vehicles, even if it reduces the range.
Abubakar said his Tesla’s heater wasn’t as effective as his old car, so he asked his EV driver to pack an extra blanket and something in case of an unscheduled charging session in the dead of winter. advised.
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