Precondition Your EV Before You Drive
Preconditioning is a common practice in both winter and summer to help bring your EV to an ideal temperature without placing too much demand on your battery.
In summer, preconditioning means plugging in your vehicle while the A/C cools the cabin. This keeps the battery charged and jumpstarts its thermal management system.
Most EVs allow you to schedule preconditioning through an app or the infotainment system, so you can set it and forget it.
Slow Down to Go Farther
Most EV drivers assume the A/C system is the biggest range drain in the summertime. But here’s the good news: Geotab’s 2025 data from over three million trips shows that the faster you drive, the more speed accounts for range reduction than your A/C.
So, by driving the speed limit on the highway instead of 15 km/h or more above, you can recover a meaningful amount of range. Smooth acceleration and deceleration can also help.
For even better range, use eco mode on hot days to moderate your throttle and reduce demand on the A/C at the same time. If your vehicle has seat cooling, use it instead of cabin cooling whenever possible.
Smart Charging Habits for Hot Weather
After a particularly long drive in the sun, try to let your battery cool off before plugging it in. A brief rest period reduces the heat that your charger will have to work against and will protect both your battery and charging equipment.
In addition, avoid using Level 3/DC fast charging except in emergencies. Fast charging generates a lot of internal cell heat and speeds up the chemical reaction in high-voltage cells. This can compound the thermal stress on your battery.
The easiest rule to follow? Try to charge your EV overnight with Level 2 charging. Not only are outside temperatures at their lowest, but your battery prefers Level 2 charging because it doesn’t create as much heat as Level 3.
Stick to the 20–80% rule when charging your EV. This reduces heat stress and can significantly extend battery life over time.
Where and How You Park Matters
An EV that’s been left out in the sun requires more power to cool it off. Where possible, park in shade or in a covered garage.
If parking indoors isn’t possible for you, try to park in a location with the least sun exposure possible, especially during peak afternoon hours. Keeping your car in direct sunlight puts your thermal management system under stress, since your car is forced to work harder to regulate battery temperature.
Finding a cool and shady spot will help protect your EV from overheating and from potential harm to your battery.
Keep an Eye on Battery Health
Summer after summer, cumulative heat exposure can affect battery capacity. EVs in consistently hot climates show measurably faster battery degradation than those in milder regions, and the difference between vehicles with active thermal management and those without is significant.
Prolonged heat accelerates the chemical reactions inside lithium-ion battery cells, causing lithium ions to become permanently trapped and unavailable, which gradually reduces your battery’s capacity.
Unlike the range loss you experience in the winter, this damage doesn’t reverse when temperatures drop. It accumulates quietly over multiple summers, so most drivers don’t notice it until years later.
Heat is also most damaging when the battery is sitting at a high level of charge, which is why the 20–80% rule matters beyond just day-to-day range. It’s one of the most effective ways to slow long-term degradation.
Because capacity loss is gradual, routine professional battery health checks at your local NexDrive location can establish a baseline for your battery’s health and catch early signs of capacity loss before they affect your driving experience.
All NexDrive locations provide battery health assessments. Recently, though, NexDrive and VoltScore partnered to offer VoltScore Battery Health Reports at participating NexDrive locations. Based on the results, your certified technician can advise on which battery maintenance or repairs can keep your EV in the best condition possible.
Summer driving doesn’t have to put your battery’s health at risk. A few consistent habits and awareness of the current weather conditions can make a real difference in prolonging the performance of your EV.
As you get ready for warmer days, find a NexDrive location near you to book your battery health assessment.