Maintaining Your Electric Vehicle in Summer Mercedes-Benz of West Chester

Mercedes-Benz electric vehicles offer the luxury you expect from the legendary brand, plus emission-free driving made possible by innovative battery power. When planning summer travel, it’s important to be aware that your Mercedes-Benz EV’s battery is affected by intensely hot weather. In fact, your range may vary based on the temperature outside. Whether you’re staying in West Chester or heading to even hotter parts of the country this summer, keep reading to learn more about electric cars in extreme heat.

How Does Hot Weather Affect EV Range?

Both extreme heat and cold can affect an electric vehicle’s battery, as the battery will require more power than normal to regulate its own temperature, propel the vehicle forward, and keep you comfortable inside. As a result, you may have limited range on days with extreme temperatures. Very cold weather (below freezing) reduces range more than very hot weather (90 degrees or higher), but you should still plan for less range than normal on scorching days.

This is shown in AAA’s Electric Vehicle Range Testing Report, which reveals that driving a battery electric vehicle (BEV) on a 95-degree day resulted in a four percent decrease in combined driving range (when compared to the same test on a 75-degree day). This may not seem like much but consider this: When using the A/C system, that loss of range jumped to 17 percent. It’s important to keep in mind that your battery is being drained faster when you’re using A/C to keep cool inside your vehicle.

Electric Car Battery Life in Hot Climates

In addition to a loss of range, your battery can also degrade more quickly due to extreme heat. According to Chase, if you drive frequently in high heat, park your car in direct sunlight on very hot days, or charge your car during extreme temperatures, your battery’s degradation can speed up.

So, how do you avoid harming your battery while maintaining your EV’s range on sweltering summer days? Here are some tips.

• Park your car in a shaded area. This will help keep your battery’s temperature down.
• Charge your car when it’s cooler. As Chase mentions, charging your car during the hottest time of day can heat up the electric current, making it stronger as it goes into your battery. This can be potentially detrimental, so it’s best to charge in the morning, evening, or overnight.
• Keep your tires inflated to the proper PSI. SteerEV writes that tires can naturally overinflate in summer heat, leading to decreased efficiency.
• Open the windows. If you can, turn off the A/C for portions of your drive to avoid losing range.
• Pre-condition the cabin. In certain Mercedes-Benz EVs, you can set the climate control to pre-condition the vehicle’s interior while plugged in. This helps save battery power once you get going.
• Schedule regular service. Avoid overworking your battery unnecessarily by keeping the rest of your car in top condition. Visit Mercedes-Benz of West Chester, OH for our state-of-the-art Mercedes-Benz service center.

If you have any questions on the best ways to care for your EV when the weather is hot, let us know. The team at Mercedes-Benz of West Chester is here to help.