Driving an electric car to the snow works fine. It just takes more arithmetic than a city weekend, because three things work against your range at the same time: cold, climbs and a roof box.
Work with a winter consumption figure
In freezing temperatures an EV uses more energy: the battery delivers less readily, and the heating draws power. How much more differs per car, so look at your own numbers. Our piece on calculating your consumption shows how to measure it, and winter range and charging covers what the cold actually does.
Here is a worked example, with assumptions you should replace with your own. Say you drive 1,000 km with a usable battery of 60 kWh. You charge from 10% to 80% each time, which is 70% of 60 kWh = 42 kWh per stop.
- Summer consumption of 18 kWh/100 km: you need 180 kWh, so 180 / 42 = 4.3. In practice, 5 stops.
- Winter consumption of 24 kWh/100 km: you need 240 kWh, so 240 / 42 = 5.7. In practice, 6 stops.
That is at least one extra stop, and more if you are also hauling a roof box. Build it into your travel time, especially if you leave on a Saturday and plenty of others are taking the same route.
Uphill costs energy, downhill gives some back
Climbing demands a lot of power. Going downhill you recover part of it through regeneration, but not all. On a return trip the net difference is smaller than you might expect, although your range drops quickly during the climb itself. So do not only look at the number on the screen. Look at what is still ahead on the route.
Watch out for one trap: the last stretch to the ski village often climbs, on a narrow road with no fast charger. Arrive with a nearly empty battery and you are stuck. Top up just before that climb, even if the battery looks half full.
A charge at your accommodation
This is the biggest lever. When you book, ask whether the hotel, chalet or apartment has a charge point, and what kind: an ordinary wall socket or a proper charger. The difference is large.
- A 2.3 kW socket delivers 23 kWh in 10 hours. At 18 kWh/100 km that is about 128 km. Enough to get through the day, not enough for a full charge.
- A 7 kW charge point delivers 70 kWh in 10 hours. That fills most batteries.
If there is no charge point, look for a public charger in the village and charge while you ski. Check in advance whether there is space and whether your charging card works there. If you do not have one yet, read what a charging card is. The price per kWh in a mountain village can differ from what you pay at home, so ask about the tariff.
Preheat while plugged in
If the car stood outside overnight, it is cold in the morning. Preheat it while it is still plugged in. The power then comes from the grid and not from your battery, and you set off with a warm cabin. Most cars let you do this through an app or a departure time. How exactly it works is in your car’s manual.
Roof box and roof rack
A roof box makes the car less aerodynamic, and that costs range, especially on the motorway. How much depends on the box and your speed. Drive more gently with it and allow a wider margin. Take it off when you do not need it, and pack as much as you can in the car’s own boot.
Tyres, chains and rules
Before you leave, check the rules for winter tyres and snow chains in the country and region you are driving to. They differ and they change. An EV is usually heavy and has plenty of torque when pulling away, so winter tyres in good condition are not a luxury. Also check that chains fit your wheel size and that the manufacturer allows them.
How to prepare the trip
- Work out your trip with a winter consumption figure and one extra stop.
- Pick charging stops with several chargers, so one broken or occupied unit does not wreck your plan.
- Keep a backup charge point for each leg. See also what to do if a charger is broken.
- Download offline maps. In the mountains your signal drops out.
- Charge the last part before the climb, not only once you are in the village.
You will find handy apps for planning in our piece on route planners. For the route itself, look at the map of charge points.
When this applies less
If you are driving a short trip to a lower-lying ski area, the difference from an ordinary winter drive is small. A full battery at departure and a charge at your accommodation will do. The rest of this piece is mainly for long drives, the Alps or other high-altitude destinations.