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Winter & Cold Weather EV Range Loss in 7,000 Cars

recurrentauto.com

271–280 of 332 posts

Re: Winter & Cold Weather EV Range Loss in 7,000 Cars

#271

Earlier quoted context omitted.

EVs upsides and downsides should be considered without it needing to be a comparison to ICE. But, yes, running the heater will use fuel. In this case EVs with "250 miles" range are losing 30%~ of that range for three months of the year and a further 20% over the first three years of their life, making them reliably closer to a 140-mile vehicle. People who are planning round-trip travel or commuting need to know this…

Is it mocking, or just encouraging realistic expectations around your travel needs? I’ve heard many people say an EV won’t work for them, yet their total daily commute is nowhere close to the capacity. And for many of them, even a 110V outlet at home would get them around 40 miles overnight once they’re home (depending on the make/model specifics), and most folks I know are barely driving more than that as a daily dr…

Cars are really expensive. Buying a whole ass car that can _only_ be used for commuting is a luxury most people cannot afford. They need their vehicle for thier daily commute, but also for weekend trips, home depot hauls, towing, etc etc.

"Does this car only do 80% of what I need it to" is a valid question when so much money is on the line.

Re: Winter & Cold Weather EV Range Loss in 7,000 Cars

#272

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What percentage of cars on the road are EV in Norway?

> according to Statistics Norway, in 2021 almost 6,000 million kilometres driven by passenger cars were powered by electricity. The total number of kilometres driven by passenger cars was 35,000 million, so EVs still account for less than 20%. (I just stuck your comment into Google.)

They probably meant obsolete when buying new

Re: Winter & Cold Weather EV Range Loss in 7,000 Cars

#275

I can’t decide on my next car - Live in cold village on US east coast - ICE might be going obsolete - BEVs are improving quickly so what I buy might be superseded soon - feels almost like the early days of smartphones. - Gas prices are very high - Used and new car prices are unreasonably high - There’s not enough chargers to support the number of EVs being driven in my area leading to long waits. - I could charge at…

Your current car is only a few years old and has relatively low mileage, so the best course of action is obviously to keep driving it. Unless there's something seriously wrong with it. Otherwise, buy a used car.

In no world is 150k miles "low mileage". That's comfortably in the "may break down at any time" age.

Re: Winter & Cold Weather EV Range Loss in 7,000 Cars

#276

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Actually heating the cabin is nothing but wasteful. Americans value comfort and they get it. Europeans want it too but they can't afford it (taxation and energy scarcity)

It's to do with safety, not economics. Remote start on a combustion vehicle presents a carbon monoxide poisoning risk. This is perhaps more significant in Europe where more people park indoors and in confined spaces. Pretty much any EV in Europe has a remote cabin heating feature. If it were about energy and economics, wouldn't that be banned also?

If you are parked indoors you don't need remote start. Our garage stays about 32F degrees even when it is -10F out. The entire point of remote start is for the case when you are parked outside, such as at work.

Re: Winter & Cold Weather EV Range Loss in 7,000 Cars

#277

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The same is true for your EV. I don't think that's exactly true. -30F and below is cold enough to permanently damage the battery in an EV. Letting the electrolyte freeze just once will ruin your battery. It doesn't matter how many -40 days you get, you really do have to be prepared for them. Your ICE car may not start if it's that cold, but it will work like new once it's warmed back up. The solution is simple - ju…

I'm pretty sure Teslas keep their batteries heated to above cell-freezing level even without them being plugged in. The expectation is that you would recharge it before the battery gets to low to continue heating.

That's true, but my understanding is that the Tesla will only be able to keep itself warm for a day or two. So you need to charge the thing every day - really only practical with home charging.

Re: Winter & Cold Weather EV Range Loss in 7,000 Cars

#278
post #245

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The value is not having to wear all that gear while driving, and just comfort generally. Living in the bay area it's nice that the Teslas have this capability to warm the interior from 55 to 70 before I get in the car. It means I can leave the house in a t shirt in the morning.

If you're driving around in subzero weather without a coat, gloves, and preferably a few blankets in the car, you're asking for more trouble than I am.

I don't like driving on icy roads with gloves on, I feel like I have less control of the car

Re: Winter & Cold Weather EV Range Loss in 7,000 Cars

#279

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Actually heating the cabin is nothing but wasteful. Americans value comfort and they get it. Europeans want it too but they can't afford it (taxation and energy scarcity)

It's to do with safety, not economics. Remote start on a combustion vehicle presents a carbon monoxide poisoning risk. This is perhaps more significant in Europe where more people park indoors and in confined spaces. Pretty much any EV in Europe has a remote cabin heating feature. If it were about energy and economics, wouldn't that be banned also?

> Pretty much any EV in Europe has a remote cabin heating feature

Surely pretty much any equivalent gas car remote cabin heating too, it's a very common feature.

Re: Winter & Cold Weather EV Range Loss in 7,000 Cars

#280
post #260

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> We get a couple of those days every year I'm always curious about things like this. Did you insulate your house for the -40 days? Did you buy your winter coat and gloves based on -40 days? Did you install a block heater, battery blanket and oil pan heater in your ICE car for those -40 days? I'm betting you didn't, because you know they only happen a couple of times a year, and it's not worth spending all the money…

> The same is true for your EV. I don't think that's exactly true. -30F and below is cold enough to permanently damage the battery in an EV. Letting the electrolyte freeze just once will ruin your battery. It doesn't matter how many -40 days you get, you really do have to be prepared for them. Your ICE car may not start if it's that cold, but it will work like new once it's warmed back up. The solution is simple - ju…

> Your ICE car may not start if it's that cold, but it will work like new once it's warmed back up.

no, no it really won't.

It's extremely common to tear CV boots past -40, and the wear and tear you do on the engine in the first few minutes (when the oil has the consistency of butter) is permanent.

If you start your engine at -40 and it's not plugged in multiple ways, you're doing permanent damage. It's really funny to see all the Kias and Hyandais and other "cheap" brands in the Yukon - they last a winter or two before the engines grenade.

Also if your starting battery freezes, it's finished. Hence a battery blanket.

> The solution is simple - just keep your EV plugged in, and it will heat itself as necessary.

It does not have to be plugged in to keep itself warm. Obviously if you let the battery drain that's a huge problem, so you just have to keep an eye on it for those "once or twice" a year days. Not at all unlike an ICE vehicle where if you let the starting battery freeze it's done for.

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