Traction battery low on an EV: find a charger now

What the warning actually means

This is the only one of the EV battery lights you can plan your way out of. Run the pack very low and the car limits power, with the turtle symbol on, to get you to a charger before it stops altogether.

Common causes

• Normal use. The charge has simply run down
• Cabin heating drawn from the pack in cold weather
• A cold pack, which gives up less of its energy until it warms
• High speed. Motorway driving can cost a third of the range you would see in town

What to do now

1. Find a charger now.
2. Slow down a little. Speed is the biggest lever you hold.
3. Use seat and wheel heaters rather than heating the cabin air.
4. Next time, preheat the car while it is still plugged in.

What people often get wrong

That a nearly empty car can be left parked until it suits you. A parked EV keeps drawing power in the background, and if a cell is driven below its floor it is damaged. Near empty is the one state never to leave it in.

When the car must go to a workshop

A winter range drop is not a battery fault. If range stays clearly lower through a mild season, compared like with like over a few weeks, a state of health test is worth booking.

Read next

• The turtle symbol on an EV: reduced power, not a fault
• EV charging fault: usually the charger, not the car
• P0A80: traction battery degraded past the manufacturer's threshold
• EV range in cold weather: why it drops, and what helps

This page is general information and does not replace a professional assessment. Symbols, codes and behaviour vary between makes. Always check the handbook for your own car.