I’ve always heard that EVs are not a great option if you live in really cold areas due to them not being very efficient in the cold. Why is that? And do gas powered vehicles have the same issue?
In: Engineering
There are three aspects to it:
(A) Heat
Batteries can discharge less energy when they are cold. So to get all the energy out, you have to heat them. You also have to heat the inside of the car because people are a bit whimsical about freezing solid.
Combustion engines throw away 3/4 of their energy as waste heat, so heating themselves up, heating the cabin, or even heating the fuel so it doesn’t freeze (a real issue with diesel) is of no concern. But for EVs, every Joule spent on heat is one that cannot be used for movement.
(B) Efficiency
Moving on a wet road costs more energy than moving on a dry road. Same for snowy and icy conditions. Moving through cold air costs more energy than moving through warm air. You even need more energy for the headlights because it’s darker on average in winter.
This causes a higher energy usage in all cars. However, Combustion engines throw away 3/4 of their energy as waste heat, so needing more energy for movement doesn’t have such a big effect on overall energy usage. EVs don’t do that, so every bit more energy needed equates 1:1 to more “battery content” (energy) used.
(C) Energy Storage
Fuel tanks are quite oversized for daily use and tank needles are not very precise. You simply won’t notice a 10 or 20% higher fuel usage unless you look closely. And even then you may not be sure, as people rarely count how many miles they have driving since the last fill-up.
EVs, on the other hand, are already tight on energy storage. Batteries are heavy and expensive, so you won’t get an overabundance. They also are very good at keeping track of energy usage, showing very precise numbers, and accurately estimating remaining range. Even if not paying attention you will see a 10% higher consumption on the screen.
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