Thermal Camera Proves That Keeping My Ford F-150 Lightning Warm in the Driveway All Winter Costs kWh and Money, So I’m Going to Have to Find Another Option

When it gets cold outside, many of us notice that our EVs start to act differently. Not only do we see lots of social media comments about loss of range, more observant EV owners have noticed that the amount of electricity needed to charge their vehicles increases when the outside temperature drops. For any of you wondering if this is true, we decided to look at the science. Before we do that, here’s an interesting comment by Devin Trainor on the Ford F-150 Lightning Owners Group Facebook page that got us thinking about this topic:

“Keeping a hunk of metal warm in the driveway all winter costs kWh.  I took some thermal camera shots while charging the other night.  It was 2.7F outside in Maine when I took these. I finished charging from 80-90% then moved the truck to check driveway temp. 

Keeping garaged if possible is a benefit. I drive a 2024 Ford F-150 Lightning Flash ER.”

Austin Sissel responded with his observations:

“While plugged in below freezing temps, it uses quite a bit of energy per evening to heat and condition the battery to be ready for the longest range possible. I quit plugging in every night to avoid that cost, as a charge will usually last me around a week in the winter to get below 40-50%. My Ford F-150 Lightning does amazingly well with a frozen battery and if it warms up during the day that lost range will come back as the battery heats up.”

Eric VanOast added an anecdotal comment: 

“This makes sense because I have noticed my truck melts the snow on my driveway.”

A Scientific Study of Battery Charging Temperatures

A recent study by Germana Trentadue shows very stark effects of outside temperature while charging an electric vehicle. It explores how temperature affects the real efficiency of DC fast charging for EVs. The researchers studied the charging chain from the electricity coming out of the wall to the power that actually reaches the EV battery. They compared mild weather at about 77 °F with deep cold at about 5 °F and minus 13 °F, as well as heat at about 104 °F. The results show that cold weather can dramatically reduce charging efficiency while heat affects it far less. Although the tests were performed with fast chargers, the results relate to the residential Level 2 chargers that most EV owners use at home

The team used a climate chamber that could precisely control conditions from minus 13 °F to 104 °F. They tested seven commercial 50 kilowatt fast chargers along with two electric vehicles. Measurements included AC voltage and current at the wall along with DC voltage and current at the vehicle inlet. They calculated an energy return ratio, which shows how many kilowatt hours the charger actually pulls from the wall to supply one kilowatt hour to the battery.

The chargers came from several manufacturers and were designed to operate outdoors across a temperature range that matched the conditions in the chamber. The test vehicles included a model with a 24-kilowatt hour battery and a model with a 33-kilowatt hour battery. Both used lithium-ion cells and both followed standard battery management strategies to protect the pack during fast charging.

In mild weather at about 77 °F, the chargers performed close to their rated values. Measured power conversion efficiency was around 90%, which means that only about 10% of the energy from the wall was lost during the charging session. The pattern of charging power also matched expectations, with high power early in the session and reduced power as the battery neared 80%. These baseline values helped the researchers compare how far performance shifted once temperatures moved away from normal conditions.

The next topic examines what happens in heat. At about 104 °F, the chargers continued to perform well. Efficiency stayed close to the mild weather value. In some cases it even rose slightly because lithium-ion cells have lower internal resistance at warmer temperatures. Heat does accelerate battery wear in general, yet from a short-term efficiency standpoint the effect was relatively small in this test.

Charging in Cold Temperatures

The most important topic addresses performance in cold weather. At about 5 °F and especially at about minus 13 °F, the chargers and vehicles showed steep drops in delivered power and large losses in efficiency. One charger dropped to about 39% efficiency at the coldest point, compared to up to 93% in the mild case. Some chargers also went into out of order states when exposed to deep cold. Cold temperatures increase internal resistance in lithium-ion cells, which makes it harder for the battery to accept charge. The battery management system also acts to protect the pack by reducing charge current, which lowers delivered power.

The study concluded by looking at what this means for real world EV charging. Many regions experience significant temperature swings, so chargers need to operate reliably in a wide range of conditions. Cold weather reduces charging power, increases energy losses, and can increase downtime. The researchers recommend that vehicle owners plan for longer charging sessions and higher energy use in cold regions, and place vehicles in a warm environment like a garage, if possible, to avoid cold outside temperatures.

Bottom Line

This study shows that fast charging in mild weather is efficient and predictable, while fast charging in deep cold requires far more energy and leads to slower charging. Hot weather affects performance less in the short term. Temperature turns out to be a major factor in how many kilowatt hours an EV truly uses for charging and how consistent and reliable fast charging feels to drivers.

The Ford F-150

The Ford F-150 Lightning arrived in 2022 as the electric version of America’s best-selling pickup and it quickly showed why many drivers consider it one of the most practical EVs on the road. The truck delivers strong performance with quick acceleration, confident towing, and a smooth driving experience that feels familiar to anyone who has driven a gas F-150. The Lightning stands out because it blends serious capability with the quiet, low maintenance simplicity of an electric powertrain. The large front trunk adds extra storage that truck owners find surprisingly useful, and the vehicle offers roomy comfort for families who want a truck that works for daily life as well as weekend projects. The F-150 Lightning also features Pro Power Onboard with full vehicle to home capability, which lets the truck supply electricity to a house during an outage.

What Do You Think?

How much extra electricity have you noticed your EV using during winter charging, and how did you discover it?

What temperature changes in your region affect your EV the most, and how do you adjust your charging habits when it gets very cold?

Chris Johnston is the author of SAE’s comprehensive book on electric vehicles, "The Arrival of The Electric Car." His coverage on Torque News focuses on electric vehicles. Chris has decades of product management experience in telematics, mobile computing, and wireless communications. Chris has a B.S. in electrical engineering from Purdue University and an MBA. He lives in Seattle. When not working, Chris enjoys restoring classic wooden boats, open water swimming, cycling and flying (as a private pilot). You can connect with Chris on LinkedIn and follow his work on X at ChrisJohnstonEV.

Photo credit: Devin Trainor (with permission)