OHIO — According to the White House, there are more than 3 million electric vehicles on the road in the U.S., and it turns out the weather where you live can have a big impact on how your EV operates.

“Even when your battery is fully optimal, you still only have so much power. You can go so far,” said Andy Fiffick, founder and CEO of RadAir.

He has nearly 50 years of experience working on cars, 20 years of that experience working on hybrids and now electric vehicles for the last two years.

“The biggest thing with EV is what everybody calls range anxiety,” explained Fiffick.

He said temperature can dramatically cut the distance or range an electric vehicle can travel.

“68 to 75 degrees or so, that’s the optimal temperature for hybrid batteries and their usage. When you get down to 32, it’s roughly down 70% of its life expectancy or range. When you get to zero, you’re at 40% less,” said Fiffick.

Cabin heat, windshield wipers, defrost, seat warmers and other devices can also bring down range. Batteries also charge slower in the colder weather.

“The electrons in the battery, the flow through the battery, the flow through the electrical systems, those electrons slow down,” said Fiffick.

Fiffick recommends several things to help your EV go farther, such as parking in a garage, preferably a heated garage, or using a car cover.

“Probably the biggest thing is, while it’s plugged in overnight, put it in its heat mode before you unplug it and drive away. That way the car will warm up while it’s still attached to the grid and you’re not depleting your battery voltage to heat the car,” said Fiffick.

Even with decreased range in winter, Fiffick said electric vehicles are suited for the winters of Ohio.

“They are viable especially in the sense if you don’t have to drive far every day,” said Fiffick. “If you have an electric vehicle that has a 300-mile range on a charge and you’re only driving 50 miles a day, even if you cut that in half it’s not going to be an issue.”