EV’s have less cold weather range? Here’s an interesting article on that

[AbleGuy]

“Many owners of personal electric vehicles also are finding that long-distance wintertime travel can be hard. EVs can lose anywhere from 10% to 36% of their range as cold spells come at least a few times each winter in many U.S. states…And to be sure, gasoline engines also can lose around 15% of their range in the cold.”

How much of a problem is loss of range in cold weather with current EV’s? What is the result of research being conducted to improve on cold weather range?

If these topics interest you, you might enjoy reading this article:

Global race to boost electric vehicle range in cold weather

Alaska’s rugged and frigid interior, where it can get as cold as minus 50 Fahrenheit (minus 46 Celsius), is not the place you’d expect to find an electric school bus.

ktvz.com

 

[IdaSHO]

Its an interesting problem, and certainly one to help crack the code on battery tech.
Lithium and cold just dont mix.

Here in North Idaho, I have a neighbor below us, with two Teslas. They don't leave the garage from October to March/April.
I'm assuming the wife is a stay at home mom. The husbands daily driver is a bricknose big block F-series

It is entertaining when he pulls the Model X out of the garage using his Iphone, and the thing starts a dance of lights and the wings (doors) start "flapping" om their own.

 

[mep1811]

I can always carry more gas for my truck. Or carry a generator with lot of gas.

 

[Mike W.]

It also has a effect on charging. A friend bought a Rivian and has nothing but problems under 32 degrees..O

 

[ThundahBeagle]

No real world experience with electric cars here but

School buses have specific routes. Easy enough to find service or plan for issues along a route. I imagine the real issue can arise if an electric vehicle is used for adventuring or contract work, going to varied and differing locations

 

[crazysccrmd]

Once the battery warms efficiency is nearly identical for me as when it is warm. Starting with a cold battery is the most detrimental to efficiency. If you can keep the vehicle plugged in up until departing the battery will be warm and efficiency will be about the same as on a warm day. Charging while cold isn’t usually a problem unless the battery is completely cold soaked and needs to warm itself up before accepting full charge rates. I’ve charged in negative temperatures with the same speeds as in warm weather.

The real cold weather killer for EVs is the heat. Unlike an ICE powered vehicle it doesn’t have an easy source of wasted heat energy to feed off and heat the cabin.

 

[workerdrone]

I believe if it’s cold enough a Tesla plugged into 120v will actually lose charge rather than gain - remember reading about a guy who experienced that. Battery warming must take more amps than the actual 120v trickle charger puts out

 

[JayOtheMountains]

... Or carry a generator with lot of gas.

I thought this thread was about EVs and not Hybrids...

 

[crazysccrmd]

I believe if it’s cold enough a Tesla plugged into 120v will actually lose charge rather than gain - remember reading about a guy who experienced that. Battery warming must take more amps than the actual 120v trickle charger puts out

Yep, had it happen myself. The upside is that the battery warm performs a whole lot better than when it’s been sitting at negative temperatures.

 

[gatorgrizz27]

No real world experience with electric cars here but

School buses have specific routes. Easy enough to find service or plan for issues along a route. I imagine the real issue can arise if an electric vehicle is used for adventuring or contract work, going to varied and differing locations

Something like 80% of people have a commute of 20 minutes or less, yet their gas vehicles averaging 20 mpg are “destroying the environment“.

Meanwhile, school busses and USPS vehicles are running near constantly, using 1980’s emission standards…

 

[crazysccrmd]

Meanwhile, school busses and USPS vehicles are running near constantly, using 1980’s emission standards…

USPS Intends To Deploy Over 66,000 Electric Vehicles by 2028, Making One of the Largest Electric Vehicle Fleets in the Nation - Newsroom - About.usps.com

WASHINGTON — The United States Postal Service today announced that it expects to acquire at least 66,000 battery electric delivery vehicles as part of its 106,000 vehicle acquisition plan for deliveries between now and 2028. The vehicles purchased as part of this anticipated plan will begin to...

about.usps.com

 

[AggieOE]

My gas engine Wrangler gets 20% better mileage in the summer too. The issue is not the weather. The issue is the lack of charging infrastructure.

Although I have not dug into the weeds of it winter vs summer mileage, I find this interesting because I see a couple of things at play:
1) Colder air should yield more power since denser air is being combusted. That being said, it could also take more work on the motor to combust it.
2) Colder, denser air should be harder for the vehicle to push through. So our bricks, I mean Jeeps, would probably definitely see this.
3) Winter Gasoline vs Summer Gasoline. Summer gas has more energy/unit than winter and winter gasoline evaporates more. For example, you put in 10 gal, you only get to burn like 9.8 gal.

As far as EVs go though. Again, not up to date on the details but we've all known batteries do not work well in extreme temps which is why most need replaced in winter or summer.