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Naos • 1 year ago

I noticed it makes a difference to disable air conditioning on very short trips, I often drive 5-10 minutes to drop off and pick up kids from various places. I am already in my winter jacket and a hat so warming up the car from -4 to 18 degrees Celsius for just 5 minutes is just a waste. Though in Tesla you can't disable heating without disabling the whole thing, maybe would be good to have an option of ventilation without heating. For that reason I just stopped bothering and just keep heating on 18.5C as otherwise you can get fog on windows etc.

For longer trips the difference is minimal in my Tesla Y as after a while of driving I believe it takes heat from the motor.

Guest • 1 year ago
Naos • 1 year ago

It's not 30% on a long trip in Model Y. 30% on a lot of short trips yes - easily, even more. If I remember correctly I can do around 280 miles on a motorway on a full charge in summer and about 240 in winter but that's 0 degrees C not -20 for us :) I think heat pump plus ability to draw heat for the motor through that heat pump makes a difference?

Guest • 1 year ago
Naos • 1 year ago

I know his spreadsheet, I don't know how he is driving but I get a better mileage, about 25 miles for each 10% of battery and I could rely on this for the last year, and in summer slightly more. I am on stock summer tyres and driving 70-75 mph. Regarding the difference for long trips between winter and summer if you look into his spreadsheet you will see I am right, 10% less range in winter - minimal.

SomeoneAnonymous • 1 year ago

I think warming up the car and more importantly preconditioning the battery to optimal temperature before driving off is a good idea, not for electrical usage, but for the longevity/reliability of the vehicle. It's no different than warming up your gasoline/diesel engine for a few minutes before driving off.

Antianarchist • 1 year ago

In VW IDs it'll make a big difference if you just switch A/C from Auto to some less powerful manual setting when driving short distances in cold.

wtvlol • 1 year ago

...or buy an ICE vehicle and be happy.

Naos • 1 year ago

No I am never going back to ICE, it feels like some ancient vehicle everytime I am in one, terrible and noisy. Plus the air pollution. This is not even a problem in my Model Y as on longer trips the car uses heat from the motors so after a while of driving the energy used for heating is minimal. It's more of an observation that I have to charge more often when I am at home and doing short trips here and there. ICE is so inefficient that you don't see a difference because the engine wastes so much energy anyway.

Mike • 1 year ago

Living with a Chevy Volt I've grown to dislike when it turns the ICE on, for any reason. My next car will be a full BEV - the electric driving experience is simply that much better.

wtvlol • 1 year ago

Lithium slave miners may disagree with you. Enjoy your "clean" vehicle.

Brains and Looks • 1 year ago

LOL.
LMAO.

Mike • 1 year ago

Even as an ICEV driver I changed my fueling behavior in the winter. In the summer I'd let the gas tank get down to 1/4 before fueling. In the winter I'd refuel at 1/2, so if I got stuck I'd have more fuel to maintain cabin heat.

iamsuperdan • 1 year ago

Doesn't everyone change their driving habits in cold temps?

It was -34 Celcius this morning on my drive to work, -40 with the windchill. I sure as heck don't drive like I do in summer or treat my vehicle like I do in summer. I never let my tank get below 1/2 this time of year, due to idling times, and the "what if" factor. occurance. Definitely don't want to be concerned about running out of fuel.

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Would be the same if I had an EV. Would definitely be charging more often. Not just because of cold temp range loss, but because the heater and other accessories would be running all the time.

mknelson • 1 year ago

Ditto. -34 here this morning before wind chill.

"Not just because of cold temp range loss, but because the heater and other accessories would be running all the time."

That's actually the main reason for the range loss (aside from less efficient winter tires, drag from snowy roads). The battery still has all the juice once it's warmed up, and the drive system doesn't use more power. The good news is that one you are up to temp the heater can ease off. On long drives my range estimate goes up quite a bit - it's biased from 5-10 minutes precondition, not always plugged in, then a fairly short commute.
(2019 Bolt, post recall).

getoffme • 1 year ago

Way to go "progress"

SomeoneAnonymous • 1 year ago

Something is off about this chart. I would expect to see a nice spike up around 70F/21c since the HVAC system doesn't have to work as hard.

