Surprise-surprise

[ny_quant]

A new AAA study finds that when the thermometer dropped to 20 degrees Fahrenheit, range fell by an average of 41 percent on the five models it tested… Some EV drivers recently found that range can drop by half when the mercury tumbles into negative territory.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/06/aaa-confirms-what-tesla-bmw-nissan-ev-owners-suspected-of-cold-weather.html

Comments

[misha-b.livejournal.com]

What do you mean debunked? Those conditions were much worse than in the AAA study. Much colder + snow on the road.

Are you saying that the car must drive close to its rated range under _any_ conditions? That is physically impossible and not true for ICE cars either.

[ny-quant.livejournal.com]

debunked means shown to be incorrect but maybe it is indeed not apples-to-apples comparison

No, I'm not saying this. IC engines powered cars also don't but it's much less of a problem for obvious reasons.

[misha-b.livejournal.com]

Everything depends on your usage pattern. If you are charging at home or at work, the range loss on a daily basis can be significant, but is not something you notice at all (at least with a reasonably long-range EV, such as Tesla or Bolt) (I suppose there are a few people commuting >200 miles daily for whom it is an issue).

If you do not have a place to charge during the day or overnight, the range loss can be a serious inconvenience.

Finally, if you are driving long distance, the expected range loss is typically smaller than what they report (perhaps ~20-30% in cold weather with heater on, depending on conditions). However one has to be aware of it and plan accordingly. That is the usage where EV is most difference from ICE cars.