Finland's extreme cold snap triggered over ten times the normal number of car assistance calls in early February, with a critical yet often misunderstood 12-volt battery flaw immobilizing a growing fleet of electric and hybrid vehicles. Rescue service company Redgo reports an unprecedented volume of cases, primarily in private driveways rather than on roads, as deep freezes expose a key vulnerability in modern automotive technology.
"Assistance requests have been at a record volume, even tenfold compared to normal. The 12-volt batteries have defined the problems for all cars," said Redgo CEO Magnus Lindgren, describing a week of non-stop operations. The company, formerly known as Falck in Finland, found that roughly two-thirds of assistance visits occurred in home driveways, challenging the assumption that most breakdowns happen during travel.
The Real Culprit Behind Frozen EVs
Contrary to common belief, the primary issue is not the depletion of the large traction battery that powers an electric car's drive motor. Drivers are generally aware of reduced range in cold weather and rarely deplete it completely. The systemic failure point is the smaller, auxiliary 12-volt battery, identical in function to those in petrol cars, which powers critical systems like computers, locks, and dashboard electronics.
"In electric cars, the 12-volt starter battery is often smaller and can even be underpowered for the cold, as its purpose is just to switch the main drive battery to driving mode. We have also observed a lot of the same in hybrids," Lindgren explained. This battery is essential for 'waking up' the vehicle's high-voltage system, if it fails, the car is completely inert, regardless of the charge in the main battery.
A Diagnosis Dilemma for Drivers
Redgo has identified a significant knowledge gap complicating the situation. Drivers of electric vehicles often misinterpret the symptoms of a dead 12-volt battery, leading to unnecessary alarm and incorrect assumptions about the severity of the problem.
"Our interesting observation is that EV drivers do not recognize the 12-volt battery as the issue because the dashboard lights can come on normally," Lindgren noted. "An EV stalling and not starting does not feel the same to the user as in petrol and diesel cars, where the engine doesn't crank. The EV driver may therefore imagine the problem to be more serious than it actually is, when it's just the condition of the 12-volt battery."
This confusion can delay a simple fix. While a traditional car with a flat starter battery is a familiar and easily diagnosed issue, the silent, computer-dependent nature of an EV masks the identical root cause, potentially leaving drivers stranded longer in freezing conditions.
Manufacturer Guidelines Complicate Assistance
The response from roadside services is further complicated by stringent and varied protocols from car manufacturers. Many have strict guidelines on how to handle EVs during assistance, sometimes prohibiting a simple jump-start that would solve the immediate 12-volt problem.
"Jump-starts for electric cars are slightly lower relative to their towing numbers. This is due to, among other things, the guidelines of some car brands (should primarily be towed to a repair shop), the complexity of the cars, and, in some places, caution in handling them," Lindgren stated. The requirement to tow the vehicle directly to a workshop, rather than providing roadside power, increases inconvenience for the owner and adds to the service burden during peak periods.
These protocols are often in place to protect sensitive electronic systems from potential voltage spikes during an external jump-start. However, they create a logistical challenge for assistance companies and highlight the automotive industry's evolving relationship with independent service providers in the electric age.
Navigating the Cold Transition
The situation underscores a broader transition period as Finland's vehicle fleet electrifies amidst one of the world's most challenging climates for battery technology. Practical experience with these new failure modes is accumulating in real-time among both drivers and service crews.
"Practices and experiences are growing all the time," Lindgren said, indicating a learning curve for the entire ecosystem. The record-breaking week serves as a large-scale stress test, revealing that the most persistent winter motoring problem—the humble 12-volt battery—has seamlessly transitioned into the electric era, bringing new diagnostic challenges along with it.
For Finnish drivers, the lesson is twofold: cold weather preparedness for an EV must include mindfulness toward the auxiliary battery's health, and a car that won't 'wake up' might need a simple jump, not a complex repair. For the industry, the cold snap provides clear data on a dominant point of failure, suggesting that more robust 12-volt systems or clearer diagnostic signals for drivers could be a key focus for improvement in future models destined for Nordic markets.
The coming years will show whether automotive engineering adapts to make the 12-volt system more resilient, or if Finnish drivers will simply add checking a second, smaller battery to their essential winter routine.