Knowing how to maintain an electric car battery through a Manitoba winter comes down to a few habits: keep the vehicle plugged in when it is parked, warm the cabin while it is still on the charger, and leave the charge limit where the manufacturer set it, each one done the way your vehicle's manufacturer directs. Then look after the small 12 volt battery that many electrified vehicles still carry, and book a battery and charging system test with our service team before the first minus 30 morning.

The advice applies to most electric cars and plug in hybrids, and your manufacturer's current instructions for your own vehicle always come first. Our examples come from the Stellantis lineup: the 2026 Jeep Recon, the 2025 Jeep Wagoneer S and the 2025 Dodge Charger Daytona, which Jeep Canada and Dodge Canada list as battery electric, the 2026 Ram ProMaster EV, and the 2027 Ram 1500 REV, first announced as the Ramcharger. If you already drive a plug in hybrid, follow your manufacturer's current instructions for charging and parking it before any habit below, and our guide to warming an electric vehicle before you unplug in winter covers preconditioning in more detail.

Picture an electric SUV at the end of an acreage driveway outside Portage la Prairie on a January night, minus 30, with the wind straight across the open fields. What its owner did the evening before decides how much range it has in the morning.

Key Takeaways

• Plug in when you park, the way your vehicle's manufacturer directs. The vehicle starts the day charged.
• Warm it up before you unplug. Manitoba Hydro says to heat the interior of your vehicle while it is still plugged into the charger, so you use power from the grid rather than the vehicle's battery.
• Leave the charge limit where the maker set it. Jeep Canada says the factory charge settings on the 2025 Jeep Wagoneer S are preset to 80 percent, and your owner's manual explains how to adjust yours.
• Measure your own winter range. Cold typically reduces range, so compare the charge a regular trip uses on a mild fall day and again in deep cold.
• The 12 volt battery still matters. On many electrified vehicles it powers the systems that switch the vehicle on, and our service department does battery replacement and charging system work.

How to Maintain an Electric Car Battery in Deep Cold

Two things happen to an electric vehicle in deep cold. A cold battery can deliver and accept power more slowly, and the heater draws on the same battery that moves the vehicle. Manitoba Hydro says driving range in an electric vehicle is typically reduced in cold weather and winter driving conditions, so the habits below are about starting each day warm and charged.

Plug In Overnight, and Know What Your Outlet Adds

Plugging in whenever the vehicle is parked at home, used the way your vehicle's manufacturer directs, means it starts the morning charged. It also means any warming the vehicle does before you leave can draw on the grid.

How much charge you get back overnight depends on the outlet. Manitoba Hydro says Level 1 charging, from a standard household outlet, "adds approximately 5 km of range per hour charged", and Level 2 charging "adds approximately 20 to 40 km of range per hour charged". By Manitoba Hydro's Level 1 figure, a twelve hour night on a standard outlet adds roughly 60 km. A round trip from Portage to Winnipeg on the Trans-Canada is well past that, which is why a daily highway driver may want to price a Level 2 charger installed by a licensed electrician.

Keep the charging cable where it will not be driven over or buried when the driveway is cleared, and check your owner's manual for what the portable charging cord may be plugged into.

Warm the Cabin While It Is Still on the Charger

Manitoba Hydro's winter advice is to "Heat the interior of your vehicle while it's still plugged into the charger." It gives the reason in the next line: "That way you use power from the electric grid rather than the vehicle's battery." It also notes that "Seat warmers use less energy than your vehicle's fan heater."

Many electric vehicles let you schedule a departure time or start the climate system from an app. Set it up the way your vehicle's manufacturer directs, and leave the vehicle plugged in while it runs. Our post on EV preconditioning in winter covers the habit in more detail.

Keep the Charge Where Your Manufacturer Sets It

Start with the setting the manufacturer chose. Jeep Canada says the factory charge settings on the 2025 Jeep Wagoneer S are preset to 80 percent and tells owners to consult the owner's manual for adjusting them. Ram Canada says the 2026 Ram ProMaster EV's factory charge settings may be preset to not charge the battery to 100 percent, with the same pointer to the owner's manual.

Our advice: leave the daily limit where your manufacturer set it, and check your owner's manual for whether your model lets you raise it for a long trip. In deep cold, avoid leaving the vehicle parked for days with the battery near empty, because a low charge leaves little margin for the heater on the way home.

Park Out of the Wind

On the prairie the wind adds to the cold. A heated garage is the easy answer if you have one. If the vehicle has to stay outside, park it on the side of the house, shop or shelterbelt that breaks the wind, and brush the snow off the charge port door first. If the port door is frozen shut, check your owner's manual before you force it.

