As of January 1, 2026, France has 40 million cars, with about 93.5% running on gasoline or diesel and 3.5% on electricity, according to SDES. Yet, as winter arrives, all of them share one common issue: they struggle in the cold. Under the hood, oil thickens, the battery loses efficiency, and starting becomes laborious. Understanding this phenomenon helps anticipate it better.
What Happens Under the Hood When It’s Cold
When cold weather settles in, a traditional internal combustion engine has to overcome several hurdles all at once. The oil thickens and circulates less freely through the engine block, forcing the starter to exert significantly more effort to get the components moving. It’s precisely at the moment when this starter needs power most that the battery falters, because the cold slows the chemical reaction that enables it to deliver current.
For drivers with a gasoline or diesel vehicle, the problem mainly lies with the battery, especially if it’s several years old. An aging 12V battery gradually loses capacity, and the cold exposes this wear. That’s why cold-start failures surge as early as November.
Electric cars don’t suffer in quite the same way. Without a thermal engine to crank or oil to warm, they aren’t plagued by startup issues. However, the cold directly affects the range of their traction battery, which can drop by 20 to 40 percent depending on winter conditions.
Winter makes this situation worse because people tend to use the car for short trips and don’t drive long enough to recharge what a startup has consumed. Meanwhile, auxiliary systems run at full blast (defrosters, heating, lights), and the alternator doesn’t have time to catch up.
Credit DR
Tips to Reduce Difficult Starts
As a precaution, the first step is to have your battery checked by a mechanic or auto shop before the coldest weather hits. If it’s several years old or shows signs of weakness, it’s better to replace it than risk a breakdown down the line.
Once on the road, certain habits help protect the battery:
- Don’t crank the engine repeatedly. If the engine doesn’t start on the first or second try, wait a few seconds before retrying. Each attempt drains the battery further, and letting it rest helps the chemical reaction stabilize temporarily.
- Turn off accessories before starting. These systems (defroster, heater, wipers) draw power at startup, so switching them off reduces the load on the battery.
- Consolidate short trips. Since the alternator never has enough time to compensate on a 2-kilometer drive, combining two or three short trips into one lets the battery recharge properly while you drive. (About 1.2 miles per short trip.)
- Let the engine warm up a few moments. Before you move, a few seconds with the ignition on lets the oil begin to circulate and, most importantly, reduces the starter’s workload.
Prevention Is Better Than a Break‑Down
Waiting until January to discover that your car won’t start is an avoidable risk with a few checks. It’s also a good time to check tire pressure when cold and switch to winter tires as soon as the temperature drops below 7 °C (about 45 °F).
