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As big winter storms close in on the USA, more Americans than ever before are piloting electric vehicles. Those EVs will experience some degree of range reduction in the cold. To that end, Ford has a number of tips to improve the experience of EV owners while temperatures are at their lowest.

Range anxiety is still a hurdle for EV automakers and it’s a real concern when it’s cold outside. A report from earlier in the year says that some vehicles like Volkswagen’s ID.3 can lose half of their range when it’s 19°F or colder outside. American-sold cars like the Mustang Mach-E and the Hyundai Kona Electric lose more than 30 percent of their range according to the same study.

Ford wants to help all EV customers reduce some of that anxiety through a few new tips. The first is to precondition the vehicle’s battery before setting off. While it’s possible for EVs to precondition their own battery, Ford suggests preconditioning an EV while it’s still on the charger. That way, when one sets off, the vehicle still has a full charge.

More: What’s The Best Vehicle To Be In During A Snowstorm?

Winter Tips To Optimize Your EV’s Driving Range

Of course, the maximum allowable state of charge is a big piece of available range as well and Ford reminds people that they can set that percentage. Many EV owners set the maximum battery charge level somewhere below 100 percent to maintain battery health. Now that it’s colder it might be a good time to dial that back up to 100 until it warms up outside.

Ford customers can even set up their vehicle to send them a message via the FordPass app once it’s preconditioned and ready to go. These aren’t the only tips that the brand has offered for EV owners that are going up against the worst weather of the year.

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That set of tips sort of led to this new set. Among the first few were parking in a garage, keeping the vehicle plugged in, and again, preconditioning the battery. In addition, those who can’t park in a garage do well to brush off any accumulation. Not only will that reduce the weight that the vehicle has to drag around but it’s just a safe move too.

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