Paul • 1 year ago

I have a “ridiculous commute” of 320km/200 miles round trip, in Quebec winters, with only Level 1 charging available at work, so I opted for a Prius Prime rather than a BEV last year (April 2021). Already at 71,000km and will average 40-50,000km/yr for at least another 8-10 years. Hoping to go BEV for my next car but I’ll only do it if -20C range is reliably 200km in snowy road conditions with winter (required) tires. I don’t mind charging on the way home but I don’t want to have to charge on my way to work. If no such car is available when I make a change, in the price range I’m willing to pay, then the new Prius Prime will likely be my next one and the BEV can be the one after that. Of course, if my commute shrinks dramatically, then the next one will be a BEV for sure.

SomeoneAnonymous • 1 year ago

I'm curious, how good is the Prius RWD assist motor in snow driving??

In 2-3 years, we're expecting to see Long Range models hit 400-500 miles of normal range. So they should easily do 200 miles in bad weather.

Paul • 1 year ago

I don’t have AWD. Only available on non-Prime Prius. I nearly avoided buying the Prime because it lacks AWD—from 2002 to 2021, I’ve always had a 4WD SUV (‘96 and’04 Pathfinders and ‘13 X-Terra—did a lot of camping and hauling of kids on long trips). Before that, I owned RWD vehicles, with an 18 month exception, from 1983 to 2002. Took a chance on winter with FWD and traction control. With good winter tires, it was fine. I hope, IF I go with the next gen Prime, it will have an AWD option by then, but I will prioritize plugging in over AWD in any case, even with a BEV, if the step to AWD is too rich for my tastes in a given model.

When I say “took a chance” on FWD in winter, it’s more about overcoming 35+ years of RWD/4WD habits on snow and ice than any bias against FWD as a traction system. Wasn’t sure an old dog like me could become comfortable after so long. But it’s been fine so far.

John Doe • 1 year ago

My car can only charge at max 50kW, and the temperature is critical when it comes to range, for several reasons.
Had a period with -20 Celsius and below.

The battery is so cold in the morning (when the car is fully charged at the house), that it will not even light up the lowest bar on the temperature "scale".

During driving it could reach 3 bars. During fast charging, with luck.. 4 bars, but usually 3 bars.

The range is dropping at least around 40%. I have to really run the heater at full blast, have heated seats at max and the steering wheel heater on as well.
Fast charging takes forever.. and I really mean that.
Due to the temperature, I have to keep the heater on during charging. That reduce the rate of charge a LOT. I can charge for 1 hour (before the charger shuts of to let other people charge). The battery is of course not full. I have to charge 3 times as day (in other words spend 3 hours inside the car at the fast charger, every day). That includes always plugging in the car while at home. It is unable to reach a full battery between each trip. Fast charging that much at the current rate is expensive.. it adds up. I have noticed it is more expensive to drive an EV for me now, then if I used an energy efficient diesel engine. It is not even close. The cost of charging, mixed with a significant drop in range and .. yeah.. the cost for the distance driven can not compete with a diesel car of similar size at all.

Plenty of time to watch movies and series on Netflix for sure.

When the weather got warmer, and only +1 to -4 Celsius, it showed at least one, and often two bars at the battery temperature meter. When driving, I could reach 4 bars. 5 would have been the best temperature for the battery, and what I normally get in the summer.

This will be the last winter with that EV as my primary EV. Going back to a diesel passenger van as my main vehicle soon. I have installed two of the Chinese diesel heaters in that one (in addition to the diesel water heater originally installed) Can run on a timer, or by a remote control.

Can turn that tin can into a sauna on wheels.

Pragmatic Citizen • 1 year ago

EVs are not ready for prime time. Better batteries needed, and lower prices

Paul Nourse • 1 year ago

My 2021 Tesla model Y has about the same range winter or summer.

It has the advanced heat pump (instant heat) and during winter I keep it plugged in so the battery heater draws power from the house til I leave.

Pragmatic Citizen • 1 year ago

Not comparable to ICE yet in my world. All the EV owners I know make significant lifestyle changes to accommodate range and charging. Cold weather, the need to plan around charging, range anxiety, etc.

Pragmatic Citizen • 1 year ago

Here in the Northeast, cold temperatures are a serious problem for all the EV owners I know.