I read somewhere that electric vehicles had some trouble operating in cold environments - something to do with a big loss in mileage. Has this problem been resolved in modern vehicles?
Winters in those parts can be quite nippy.
Winters in those parts can be quite nippy.
We have some company EV and in real cold weather with active AC and ventilation within cities, the range almost halves.
That said, combustion engines also need more fuel in these cases, which is bad because it also increases pollution as long as the vehicle is still cold. It just isn't as noticeable because waste heat is used for heating. It also means that it doesn't really work until you drive a bit.
So there is an effect, but it isn't terrible. Ideally your battery already has extra capacity in the first place- everybody knows that some buffer capacity helps extend the life of the battery.
I find snow & ice are not a big deal for range either, even with studs & aggressive tires, because you reduce your speed & assist for safety.
Due to them being so efficient, most electric cars can't use waste heat like internal combustion cars, which means they need a separate electrical heater which of course has an impact on range.
This article: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/cold-weather-saps-electric...
> The automobile club tested the cars at 20 degrees and 95 degrees, comparing the range to when they were tested at 75 degrees Fahrenheit, according to a report on the study.
> At 20 degrees, the average driving range fell by 12% when the car’s cabin heater was not used. When the heater was turned on, the range dropped by 41%, AAA said.
> At 95 degrees, range dropped 4% without use of air conditioning, and fell by 17% when the cabin was cooled, the study found.
A temperature going below 0 means you can't use LFP batteries, a major cost saver.
Or you will have to add a heating system, which will be a cost contributor given how cheap scooters are.
Isn't Tesla's biggest market share in Norway and Oslo?
Now something with more continental climate like Quebec City with average lows of -15 C or so would be more like it.
Now, people drive Teslas even in mid-to-northern Russia where one can get weeks of -20 C -ish easily. But they just show off in summer, having a trusty 200-series petrol Landcruiser handy.
Electric vehicles can self-heat the batteries with internal heaters already installed. And you are probably plugging the car into charge overnight anyway.
The reason electric cars are popular in scandinavia is tax policy. Everyone else uses petrol cars or they use diesel and deal with the issues.
It's when the standard equipment of a gasoline engined car includes a preheater which is basically a dedicated burner to heat up the engine because otherwise even a gas engine would not start.