Electric vehicle (EV) drivers in Arizona enjoyed the best driving conditions in the U.S. over the past year, while cold-weather states in New England experienced the sharpest range reductions, according to a new report from Vaisala Xweather.
The report, based on 12 months of data from March 2024 to February 2025, highlights the dramatic impact of weather conditions -- beyond just temperature -- on EV range. While it’s well known that cold temperatures degrade EV performance, the report quantifies how additional weather factors such as elevation, wind, snow and the use of in-cabin climate controls also influence mileage.
According to the findings, Arizona had the most favorable EV conditions, followed by Florida and Texas. In contrast, Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire experienced the steepest annual range losses due to consistently cold weather.
Notably, New Mexico saw the single most favorable EV driving day on Aug. 4, 2024, when high elevation and warm, calm conditions boosted EV range to 18% above the median.
Conversely, North Dakota marked the worst day for EV performance on Jan. 20, 2025, when extreme cold led to a 59% drop in median range -- 77% lower than New Mexico’s peak.
EV range map of the U.S. provided by Vaisala Xweather.
“Most drivers know how temperature impacts range, but with this data, we can show exactly how all weather impacts EV range,” said Lasse Lumiaho, head of automotive at Vaisala Xweather. “One of the key discussions around EV adoption has been the range presented by car makers versus how this is experienced by drivers.”
Interestingly, the report found high EV adoption rates do not necessarily align with optimal driving conditions. California, which leads the nation in EV ownership, saw significant range losses during the summer of 2024 due to high temperatures and strong winds. Similarly, states like Washington and Oregon maintain high EV adoption despite lower-than-average range performance, suggesting that political and cultural factors may outweigh practical considerations.
“EV adoption seems to follow the electoral map more than the driving conditions,” the report noted.
Extreme weather events also played a role. Winter Storm Enzo, which brought rare snow and ice to Florida in January 2025, reduced the state’s typical winter EV range by 15%. In Arkansas, a heavy snowfall on Jan. 10 increased rolling resistance by 300%, causing EV range to drop by as much as 40%.
The report also emphasized the influence of elevation and road conditions. States like Colorado and Utah, despite cold temperatures and snowfall, benefit from high altitudes that reduce air drag and infrastructure that mitigates snow-related range loss.
“If cars used weather data to calculate range, we could reduce the difference between the predicted and actual range to almost zero,” Lumiaho said. “This would help remove one of the key barriers to EV adoption overall -- uncertainty around whether the car can reach the destination.”
The full report includes monthly state-by-state data, visuals and commentary on EV adoption trends across the country.
