Last month, we covered the essentials of winter storage for petrol and diesel prestige cars. We talked about battery conditioners, fuel stabilisers, and protecting engines that slumber for months.
If you own a high-performance electric vehicle—perhaps a Tesla Model S Plaid that’s too much of a handful on icy roads, or a Porsche Taycan you want to keep pristine—you might have assumed the advice was the same.
It is not. In fact, following traditional car storage advice could be disastrous for your EV.
A modern electric car is essentially a high-voltage computer on wheels. It never truly “sleeps.” Managing its complex battery systems during downtime requires a completely different approach.
Here is the Auto VIP guide to storing your prestige EV safely over winter.
The Golden Rule: A Plugged-in EV is a Happy EV
With a petrol car, you might disconnect the battery. With an EV, you should do the opposite.
The single best thing you can do for a stored electric vehicle is to keep it plugged into your home wallbox charger.
Your EV has a sophisticated Battery Management System (BMS). When plugged in, the car will draw power from the mains—not its own battery—to run essential background systems, keep the 12V battery topped up, and manage the temperature of the main high-voltage pack. This is the safest state for the car to be in.
However, you must follow the next step crucially.
Step 1: Manage the State of Charge (SoC)
While you should leave it plugged in, you must never leave an EV stored at 100% charge.
Sitting at 100% for weeks or months puts immense stress on the lithium-ion cells, accelerating degradation and permanently reducing the car’s range. Conversely, leaving it near 0% risks the battery “bricking,” which can require a complete (and astronomically expensive) pack replacement.
The Action Plan:
Before you walk away for winter, open your car’s app or onboard menu and set the maximum charge limit to 50% or 60%. This is the “Goldilocks zone” where the battery chemistry is most stable and happy for long-term storage. The car will charge to this level and then just sip mains power to stay there.
Step 2: Defeat the “Vampire Drain”
Even when parked, EVs lose range. This is called “vampire drain” or “phantom drain,” caused by the car waking up to check systems, run security, or connect to the internet. On a Tesla, this can be significant if you aren’t careful.
The Action Plan:
If you are storing the car long-term, you need to turn off the power-hungry features:
- Security Systems: On a Tesla, Sentry Mode keeps cameras running and the computer awake. It is a massive power drain. If the car is in a secure, locked garage, turn Sentry Mode off.
- Cabin Overheat Protection: Turn this off. It’s not needed in winter storage.
- Stop Checking the App: Every time you open your phone app to check the car’s status, you wake the vehicle up, firing up its computers and draining power. Resist the urge to check in more than once every few weeks.
Step 3: The Forgotten 12V Battery
Many people forget that EVs still have a standard, small 12V battery, just like a petrol car. This little battery runs the door locks, the screens, and the main computers.
If the main high-voltage battery gets too low, it stops topping up this 12V battery. If the 12V battery dies, you will be locked out of the car and it will be completely unresponsive, even if the main battery still has charge.
The Action Plan:
By following the Golden Rule (keeping it plugged in), the car will automatically keep the 12V battery healthy.
Step 4: Tyres and Brakes (The Universal Rules)
While the powertrain is different, the rolling stock is not. EVs are incredibly heavy due to their battery packs, making them even more prone to tyre issues during storage.
The Action Plan:
- Tyres: Over-inflate your tyres by around 10-15 PSI (check your manual for maximums) to help prevent flat spots from the car’s immense weight sitting on one patch of rubber.
- Brakes: Just like an ICE car, do not leave the electronic parking brake engaged, as pads can fuse to discs. Use wheel chocks to secure the vehicle.
The Auto VIP Verdict
Storing a prestige EV is about managing battery chemistry, not mechanics. A correctly stored EV will emerge in spring with its range and battery health perfectly preserved.
When we value high-end electric vehicles, battery health is one of the most critical factors. An owner who understands how to manage their State of Charge during storage is an owner who has protected their asset’s long-term value.