Plunging temperatures can impact your vehicle, but fear not, here is our Winter Care Guide.

Tyre pressure

Regularly check the air pressure in your vehicle’s tires. Tires generally lose 2% of their air pressure for every 5.5°C the ambient temperature drops.

If the air pressure in one or more tires is low, inflate them to the automaker's recommended PSI. You can find this information on a label on the driver’s-side doorjamb.

Battery efficiency

All vehicles, whether they run on gas or kilowatts, become less energy-efficient in cold weather. The typical internal combustion engine vehicle can see its gas mileage drop by around 20% in the cold, and this effect tends to be more pronounced with electric cars. 

Below 0°C temperatures can impact your EV’s battery performance and its ability to accept a charge, so here are our tips to minimise this effect:

• Keep an electric vehicle garaged when not in use to help shield it from the elements.
   
• If you don’t have a garage or are away from home, park the car in the sun to keep it a bit warmer.
   
• If you have a home charger, keep the vehicle plugged in at all times to ensure the battery will maintain a full charge.
   
• If your vehicle has a pre-conditioning feature, engage it (usually via a smartphone app) before hitting the road.
   
• Limit the use of the heater while driving. Set the temperature as low as you can comfortably stand, and instead rely on your car’s heated seats and heated steering wheel (if so equipped), which consume less electricity.
   
• If your car has a selectable “Eco” mode that will adjust performance parameters to preserve battery range, be sure to engage it.
   
• If your car allows you to tune in more or less regenerative braking, set it to full force to send more power back to the battery when coming to a stop.
   
• Try to limit your speed while driving in cold weather.

Please do not hesitate to give us a call on 0800 030 6840 or email us at [email protected] if you have any questions.