As a Minnesotan with an unheated detached garage, I’d be very interested to know about -40°F performance. We get a couple of those days every year. I have been looking at my next car potentially being an EV and am really curious about the extremes.
not such a foreign idea when you have to do that for Diesel to get them to start in the cold.
After that you get tolerable gas mileage. I don't drive much, but from my friends' description it sounds like you get around 30-40% more gas usage compared to warmer months.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blowtorch
It's pretty dangerous, burns down quite a few cars each year, but people don't care or have no other options. I think during the last couple of years there were two fires near my house alone.
Most people have no place to park their cars, they just leave them wherever in the open (since most live in apartments and there are few garages available).
Those who have enough money to afford an alarm system and pay the increased gasoline bill (because it adds about an hour of idling your engine each day) rarely revert to such measures, but many do. I see them every morning when temperature drops below -30°C or so.
I would much rather have a battery jump pack since a weak battery is the most likely problem. Though those are weak in the cold too...
The only downside? The entire comment constitutes a list of down sides...
The only thing that bothers me is that when I lift the hood to remove the heat lamps, a bird may fly out and when they go from 80F to -10F they can go into shock. They stand next to me for a minute or two and then fly away probably out of sheer boredom of listening to me.
Whats the solution for EV?
Even if not plugged-in they'll try to keep the battery above temperatures that may be damaging, e.g. -30C. This only works for a sufficiently charged battery.
Others, your mileage may vary (literally)
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 and effort for something that happens so rarely. What you have for the -20 and -30 days is good enough for the (very) occasional -40.
The same is true for your EV.
(FWIW: I lived just above 60 degrees north for 4 years. I rode my bike to work every day. For many months it was often colder than -30, and at least a month a year it was colder than -40.)
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 - just keep your EV plugged in, and it will heat itself as necessary. If you don't have a place to charge 24/7, probably don't get an EV in these climates.
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.
For one, it really helps in breaking up packed in snow/ice in the wheel wells overnight, which used to be a big hassle for me.
- even an unheated garage will have some thermal mass and not reach the wind chill temperatures outside. this can make a huge difference.
- plug in the car in the garage. most cars do thermal management and this keeps the battery warm and healthy without depleting its own charge.
- even when not plugged in, these cars will keep the batteries warm (using battery power to warm the battery)
- electric cars can run the heater and be toasty warm when you want to drive.
I live in the north and I will not by an EV until the range reaches Gas Autos when the Temp is below 0F with the heat blasting. Getting caught in the cold without fuel is not good. And I wonder if Wind Chill can decrease range even more.
I fully believe all EVs are tested and developed for the Southwest US, ignoring real conditions many people encounter.