# What causes sudden range drops in an EV (and how to prevent it)?

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EV drivers often worry about sudden drops in range. **Most of the time, this is** **normal and caused by temperature, software, or driving style**. You can avoid most surprises with a few simple habits and the right tools.

According to our data from 30,000+ vehicles, there are several common causes for unexpected range loss:

- temperature changes
- software or BMS
- driving behavior
- battery failure (in rare but documented circumstances)

**Temperature Changes:**

Cold weather in particular can reduce effective driving range by up to 30%, since batteries operate less efficiently and cabin heating draws extra power.

**Software Updates or Recalibration:**

Another frequent trigger is a change in the battery management system (BMS) software following manufacturer updates—so seeing your estimated range suddenly change after an OTA (over-the-air) update can reflect a more accurate, not worse, calculation of remaining charge.

Similarly, if you follow best practices and keep your charge between 20% and 80%, your range may drop because the BMS needs to be recalibrated. You can do this by charging your car to 100% and letting it sit for a few hours. This is particularly true in cars with LFP batteries.

**Driving Behavior:**

Fast acceleration, highway driving, or driving uphill are all energy intensive drive styles. If you don’t usually drive this way, doing so may cause a temporary drop in range.

**Battery Failure:**

Battery failure means that there is something wrong with your battery apart from normal age-related degradation. Based on our 30,000 drivers, this is very rare. If you have ruled out other causes of sudden range loss, a range health report from Recurrent or your EV dealership can help diagnose deeper issues.

To minimize range surprises:

- [Precondition](/content/questions/what-is-preconditioning-for-an-ev/index.html) your car before hitting the road if it’s very cold or very hot. Bring your car to a comfortable temp while it’s plugged in
- Keep tires fully inflated
- Regularly check for software updates
- Consider calibrating your BMS 1-2 times a year if you otherwise don’t charge to 100%

Read More:

- [https://www.recurrentauto.com/research/ev-range-changes](/content/research/ev-range-changes/index.html)
- [https://www.recurrentauto.com/research/ev-range-in-cold-weather](/content/research/ev-range-in-cold-weather/index.html)
- [https://www.recurrentauto.com/research/why-does-my-range-change](/content/research/why-does-my-range-change/index.html)
- https://www.recurrentauto.com/research/do-i-need-to-charge-my-car-to-100