Coldest you would take EV over ICE?

[music_cities]

Hi Friends,

For those of you who own both an EV and an ICE vehicle and live in what I’ll call the “frozen tundra” (roughly north of the 45th parallel): when you’re heading out on a 3–5 hour winter road trip, which vehicle do you choose?

This isn’t about what’s technically possible - it’s about what’s practical and enjoyable.

From my experience with a 2021 Mach-E ER, the car can’t supply heat to the battery inlet and the cabin at the same time - it’s one or the other. The inlet temp (confirmed via Car Scanner) gets absolutely nothing if the Cabin Heater is turned on, even when there is only a minor kW heater draw for the Cabin Heat). So if I want to properly precondition for DCFC the battery en-route, I need to turn the cabin heat off entirely for a while to allow it to heat the battery.

Here’s how different temperature ranges feel to me in real-world use - and where I start questioning whether the EV or the ICE makes more sense:

Scenario A) –10°C (14°F)
Some range loss, but the battery isn’t deep-frozen on arrival at DCFC, so it warms fairly quickly. Preheating for fast charging helps if you’re on a tight schedule. EV still feels easy.

Scenario B) –15°C (5°F)
Preheating becomes increasingly important. Cabin heat often needs to be turned off briefly to get meaningful heat into the battery before charging.

Scenario C) –20°C (–4°F)
This is my personal “fork in the road.” Either accept noticeably slower charging, or sacrifice your comfort in the cabin to prioritize warming the battery.

Scenario D) –25°C (–13°F)
This is the coldest I’ve done personally, and it felt borderline. The cabin never fully reached normal comfort (because the car decided for me that heating the battery was necessary and not just a nice-to-have for DCFC). Don't even think about battery preconditioning for DCFC en route in fact. Charging stops were roughly 2–2.5× slower - the first ~15 minutes were mostly spent heating the battery (often I would exit the vehicle since cabin heat had to stay off and grab a coffee somewhere). Cold-gating further limited charge rates to protect the battery.

Scenario E) –30°C (–22°F)
Unknown - haven’t tested yet.

Scenario F) –35°C (–31°F)
Hard pass? ICE territory?

I’m curious where everyone else falls: At which temperature do you still prefer the EV for winter road trips, and where does the ICE start to make more sense for you?

I have a 2022 GT which supposedly only has the 5KW heater, not the 7 (or 8) kW heater introduced in 2023.5 nor the heat pump introduced in 2025.

Below -25C I'm really unlikely to make a 3-5 hour trip, in any vehicle. But, if I really *had* to travel, I would probably choose the EV because gas vehicles often don't start in cold weather, especially if they are MY 2005, like my 4Runner. I would just plan some nice warm meals at welcoming restaurants beside fast chargers, and not worry about how long it takes to charge. I'd rather enjoy a good meal than worry about whether my gas car will start.

Now for my real experience, for my 1-2 hour trips I always choose the EV. I have had to make an emergency trip at -30C and choose the EV. I pre-condition the car and break out my 12V heated blanket. Of course I dress for the weather, my mom didn't raise any fools. With the 12V heated blanket, the heated seats, and the heated steering wheel I usually put the cabin temperature set point at 16.5C.

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[MacherAWD]

When I read the title of this thread, I chuckled thinking that it would be best if the temps were sub-zero to drive your EV over ICE because the ICE would be thicker. I've heard about people driving over ice with trucks but I would want to know how thick it is.

I am a wimp on ice so would want 12inches!

 

[MrFord]

To me, the ability to AC charge has more of an effect than the temperature between ICE and EV. I drove mine up in La Sarre (northern Quebec) earlier this year, and left my mom's house at an indicated -40°C on my way back home. I can tell you that, even with a block heater, it is a rough temperature for an ICE car (my other car is a Ford Edge). It was not a perfect trip (hit turtle mode at 35%!), but otherwise, the car was warm when we left, which is a big plus.

Have I had a 240V or EVSE charger at my mom's house (had to keep it charging on 110V), it would have been for sure an easier trip (had to keep going to the nearest Ford dealer to top it off on DC). Once on the road, the first DC charge was slower while the battery was warming up, but I have to say, I was impressed at how it kept a pretty decent pack temperature afterward. Energy usage was high, but once we got closer to Montreal, it was less of an issue with the numerous DCFC available. The trip is about 700 km (430 mi) each way.

