Winter EV ownership in Delaware: a practical prep list

With late November here, new EV owners, including many who took delivery this fall, are about to see their first winter. The good news is that the main advice from the U.S. Department of Energy is about habits, not purchases.

The free habits come first

Everything in this section costs nothing, and the gear later in the article is optional. The Department of Energy's winterizing guidance for electric vehicles makes these points:

• Precondition while plugged in. Many EVs can heat the cabin and battery before you drive. Doing it while the car is still charging helps keep the battery charged for the trip. Check your vehicle's app or settings for a departure-time schedule.
• Park indoors or under cover when you can. A garage or covered spot helps the car perform better in freezing temperatures.
• Do not chase 100% on a fast charger. Most batteries reduce charging power in the 80 to 100 percent range, so the last stretch can take a long time. Stopping around 80% is enough for many trips and frees the charger for others.
• Look after the connector outdoors. Heavy snow or sleet can freeze the connector. The DOE suggests a magnetic inlet cover or bag, and hanging the connector up when it is not in use.

Expect somewhat less range on cold days. The DOE page we reviewed does not give a percentage, so we are not quoting one. Your own dashboard over a few cold weeks is a better guide than a number from the internet.

Charging at home in winter

If you have a Level 2 charger, leaving the car plugged in overnight is what makes preconditioning free, since the heat comes from the wall rather than the battery. If you are still deciding on equipment, read our post on what the Delaware rebate rules require first, and remember the rebate application window is 60 days from installation.

Keep the cable off the ground. Snow, salt and tires are hard on a cable lying in the garage doorway. A wall mount or cable holder is a small, optional fix. For an outdoor connector, some owners look at a charge port cover; make sure any cover is made for your vehicle's inlet style, and follow your owner's manual.

Optional gear that is genuinely useful

• A tire pressure gauge. Check pressures against the placard in your driver's door jamb, not the number on the tire sidewall. Cold air lowers tire pressure, so a monthly check through winter is reasonable. A digital tire pressure gauge is an inexpensive way to do it; a portable tire inflator lets you top up at home.
• An emergency kit. For any car, a winter emergency kit with a blanket, flashlight and basic tools is sensible. Look at what is actually in a kit rather than the headline, and add warm clothing, water and a phone cable.
• Scraper and brush. An ice scraper and snow brush works the same on an EV as on any car.

Plan trips with winter in mind

Allow extra margin on long trips, use your navigation's charger planning, and look at where chargers are before you leave. If you rely on public chargers, note that DNREC's charging-station rebate program states that single-family home charging stations are not offered rebates.

Where to find more

Our charging equipment page collects the charger and cable categories. If you bought a car this fall, our rebate deadlines post explains the clocks that started at purchase. Your owner's manual overrides anything here.