If you jump into your Tesla on a bitingly cold morning and start the car, you might see a blue snowflake symbol appear on the touchscreen or the mobile app. No, it's not a warning of wintry driving conditions, but instead a notification that your battery may currently be too cold to function at its full potential . Once you get moving, though, it should gradually warm up, with more of its stored energy becoming available.

For Tesla drivers, it's worth knowing that a cold battery can affect three aspects of your vehicle's performance, namely regenerative braking, acceleration, and charging speeds. There may be a reduction in regenerative braking, so your car won't slow down as much when you take your foot off the accelerator. This means you might find yourself having to use the brake pedal more often, especially when approaching things like junctions and traffic lights.…