Electric cars are efficient in turning energy from the battery into motion. This is why they don’t have heat waste from the engine. Gasoline-powered cars do not have an immediate source of cold to cool their cars in the summer. Both use the energy they get from their fuel to control the climate in the cabin. However, electric cars can heat the cabin quickly with electric resistance heat. This will decrease their range.
BEVs usually have air conditioners, so they run the AC “backwards”, drawing heat from colder air outside and pushing that into the cabin. This is known as a heat pump. For every unit of energy used, about 3-4 units (including the one that was used to turn the compressor) are put into the cabin. Electric resistance heat can be used to supplement heat sources in cold climates. Heat pumps won’t work well in these conditions.
Many Battery Electric Vehicles can be programmed with the driver’s return time. The vehicle will then draw power directly from the outlet to heat the cabin to comfortable temperatures. This ensures that the vehicle is fully charged and leaves the station with minimal energy.