[davioh2001]

Today it is VERY Cold in Texas around 30 (almost 15 degrees colder than even Anchorage, AK). Also according to accuweather it's a record low cold. Also tonight it's set to hit 18 degrees F! This is my first EV and I am still getting used to what I am supposed to do. I believe the right thing to do for the battery pack and my comfort in cold would be as follows; #1. Set hill top reserve to on (unless going on a road trip the next day). #2. If one parks outside and it is forecast to below 30 degrees plug in and charge overnight at 12 amp setting (assume Your circuit can handle it mine can). #3. Know that I can sleep well that I can both keep the battery pack conditioned better and recoup some energy during the morning precondition (even a little bit because its only level 1). Is there anything faulty in my 3 step policy outlined above for cold weather home charges?

 

[redpoint5]

Seems reasonable to me. Keeping it plugged in means it can condition the battery as needed and replenish whatever was drained from the battery.

 

[ZoomZoom]

I have had my bolt outside for 9 or 10 hours, not plugged in .... at work .... on days that were negative 22. The car does what it has to do to stay rolling.

 

[Openair]

Yes, as Zoomzoom, 30f(-1c) is nothing for these vehicles and there is no special need to keep them plugged in. It certainly helps but is not required. Mine also sat all last winter for 9-10 hours at work unplugged at temps below -4f (-20c) without issue.

 

[The Other Tom]

Yes, as Zoomzoom, 30f(-1c) is nothing for these vehicles and there is no special need to keep them plugged in. It certainly helps but is not required. Mine also sat all last winter for 9-10 hours at work unplugged at temps below -4f (-20c) without issue.

Correct. The battery will use a small amount of its own energy to keep itself "warm", and this energy can be supplied by plugging it in, but it's not necessary unless you want a full charge for the morning.

 

[davioh2001]

Between the extra energy use from Battery conditioning and pre starting the car on My chevy app it definitely used more energy than in moderate temps. instead of the approximate 40 miles added over 10 hours I only added about 20 miles last night. My commute is 8 miles round trip so no big deal.

 

[Albemarle]

You’re doing what the manufacturer suggests and you are correct. Your range will drop but since (at least for us) our Bolt costs 1/4 of what our car costs to run, it’s still a win. So we plug in at night below freezing, precondition for personal comfort and use the seat and steering wheel heaters as well as the climate control. In the middle of winter we get a little over half our summer range but since it’s still lots, we don’t suffer the cold to improve it.

 

[John in Toronto]

I don't mean this as a put-down at all, but I can't help but be amused by this definition of "Very Cold"! My "very cold" threshold is about 20 degrees Celsius or 35 degrees Fahrenheit colder than that!

 

[GetOffYourGas]

I don't mean this as a put-down at all, but I can't help but be amused by this definition of "Very Cold"! My "very cold" threshold is about 20 degrees Celsius or 35 degrees Fahrenheit colder than that!

Think of it this way. The Bolt is a Chevy, assembled in Michigan. Now imagine a person visiting TX from MI. They might put on a long sleeve shirt and a light jacket at 30 degrees. The Bolt is engineered to tolerate much colder temperatures. Don't sweat it.

I have left the car unplugged for 48h in sub-zero temps (the highest high was about -5F / -20C) when I was on a ski trip. The car lost a minimal amount of charge keeping itself warm. The battery goes into a "hibernation" state - warm enough to protect itself, but not warm enough for optimal driving. When you turn on the car to drive, it will warm up the battery again, out of "hibernation". It uses energy, but that's it - no permanent damage will occur to the battery.