Your car battery takes a beating in extremely cold weather. That's why in cold climates like Minnesota, they say you really only get 3-5 years out of your car battery. Cold starts like this morning are a big test for your battery, and unfortunately, many people will find that their battery isn't up to snuff.

Your battery could be older and have lost its capacity. You also could be guilty of taking short trips around town that don't help you charge your battery. Frequent starting and stopping of your car (with a combustion engine), can really wear your batter down. It never gets a chance to be fully charged!

Nowadays, You Can Never Fully Charge Your Car Battery By Driving

Experts at Interstate Batteries explain that with modern cars, you'll never charge your battery completely to 100% by driving it. Because there are so many onboard computers and electronics in cars, the electrical system will actually protect the computers from being overcharged. They stop the charging short of 100% to protect the components.

Read More: Have You Experienced Square Tires In Minnesota Winter?

Yes, driving your car with RPMs over 1,000 will partially charge your battery.

They say an engine needs to be running over 1,000 RPM for the alternator to feed your car with 1-2 amps. When you are driving at highway speeds, that's the most efficient way to charge your battery while on the road.

Still, Interstate Batteries says it could take 8 hours of driving to charge your battery enough.

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Help Charge Your Battery Faster

To get the most charge out of your alternator, try to limit the use of electronics in the car. That way more of the power will go to the battery while also not draining it as much.

  • Turn off the headlights (if not needed)
  • Drive Without Heat (Yea sure)
  • Unplug phone charger
  • Turn down dashboard lights

Get Your Battery Tested

Odds are that if your car won't start, your battery is already damaged and should be tested and replaced.

Buy A Battery Charger / Tender

You can plug your battery in to charge overnight with a battery charger or battery tender to keep it topped off for the maximum cranking in the morning. You could also invest in an engine block heater that helps keep the engine oil from getting so thick in frigid temperatures.

LOOK: The most extreme temperatures in the history of every state

Stacker consulted 2021 data from the NOAA's State Climate Extremes Committee (SCEC) to illustrate the hottest and coldest temperatures ever recorded in each state. Each slide also reveals the all-time highest 24-hour precipitation record and all-time highest 24-hour snowfall.

Keep reading to find out individual state records in alphabetical order.

Gallery Credit: Anuradha Varanasi