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Pre-conditioning of a Electric Car in Winter

On the benefits of warming up your car before driving in cold temperatures.

In short: Pre-conditioning is often worthwhile, as it significantly reduces electricity consumption. Pre-conditioning with a mains connection is even better.

The pre-conditioning function is new to many people, so it's often overlooked or even unknown. However, it is very useful and often worth using when it's cold outside. Firstly, electric cars started cold have a very high electricity demand at low temperatures, which is noticeably reduced in a pre-warmed vehicle. Of course, pre-conditioning also consumes electricity, but often considerably less than the savings. Secondly, it is simply more pleasant to get into a warm car. You also avoid scraping ice. If it is frosty and car windows are frozen, a few minutes of pre-conditioning will clear them. Finally, starting a warm car is also a bit better for the car's technology. For the battery, this only applies when pre-conditioning with a mains connection, as the high starting load then comes from the mains power and not from the battery cells.
One limitation is that for pre-conditioning you need to know in advance when you will leave. Pre-conditioning often starts half an hour before, but it can also be less. Positive effects are noticeable after just a few minutes. Of course, completely spontaneous starts are not possible this way.

With the Volkswagen ID.3, pre-conditioning works via the app. Use the app to set the climate control. The default setting is 21 degrees Celsius for half an hour. These values ​​seem to be reasonable.

Personal experience: On November 22nd, I pre-conditioned my VW ID.3 before a longer trip. The car was parked in the garage, where the temperature was around 3 degrees Celsius. The outside temperature in the early morning was -7 degrees Celsius. The half-hour of pre-conditioning reduced the battery charge from 80 to 77 percent. This represents a three percent loss due to pre-conditioning, which corresponds to approximately two kilowatt-hours. On the subsequent drive along country roads, through a town, and motorway, the average electricity consumption was around 20 kWh per 100 kilometers. This is very good for winter, especially with winter tires and a relatively high average speed. A conservative estimate suggests about four to five fewer kilowatt-hours of electricity were consumed. This translates to a total saving of 2 to 3 kWh, plus a more comfortable temperature when starting the car. The car was parked outside overnight, so pre-conditioning it the next morning saved me from having to scrape ice off the windshield.

Last change November 23. 2025

No responsibility is taken for the correctness of this information. The articles on this site about electromobility and different electric car models are based on personal experience and on current news. They are not sponsored or supported by the car manufacturers.

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