- Modern EVs don’t suffer the extreme-temp range loss—or degradation—that earlier models did
- Heat pumps and battery heaters have made a difference, as have new battery chemistries
- Automaker testing is part of it, as Nissan points to in Ariya EV
Electric vehicle batteries perform best and last longest in a specific temperature window, but modern EVs are still equipped to deal with temperatures much hotter or colder than that ideal.
As Nissan explained in a recent press release, that’s largely down to equipping vehicles with thermal-management hardware—and validating that hardware with thorough testing.
The Nissan Ariya crossover uses liquid cooling to keep its battery pack at the optimal temperature during hot weather, and a battery heater in colder temperatures. The Ariya also has a heat pump to minimize cold-weather range loss—something the popular Tesla Model Y and Model 3 also have.
Nissan Ariya cold temperature testing
Like most other major automakers, Nissan tests new vehicles in climate-controlled chambers to monitor extreme temperatures. Such a chamber at Nissan’s Detroit-area technical center is capable of temperatures ranging from -40 degrees Fahrenheit to 176 degrees Fahrenheit, the automaker claims.
In a 24-hour “cold soak” test conducted in 2024, an Ariya was parked in the chamber with a 17% charge at -4 degrees Fahrenheit. After a full day had passed at that temperature, without the car being plugged in or using its battery heater, Nissan claims the charge level was unchanged.
Owners might want to leave a car plugged in, of course, both to charge and to pre-heat the cabin without drawing down the pack. Since they’re not waiting for the waste heat from a combustion engine, EVs inherently warm their interiors faster, too, Nissan notes.
Nissan Ariya security patrol vehicle used at automaker’s Arizona proving ground
Very high temps are a consideration nearly every automaker has allowed for in modern EV development, too. Nissan also uses Ariya SUVs for the security patrols at its proving ground near Phoenix, Arizona, to keep prying eyes away from new models circling test tracks out in the desert. In 2023, Nissan replaced gasoline Armada and Frontier patrol vehicles with a pair of Ariya EVs, which have since covered more than 30,000 miles at the site, where summer temperatures can exceed 115 degrees Fahrenheit. They’re part of a fleet of 10 Ariyas at the facility.
This more thorough testing in extreme temperatures—and wider use of heat pumps and other related hardware—appears to be paying off. Recurrent, which gathers EV driving data to compile battery health reports for used vehicles, found that 20 popular models are now averaging 80% of peak range in freezing temperatures, compared to ideal conditions. That’s based on data from over 18,000 vehicles in the U.S., according to Recurrent.
As with previous studies, Recurrent found that each model performs differently, but that all models surveyed can deliver over 100 miles of range when the thermometer needle drops below freezing. Yes, that even includes the base 149-mile Nissan Leaf. The heat pump-equipped Tesla Model X and Model S performed best, and heat pumps overall averaged a 10% improvement in cold-weather range.
Nissan itself is a good example here for how far EVs have come in adding thermal systems and accommodating for extremes. The original Nissan Leaf EV lacked active thermal management, and its first cells suffered from excessive range reduction in the cold and accelerated degradation from the heat. That was partly solved in 2015 with a new cell chemistry, but as it’s shown here all the advantages built into the Ariya may be worth their added complexity.
It’s also important to remember that whatever range loss owners encounter in cold weather is temporary. Long-term battery degradation is accelerated in hot weather, although research done last year by Geotab suggests that for most new EVs, battery degradation shouldn’t really be a concern—even if you follow habits that had been frowned upon with earlier EVs, like frequent fast-charging.
