Weather and your electric vehicle – what to know

Let’s talk safe driving in five common conditions

British weather. If one thing’s for certain, it’s that nothing is certain. You can set out for a drive in bright sunshine and then the heavens open. That unpredictable nature is why we love it – we think.

If you want to know ways to stay safe whatever the weather, we’re here to help. The first thing we’d recommend is checking for weather warnings before driving, and knowing the Highway Code’s guide to driving in adverse weather conditions. (Here’s an online link.)

Now let's look at five very common weather conditions in the UK and how to stay EV safe and happy when they roll around.

1. Rain

First things first: it is perfectly safe to charge your EV in the rain. Public chargers are designed and built to sustain lots of rain and different types of weather conditions, which is why they are waterproof. You can find out more about charging in the rain in this article we’ve written.

It’s useful to know that the use of windscreen wipers can consume energy from your battery, and can therefore have an impact on your range. (How far you can go on a single charge.)

The usual wet weather safety tips apply here too. Remember to leave a wider gap between you and any vehicles in front of you on wet roads, as braking distances are longer. If the rain is very heavy, low beam headlights can help with your visibility and you might want to consider driving at a slower pace.

2. Ice

Before you head off on your drive, it's a good idea to defrost your EV so you can see clearly out of your front and back windscreens. Remember that this may take energy from your battery and impact on your range, so consider an earlier stop to charge.

Another EV specific hint: most EVs come with regenerative braking, which converts energy from braking and puts it back into the battery. During icy conditions this regenerative braking ability can decrease, so you could find your range is affected. You might want to factor in an earlier top up than usual – our free app will show you where you’ll find our chargers.

Icy roads means tyres can’t always grip the surface as effectively as when it’s dry. So consider a slower driving speed and keep a nice wide gap between yourself and vehicles in front.

3. Fog

On pea soup days, counter that reduced visibility on the road by driving at a slower pace, leave bigger gaps between you and vehicles in front so you can react to anything unexpected, and use low beam headlights.

4. Cold temperatures

You might find that your EV takes a little longer to charge during the cold, as batteries can be impacted by a drop in temperature. It’s worth checking to see if your EV has a feature called battery preconditioning, which can warm up the battery to help it charge faster. Remember that if you turn up your heating inside the EV to get toasty you could consume some battery energy. Consider stopping earlier to charge than you normally would, and perhaps looking for chargers near shops, restaurants, and cafes.

And if you subscribe to our free bp pulse app you can enjoy half price hot drinks from our participating Wild Bean Cafés - which could come in handy when it’s a bit nippy out there. (Here’s more info on the offer.)

5. Extreme heat

Understandably you may choose to cool your car down with aircon while driving, which takes battery power and could have a knock-on impact on your range.

If the temperature goes above 35° your EV may take longer to charge in extreme heat. That's because it will be working to cool the battery to bring it to an optimal temperature. Performance will depend on your vehicle make or model, however, so it's worth checking your manual before you set out on a hot day. And, to keep cool in the high temperatures, why not look out for our chargers near shops and cafes (ideally stocked with ice cream).

When possible, try to keep your EV cool when charging and park in a shaded area when not driving. You might want to think about investing in a sunshade for your car, too. In other words, treat the EV as you would any other electrical device and try not to expose it to the heat or sun for too long.

So there you have it. Hopefully you feel EV ready, whatever the weather. Remember, your manufacturer should also be able to give specific guidance, too, and we’re big believers in reading manuals as often as you can.

We’re always here to support you, so do look out for us on the road whether you’re in a scarf or sunhat.