Highway Range to Winnipeg or Brandon in January

A published range is an estimate, not a promise. Ram Canada lists the 2026 Ram ProMaster EV at an estimated range of up to 264 km and says actual range "will vary (and may vary significantly)" based on several factors, temperature among them.

So measure your own number. On a regular run, to Winnipeg or the longer drive west to Brandon, note the battery level when you leave and when you arrive on a mild fall day, then again on a minus 25 day at the same speed. The difference is your winter margin. A headwind on the open stretches can widen it, so plan charging stops with room to spare.

Ram Canada describes the 2027 Ram 1500 REV as a range extended electric vehicle whose gasoline engine generates electricity when its 92 kWh battery is depleted, so the same plug in habits apply to its battery.

Why the 12 Volt Battery Still Matters

The big battery is not the only one. Many electric and plug in vehicles also carry a small 12 volt battery that powers things like the locks, the screens and the computers that switch the vehicle on. If it runs down, the vehicle may not switch on even with plenty of charge in the high voltage battery.

Check your owner's manual for where the 12 volt battery sits on your model and how the manufacturer says to deal with a flat one. Our winter battery test guide explains what a battery test measures. Our service department does battery replacement and charging system work; on an electric or plug in model, ask our service team what they can check on yours.

Know Your High Voltage Battery Warranty

Jeep Canada lists the high voltage battery on the 2026 Jeep Recon at 8 years or 160,000 km, whichever comes first, and says it is covered by a transferable warranty. Ram Canada lists the same term for the 2026 Ram ProMaster EV. For any other model or model year, including a Jeep 4xe or a Chrysler Pacifica plug in hybrid, read the warranty booklet for that vehicle.

If a warning appears on the screen or the range drops in a way your own measurements cannot explain, ask our service team about the high voltage battery on your model.

If you are weighing a switch to an electric or plug in model, you can see what your current vehicle is worth and apply for financing online. Any approval, rate or term is on approved credit.

FAQs

Should I keep my electric car plugged in during a Manitoba winter?

Yes, when it is parked at home, used the way your vehicle's manufacturer directs. Plugged in, it starts the day charged, and Manitoba Hydro says to heat the interior while the vehicle is still plugged into the charger so the power comes from the grid rather than the vehicle's battery.

What charge level should I keep an electric car battery at in winter?

The level your manufacturer sets. Jeep Canada says the factory charge settings on the 2025 Jeep Wagoneer S are preset to 80 percent, and Ram Canada says the 2026 Ram ProMaster EV's factory charge settings may be preset to not charge the battery to 100 percent. Both point owners to the owner's manual for adjusting the settings.

How much range does an electric car lose in a Manitoba winter?

It varies by model and by the day, so measure your own. Manitoba Hydro says driving range in an electric vehicle is typically reduced in cold weather and winter driving conditions. Note the battery level a regular trip uses on a mild fall day and again on a deep cold day at the same speed.

Does an electric car have a 12 volt battery?

Many do, and it still matters. On many electric and plug in vehicles a small 12 volt battery powers systems like the locks, the screens and the computers that switch the vehicle on, and if it runs down the vehicle may not switch on. Check your owner's manual for where it sits on your model; our service department does battery replacement and charging system work.

What is the high voltage battery warranty on an electric vehicle in Canada?

It depends on the model and model year. Jeep Canada lists the 2026 Jeep Recon's high voltage battery at 8 years or 160,000 km, whichever comes first, under a transferable warranty, and Ram Canada lists the same term for the 2026 Ram ProMaster EV. For any other model or model year, read the warranty booklet for that vehicle.

Does Dunn Ram Trucks work on electric vehicle batteries?

Our service department does 12 volt battery replacement and charging system work. For the high voltage battery on an electric or plug in model, ask our service team what applies to yours.

The Bottom Line

An electric car battery gets through a Manitoba winter on habits, each done the way your vehicle's manufacturer directs: plugged in when parked, warmed on the charger, kept at the charge limit the manufacturer set, and given a winter range you have measured yourself. Do not forget the small 12 volt battery that switches many of these vehicles on.

At Dunn Ram Trucks in Portage la Prairie, our service department does battery replacement and charging system work, for drivers from the Central Plains and anywhere else in Manitoba. Before the deep cold settles in, book a 12 volt battery and charging system check online, and ask our service team about anything on the high voltage side.

Tyler Dunn, Dunn Ram Trucks, Portage la Prairie