Driving an EV through a Georgian winter: range, charging and the mountains
In cold weather real range typically drops by 20 to 35 percent. Two things cause it: a cold battery delivers less, and cabin heating draws power on top.
What is specific to Georgia is that the ski destinations have almost no fast charging. Bakuriani has 6 stations and none are fast, Stepantsminda 2, and Gudauri 7 of which 3 are fast.
Why range falls
There are two separate causes and they stack.
First, the chemical reactions in a lithium battery slow down in the cold. The battery holds the same energy but struggles to deliver it. Some of this is temporary and comes back once the pack warms.
Second, and more significant: a petrol car heats the cabin with waste heat from the engine, essentially for free. An EV has no such heat, so heating draws straight from the battery. On a cold day that is several kilowatts, and it eats range noticeably.
Charging slows down too
A cold battery cannot take a fast charge. Arrive at a fast charger in winter with a cold car and the promised 20 minutes can turn into 40.
Many modern models can precondition the battery. Set the charger as your navigation destination and the car warms the pack on the way, so it is at the right temperature when you arrive. If your car has this, use it in winter.
Georgia's particular winter problem
This is not only about the cold. In Georgia the main winter destinations happen to be exactly the places with the least fast charging.
- Bakuriani: 6 chargers, none of them fast. All slow AC up to 22 kW.
- Stepantsminda, on the Kazbegi road: 2 chargers, none fast.
- Gudauri: 7 chargers, 3 of them fast. It is the only winter resort where you can charge quickly.
So exactly when range is at its lowest, the infrastructure is at its thinnest. Those two facts have to be planned for together.
What this means in practice
A slow AC charger at a resort is not a bad thing if you charge overnight. On a 22 kW charger a 60 kWh battery goes from 20 to 80 percent in about two hours, on a 7 kW one in about five. Either way, a night is enough.
The problem appears when the hotel charger is occupied or absent and you have no energy left to get back.
Winter rules
- Plan 30 percent more margin. Summer experience does not transfer.
- Preheat while still plugged in. Warming the cabin before you leave while the car is on the charger draws from the grid, not the battery.
- Know your last fast charger. Past Gudauri towards Kazbegi there is none, and the same past Borjomi towards Bakuriani.
- Charge to 90 percent before a climb. Stopping at 80 is normally right, but altitude plus cold together justify the exception.
- Park indoors where you can. A pack left out overnight in the freezing cold shows noticeably less range in the morning.
What is not a problem
Cold does not permanently damage the battery. The range loss is temporary and returns in spring. An EV also starts more reliably in the cold than a petrol car, having neither a starter motor nor a cold engine to deal with.
The mountain routes are covered in detail separately: Tbilisi to Kazbegi and Tbilisi to Bakuriani. Why AC charging is slow is explained in AC or DC.
Frequently asked questions
How much range does an EV lose in winter?
Typically 20 to 35 percent. Two causes: a cold battery delivers less energy, and cabin heating draws straight from the pack because an EV has no engine waste heat to use.
Are there fast chargers in Bakuriani and Kazbegi?
No. Bakuriani has 6 chargers, all slow AC, and Stepantsminda has 2, also AC. Gudauri is the only winter resort with fast charging, where 3 of its 7 stations are fast.
Does cold damage the battery?
Not permanently. The range loss is temporary and returns in warmer weather. Fast charging a cold pack is slow, though, so use the preconditioning function if your car has one.
More guides
See also
Map and live status are in the app
This page shows which chargers exist and where. The map, exact locations, real-time availability and route planning live in the free app.