Tha was a bit of an extreme case, but it was a good test (and one of my first long roadtrip in the winter with an EV). If I get to leave from my house, and have good DCFC coverage along the route, I would not hesitate to take the Mach-E; however, if DCFC availability is spotty, ICE is a lot less stressful.

 

[Mach-Lee]

Keep in mind this can happen in extreme cold if you run it down:

…in addition to having no heat.

 

[music_cities]

To me, the ability to AC charge has more of an effect than the temperature between ICE and EV. I drove mine up in La Sarre (northern Quebec) earlier this year, and left my mom's house at an indicated -40°C on my way back home. I can tell you that, even with a block heater, it is a rough temperature for an ICE car (my other car is a Ford Edge). It was not a perfect trip (hit turtle mode at 35%!), but otherwise, the car was warm when we left, which is a big plus.

Have I had a 240V or EVSE charger at my mom's house (had to keep it charging on 110V), it would have been for sure an easier trip (had to keep going to the nearest Ford dealer to top it off on DC). Once on the road, the first DC charge was slower while the battery was warming up, but I have to say, I was impressed at how it kept a pretty decent pack temperature afterward. Energy usage was high, but once we got closer to Montreal, it was less of an issue with the numerous DCFC available. The trip is about 700 km (430 mi) each way.

Tha was a bit of an extreme case, but it was a good test (and one of my first long roadtrip in the winter with an EV). If I get to leave from my house, and have good DCFC coverage along the route, I would not hesitate to take the Mach-E; however, if DCFC availability is spotty, ICE is a lot less stressful.

I agree. In cold weather I've always had overnight L2 charging: whether at my ski cabin, or at a hotel chosen for its L2 chargers. I was thinking that if I was going to my SIL's house, where she doesn't have an L2 charger, I'd be a lot less confident.

DCFC isn't as good as a nice AC L2 charger for the long stops.

She does live close to a Bass Pro Shops and Cabellas where there's a Tesla Supercharger, so if I was a hunter or a fisher I could easily find a reason to shop while charging slowly, but I might get impatient since I'm not a hunter or a fisher. I think there might be a Montana's Restaurant there, too, so I guess I could buy them lunch or dinner while doing a leisurely DCFC. But, charging at a DCFC near shopping or a restaurant doesn't help me when I'm departing the next morning to drive home at -30C.

 

[Billyk24]

Keep in mind this can happen in extreme cold if you run it down:

…in addition to having no heat.

What battery temperature will trigger this? Or is it a combination of battery SOC with battery temperature?

 

[Mach-Lee]

What battery temperature will trigger this? Or is it a combination of battery SOC with battery temperature?

Combination. Battery temp 2°C or below.

 

[Billyk24]

Combination. Battery temp 2°C or below.

36F with a low(er) SOC.

 

[GreaseMonkey]

We have family in central Indiana, I wouldn't dare take my Mach-E on the 4 hour trip there in the winter. It's a terrible experience even in the summer.

We rent a car every time.

Yes, hear you and completely empathize. Two and a half years ago, we went to central Indiana to adopt a puppy from a breeder. The wind blew harder than normal and temps dropped suddenly. I almost shat my pants worrying about how to make it to the next charger. Ended up charging at a Kia dealer in Gary. Not a good experience.

 

[Fenixgoon]

Central IL here. We had sub-zero fahrenheit temperatures this past weekend. The battery really takes a hit. My ford app was showing 86 miles at 66% SoC (73 kWh LFP). I purposefully avoided trips because i dont have access to an at-home charger right now.

My move out here (3 days from the esst coast) was in the 30s-40s and i had no issues with chatging along highway routes.

It's supposed to get up in the 20s and 30s. Shorts and flip flops lets gooooooo

 

[kltye]

I'm really guessing this is where the ER RWD shines? Didn't have any issues taking longer trips these past few days. I can charge at home, so that's a plus. Garage isn't heated, but is part of the house. I did make sure to charge to 100% and precondition the battery before departure.

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