Electric Vehicles

[I Think]

Of course if your EV is in your garage at night, you can set a timer so that it is nice and warm before you go out, (no exhaust fumes) and with a nice warm battery to boot.

[YzzzR1]

Of course if your EV is in your garage at night, you can set a timer so that it is nice and warm before you go out, (no exhaust fumes) and with a nice warm battery to boot.

Anyone can.

https://www.amazon.ca/Zerostart-2204037 ... 187&sr=8-4

[Jlabute]

[quote="I Think"

Resent cold snap that hit the area I noticed numerous mustang mach-e’s on back of tow trucks, it spoke volumes. Biggest stay the hell away.

Amazing that you saw numerous Mach-es you must have seen both of the two in the Okanagan.

Check out this article about electric school bus in Alaska excerpted below;
Electric vehicles are continually proving to be able to handle the cold unexpectedly better than many tend to think they do. There have been several cold-weather tests in Teslas and other vehicles since the Virginia highway winter disaster earlier this month, and there were many others for years before that. One such experiment took place in Canada, where temperatures recorded were 22 degrees below zero and 31 degrees below zero. Although that’s not as cold as 48 below or even 80 below, this does show that the myth that EVs don’t work in the cold will be known as such by the mainstream.

https://cleantechnica.com/2022/01/28/ac ... in-alaska/

Lithium batteries do not work in the cold. It is why they need a temperature management system which uses power. Also, batteries can't get too hot either, so they need a means to cool them on hot summer days. The batteries need to be treated better than the passengers. If the software that controls this system is flawed in any way, you'll have problems. As the complexity of something increases, so do problems.





https://electrek.co/2018/11/14/tesla-mo ... her-flaws/

[spooker]

This was a good fact check on how people are worried about EVs and cold weather ...

That tweet was brought to public attention by an opinion piece in the Washington Post, penned by columnist Charles Lane, with the alarmist headline,"Imagine Virginia's icy traffic catastrophe—but with only electric vehicles." It's a collection of isolated facts and specific assertions designed to make the point that EVs aren't safe in such conditions. Sadly, the author didn't support that point with any of the data or analyses showing how EVs actually operate in cold weather.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/a- ... ar-AAThaAn

[I Think]

If it's 40 below and your ICE wont start because the battery does not have enough jam to overcome the cold, it proves that ICE cars are no good.

[Bsuds]

If it's 40 below and your ICE wont start because the battery does not have enough jam to overcome the cold, it proves that ICE cars are no good.

If it's -40 I'm not frigging going anywhere anyhoo!

[LovemyBolt]

I don't know. I was out and about in the last cold snap in my Bolt. Doesn't the Mach-e have battery temperature management?
Sure range goes down due to extra consumption of power for the BTMS and your own warmth. Sure the charging starts much slower and then eventually goes up by the time it wants to come down again. But the car is still usable.

[Jlabute]

The most recent issue is the Tesla heat pump in cold weather. This has affected many prairie folk.

https://electrek.co/2022/01/17/tesla-so ... e-problem/

https://electrek.co/2022/01/12/tesla-ow ... ing-badly/


Transport Canada is probing Tesla winter issues due to consumer complaints. So imagine -40c with no cabin heat.

https://www.reuters.com/business/autos- ... 022-01-14/

[LovemyBolt]

The most recent issue is the Tesla heat pump in cold weather. This has affected many prairie folk.

Transport Canada is probing Tesla winter issues due to consumer complaints. So imagine -40c with no cabin heat.

Yeah the heat pump sounds all great and modern but as mentioned earlier in this thread...they only go down so cold before they're useless. Just like a standard heat pump for a home. Even a Mits one I had a few years ago was the best but still -30. And I didn't want to re-wire my house and upgrade to 200 amp to accommodate the auxiliary heat strips. So if I had to, I had portable electric heaters at the ready.
The Bolt doesn't have a heat pump. But that wasn't a reason I bought it.

[I Think]

Yeah the heat pump sounds all great and modern but as mentioned earlier in this thread...they only go down so cold before they're useless. Just like a standard heat pump for a home. Even a Mits one I had a few years ago was the best but still -30. And I didn't want to re-wire my house and upgrade to 200 amp to accommodate the auxiliary heat strips. So if I had to, I had portable electric heaters at the ready.
The Bolt doesn't have a heat pump. But that wasn't a reason I bought it.

