Heating drains an EV battery fastest

Heating drains an EV battery faster than any other in-car feature, increasing battery drain speed by 17%.

So says Vanarama which has done a study to find out which in-car features drain an EV battery the most so you can get more kilometres from your EV.

It tested battery drainage of three EV models – the Hyundai Kona, VW ID.3 and Tesla Model 3 – to determine how much the average EV battery drains when using five different in-car features.

Windscreen wipers and heated seats drain an EV battery 15% faster each – just behind in-car heating.

Satellite navigation drains the average EV’s battery the slowest at only 5% faster.

The study also found that driving an EV at 112.6km/h drains the average EV battery 68% faster than at 48km/h, indicating that slower speeds save battery power – something many EV owners probably already realise.

Testing for each feature was carried out individually at 112.6km/h (70mph) on maximum and over a full charge for consistency to see how much faster the EV battery drained when it was switched on.

The tests were carried out in track conditions to give an overview of how different in-car features impact the battery level in EVs over time and distance.

Individual features were tested at a consistent speed for data uniformity and accuracy, Vanarama explaining that results may differ based on the vehicle you own, the weather, terrain, and other variables that affect your daily drive.

More information is included in Vanarama’s blog post.

Vanarama is a United Kingdom vehicle leasing specialist which includes electrics among its light commercial vans and cars.