Electric car warning: Range of battery-powered vehicles collapses by up to 50% in cold weather - 'They can't cope!'

Electric car owners have been warned that the range of battery-powered vehicles can halve by up to 50 per cent, leaving owners who are not near a charging point in danger of finding themselves stranded.

The Met Office has warned that the UK could face power cuts as an Arctic blast batters the country with snow and subzero temperatures.

Yellow and amber warnings were distributed nationwide as the Met Office warned that travel delays and power cuts are likely.

Mobile phone coverage could also be affected by the weather, leaving people cut off from the rest of the world.

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Last night, parts of the UK saw temperatures drop as low as -9.8C.

Electric car owners could find themselves in trouble as different temperatures can dictate which speed energy storage and discharge happens.

When the mercury temperature plummets in a car, the efficiency of the battery takes a hit and means the range it can travel is limited.

Car Magazine suggest that the cold weather can trim off anywhere between 10 and 15 percent of a motor’s range.

They tested a Tesla in the cold weather and found that it drove 15 miles shorter (250 miles) than it did in the summer (265 miles).

They urged motorists to start their car with a full charge and use the pre-heating function if there is one.

It comes as new analysis found that electric vehicle drivers are being charged more to top up their batteries on long journeys than people behind the wheel of petrol cars pay for fuel.

The RAC said the average price of using rapid chargers on a pay as you go basis has increased by nearly 26p per kilowatt hour since May, reaching 70.3p per kWh this month.

This means drivers pay around 20p per mile for their electricity when using the chargers.

By contrast, the per mile cost for a petrol car achieving an economy of 40 miles to the gallon is just 17p.