“EVs in their element as summer rolls in”

As the weather warms up this Spring, electric cars and vans will come into their own, data from EV payment specialists Mina has proved, as they are over a third more efficient than in the coldest months.

Figures recorded by Mina from May 2022 to April 2023 of more than 350,000 actual charging events, using over 8 million kWh of electricity in the process, showed that late Spring, Summer and early Autumn are the best months for EV batteries. As long as it doesn’t get too hot: the heatwave in late July and August last year saw a spike in consumption as air con was turned up to full blast.

“Our data, recorded by thousands of electric vehicles, proves for the first time what many anecdotal reports had suggested: EVs operate far better in warm weather,” Ashley Tate, Mina CEO said.

“But our data shows other fascinating trends. The Summer heatwave had an effect on EV consumption too, with a noticeable increase in last July and August, which we believe is the result of more air conditioning use. So drivers need to be aware of this when it gets really hot. After the heatwave, things went back to normal for a couple of months, before it began to get colder.

“As can be seen from this analysis, our remarkable level of data is proving transformational for businesses trying to build a picture of how EVs, and their drivers, operate in all conditions. By providing this insight, businesses can plan strategies and budgets with more detail than they have ever had before.”

Through the depths of Winter, drivers were still averaging about the same amount of charge per session but, to do the same amount of work and mileage, needed an extra plug-in a week compared to September and October to account for reduced battery efficiency and other potential drains on energy such as heating the cabin.

“One of the big questions asked about EVs is: how hard are they hit by winter? Well, now we know for sure. There are many factors involved of course, including temperature, routing, vehicle technology and driving style, but for the first time our data is able to show just what the effect is across thousands of vehicles,” said Ashley.

“By looking at consumption for each week, and applying an average domestic tariff for the period of 30p per kWh, we could then show the cost of this for a typical driver. But of course, the cost could be far higher or lower depending on individual circumstances.

“If a driver has an EV specific tariff and charges exclusively at home at off-peak, the cost could be a third of that quoted, at only around £2.50 a week more. Conversely, if they only charge in public, our data shows it could at least double.”

It’s important to put it into context and remember that the extra winter consumption is only equivalent to two extra tanks of petrol or diesel, said Tate, and that ICE vehicle efficiency can also be hit during winter months as well.

“With electric you have a much wider range of options. Because we track hundreds of thousands of home and public charges and their cost, our data shows the cheapest tariffs are only around 10p per kWh at home and 30p per kWh in public,” added Tate.

“So if a driver wants to reduce costs, whatever the season, they need to ensure they are on the lowest possible home tariff, and search out the best value public chargers. It’s all about having the right infrastructure in place that allows drivers to understand and then minimise their costs at all times of the year.

“Mina Homecharge® pays for business EV charging costs accurately, direct to supplier, making it simple for drivers of company cars and vans and their employers to manage costs, while our Mina Chargepass® card gives them access to thousands of rapid public charges at networks such as InstaVolt, Gridserve, Osprey and MFG.”