AA u-turns on electric car winter weather warning

The company has now said there is ‘no evidence’ that EVs struggle with Britain’s cold weather – ALAMY STOCK PHOTO/NEWS PICS

The AA has u-turned on its cold weather warning for electric vehicle (EV) owners after its president insisted the cars are not adversely affected by freezing temperatures in the UK.

Edmund King said in January that EV drivers should plug in their cars overnight during extremely cold weather following reports in the US that suggested the cars’ batteries were running down much faster than usual in sub-zero temperatures.

But the AA president has now said there is “no evidence” that EVs struggle with Britain’s cold weather.

Data from the insurer showed the proportion of EV callouts it received for batteries running out of power in January was 2.3 per cent, the lowest level since September 2023.

Not a ‘major problem’ in UK

Mr King said on Wednesday: “There were lots of horror stories in January, originating in the USA, that EVs don’t work in the cold.

“There is no evidence that the UK’s colder weather means EVs struggle, even if range is slightly reduced.”

Speaking to The Telegraph, he added: “I don’t see any contradiction. Only a tiny proportion of EVs broke down for being out of charge in the colder months.

“Therefore, it is not a major problem in the UK.”

Temperatures in Chicago dropped as low as -34C in January. Some Tesla drivers abandoned their vehicles at charging stations as top-up times soared to two hours, up from the usual 45 minutes.

Extremely cold weather affects battery performance in EVs, shortening cars’ range and extending charging times.

In January Mr King told The Telegraph that during cold weather, EV drivers should plug in overnight to guarantee a full charge.

“EV drivers should consider keeping their cars plugged in overnight and pre-conditioning the car, which in many models can be done via an app from the comfort of your own home,” he said.

Better information for drivers

Some EVs, such as those from Jaguar and Kia, let motorists use mobile apps to remotely activate their car’s heaters, warming the cabin and the battery on frosty mornings.

In December the AA received 310 calls from drivers who had either run out of battery charge or were worried that they were about to become stranded.

Mr King said this amounted to just over 2 per cent of that month’s 13,499 callouts.

The proportion of EV callouts received by the AA for car batteries having limited or no charge was 8.3 per cent in 2015.

This fell to 4.3 per cent in 2021, and was 2.1 per cent last year.

The AA attributes the decrease to the public charging network becoming larger and more reliable, improved range on newer EVs, and better education and information for drivers.

Electric car sales down

The company expects the figure to ultimately drop to 1 per cent, which would be equal to the proportion of petrol and diesel car breakdowns caused by running out of fuel.

Figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show the number of new electric cars sold to private buyers fell by a quarter last month compared with January 2023.

The industry body predicted that EVs would make up 21 per cent of the new car market this year, down from a previous forecast of 22.3 per cent it made in October.

The SMMT said “myriad factors” such as high energy prices, inflation and interest rates, charging “anxiety”, and mixed messaging from the Government have “restricted demand”.

Last week a House of Lords report blamed the actor Rowan Atkinson for lower-than-expected EV sales, citing an article the Blackadder star wrote last year as an example of “damaging” reporting on EVs.

At least 22 per cent of new cars sold by each manufacturer in the UK this year must be zero-emission, which generally means battery EVs, under a mandate introduced by the Government.

The threshold will rise every year until it reaches 100 per cent by 2035.

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