One of the things you might not learn about electric vehicles (EV) until you live with one is 关键字2that they charge slower in cold temperatures, which means you might have to spend longer at a charging station on long winter drives.

In addition, the climate's impact on your car's battery chemistry, and the power drawn when you heat the cabin and seats can together sap about 25% of range when you're cruising at 70 mph (113 km/h), compared with driving at that speed in mild weather.

Researchers at the University of Michigan have a way to tackle the first problem. By slightly altering the manufacturing process for lithium-ion EV batteries, their technique can enable rapid charging at awfully low temperatures – up to five times as fast – without reducing their energy density.