How could EV batteries and chargers become winterproof?

The winter of 2023/24 generated headlines as electric vehicles (EVs) in US states like Colorado and Illinois reportedly ran out of battery charge prematurely. According to a January 2024 article in The New York Times, the owner of a Chevrolet Bolt found that its supposed 30 miles of range lasted mere minutes before the vehicle broke down and had to be towed.

Cold temperatures are known to impact the performance of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, causing sluggish discharge rates and lowering factory range specs. Although the availability of comprehensive charger infrastructure would help remedy this issue to an extent, failing to address fundamental battery chemistry issues could ultimately undermine consumer trust and exacerbate the declining interest in EVs observed in some markets.

With the arrival of spring, EV owners in the Northern Hemisphere will have a reprieve from the worst effects of cold weather on batteries. However, Doron Myersdorf, Co-Founder and Chief Executive of extreme fast charging (XFC) battery technology developer StoreDot, believes there should be an active push for a more permanent solution. “Any possibility of becoming stranded could deter people from buying an EV,” he says.