Hey thanks for jumping in, was feeling a little lonely, there is a whole bunch of mis-information coupled with urban myths that needs to be countered.
Now that EV battery ranges are going up we are starting to look at getting something without a gas tank. We want to be able to do a round trip to Kelowna and back. 400K +/- and carry a sheet of plywood, or some 2X4's.

[LovemyBolt]

Hey thanks for jumping in, was feeling a little lonely, there is a whole bunch of mis-information coupled with urban myths that needs to be countered.
Now that EV battery ranges are going up we are starting to look at getting something without a gas tank. We want to be able to do a round trip to Kelowna and back. 400K +/- and carry a sheet of plywood, or some 2X4's.

Temperature plays a large role. Goldilocks.
Depending on whether you are the type to get all bundled up in your car and drive that way, or if you drive in shorts and t-shirt in the dead of winter, will define your cabin comfort power consumption in winter. Heated seats and steering wheel are a surprising help and they use the standard battery.
A/C will also use the power much like the heating. Open windows will have a small affect on the aero-dynamics if you're watching that closely.
But the big battery likes its goldilocks. So hot out or cold out will use more power. And fast charging has a temperature dependence as well.

The Bolt won't contain a sheet of plywood inside. You can get a few 8 or 9 foot sticks inside though.

So 200 klicks to get here. Any of the current cars can do that. Ya gotta stop and shop and eat after a couple hours driving. You can use the few fast chargers around town. There are a few 240V chargers around but you'd want to be there a while. Or if you stay overnight, find a place with 240V chargers.
To get your 200 klicks return you don't need to charge to full. But if you're over-nighting then what the heck.

[Glacier]

I was going to buy an electric car this month, but the $6000 scrap-it has been reduced to a mere $500, so I have put it off for another few of years. Darn!

[LovemyBolt]

I was going to buy an electric car this month, but the $6000 scrap-it has been reduced to a mere $500, so I have put it off for another few of years. Darn!

WOW! That sucks. That deal was great. I scrapped a 92 Geo Metro. And I got the BC rebate when it was still 5. Total $16k off. Still an expensive car in comparison but I sure hate buying gas all the time.

[I Think]

We want to be able to do a round trip to Kelowna and back. 400K +/- and carry a sheet of plywood, or some 2X4's.

Temperature plays a large role. Goldilocks.
Depending on whether you are the type to get all bundled up in your car and drive that way, or if you drive in shorts and t-shirt in the dead of winter, will define your cabin comfort power consumption in winter. Heated seats and steering wheel are a surprising help and they use the standard battery.
A/C will also use the power much like the heating. Open windows will have a small affect on the aero-dynamics if you're watching that closely.
But the big battery likes its goldilocks. So hot out or cold out will use more power. And fast charging has a temperature dependence as well.

The Bolt won't contain a sheet of plywood inside. You can get a few 8 or 9 foot sticks inside though.

So 200 klicks to get here. Any of the current cars can do that.
To get your 200 klicks return you don't need to charge to full. But if you're over-nighting then what the heck.

In my advancing years, no longer drive in the dark, and when we get to Kelowna we are in a rush to get it all done so winter is one of our considerations.
Been looking wistfully at a Kia Soul.
Friends/neighbors with a new Tesla say they can refill enough in 15 or 20 mins to get back from Kelowna.

Have been a fan of EV's since I was a kid in England in the 50's the milk ladies had a tiller steered large cart running on L/A batteries, on Saturdays they stopped in and had tea with us & I used to get to ride the cart on their rounds.
For now have to ride my ebike, (am building a freighter trike) but can ride my garden tractor EV into town.

[Jlabute]

Me too. Been thinking about picking up a Mazda Miata. Something sporty and fun that runs on gas and allows the top to come off for summer adventures. Appears as though I should wait for Al-Ion batteries so, that'll be a while probably before EVs are for me. I'm not in to immature, overly-expensive tech. There are no rebates for a gas vehicle, but, I am not sucking tax money from the poor to buy one and I feel good about that. One day, the market will want EVs without huge incentives.


Perhaps wait until they are more reliable too.

https://www.greencarreports.com/news/11 ... blem-areas


Either EV sales are crappy, or fuel cell vehicles did really well in 2021 kicking EV butt.

https://www.torquenews.com/1083/toyota- ... rands-2021