The American Automobile Association (AAA) has done tests to determine the effects of heat and cold on the battery life of electric cars, and the results might make a thinking person wonder, "Why bother?"
Electric plug-in type cars, with the exception of Tesla, have a range of between 38 and 87 miles, or at least that's what their manufacturers claim.
But according to the AAA test, if the battery is in a cold climate, that number drops by an average of 57%, to a range of 16-50 miles. In a hot climate the range is degraded by an average of 33%, to just 25-58 miles. Which I guess isn't so bad if everywhere you go is downhill.
And it gets better: Two of the cars tested, the Mitsubishi and the Ford, had a dedicated "battery temperature maintenance system" (to heat or cool the battery) which in theory should enable the cars to maintain their original range estimate, right? WRONG!
Researchers found that with only one source of power in the car....the battery....to power the temperature maintenance system, the energy the system sucks from the battery to heat/cool the battery reduces the charge of the battery which....wait for it....shortens the range of the car. Well DUH! It's like watching a dog chase his tail.
Here's to you, electric car engineers.* You rock! :)
Happy Weekend everyone!
S
Happy Weekend everyone!
S
* I'm sure they're brilliant. It's just that their theoretical world hasn't caught up with the REAL world. (I think Tesla snapped up the few that "get it".)
