Posted on 01/21/2022 1:10:37 PM PST by DUMBGRUNT
BY ALEX LAUER @ALEXLAUER After a winter storm left hundreds of motorists stranded on Interstate 95 in Virginia earlier this month, many for over 24 hours, we were left with plenty of questions. What went wrong on a governmental level that led to this? How could similar traffic shutdowns be avoided in the future? What should we be carrying in our cars in case of an emergency like this?
The most perplexing question of the bunch was a hypothetical one: what would have happened if all of these cars — stuck on icy roads in the snow in temperatures that dropped down to the teens — were electric? Well, it was posed as a hypothetical question, but most of the people who asked it perceived it as a rhetorical one; the implication was that if I-95 was full of EVs, the outcome would have been a catastrophe of dead batteries, stalled vehicles and frozen occupants.
It’s easy to make an argument against electric cars in extreme cases like these, partially because the technology is so new and thus easily misunderstood, and partially because, as we have previously discussed, EVs do indeed fare worse in freezing temperatures than in warmer weather (as do internal combustion engine cars). But to see whether there was an argument to be made in defense of our supposed electrified future, I did something a little more difficult: I idled in an electric car for 12 hours to see what would happen.
(Excerpt) Read more at insidehook.com ...
What if your car was at half power or less when you got stuck?
That was a lot better than I expected.
Can’t you just set the car on fire to stay warm?
Idled??
How do you idle an electric car?
“..What if your car was at half power or less when you got stuck...”
Well, I guess, you’d only idle about 6 hours...or less.
Regardless, I don’t plan to find out, myself.
Very impressive
6 a.m.: 100% charge, 186 miles of range, outside temperature 13 degrees
9 a.m.: 92% charge, 164 miles of range, outside temperature 14 degrees
12 p.m.: 87% charge, 157 miles of range, outside temperature 18 degrees
3 p.m.: 81% charge, 144 miles of range, outside temperature 22 degrees
6 p.m.: 75% charge, 132 miles of range, outside temperature 24 degrees
precondition the car while it was still plugged into the wall, which is standard practice for EVs. Basically, you want to warm up the battery and the car interior while you’re drawing power from the electrical grid instead of the car’s own battery.
did use the heated seats and steering wheel, but I also tried to keep the cabin warm enough that even backseat passengers would be comfortable, so I played around with using only the footwell heating as well as the full-on blast from the footwell and dashboard vents, toggling between 70 and 75 degrees.
Beyond the heat, I tried to replicate the in-traffic experience as much as possible, driving around the block a few times over the half day to simulate spurts of moving traffic, using the lights and radio at certain intervals, and even turning the car off for periods of 15-30 minutes a handful of times to conserve energy.
6 a.m.: 100% charge, 186 miles of range, outside temperature 13 degrees
9 a.m.: 92% charge, 164 miles of range, outside temperature 14 degrees
12 p.m.: 87% charge, 157 miles of range, outside temperature 18 degrees
3 p.m.: 81% charge, 144 miles of range, outside temperature 22 degrees
6 p.m.: 75% charge, 132 miles of range, outside temperature 24 degrees
be about like having a gastank half full when stuck i would imagine
You can refill a gas tank.
How do ICE fare worse in freezing temperatures? Their thermal efficiency goes UP with the colder environmental temperature. Remember the Carnot efficiency: (Th - Tc)/Th. The lower the cold system temperature (Tc), the higher the efficiency.
Ok. I appreciate this kind of test. Lost a lot less than I thought.
Someone should do a test with a car that:
1. Does NOT have the “extended range battery”
2. Isn’t brand spanking new, but old enough so that the battery is no longer at peak efficiency. Say, five years old or so.
I would recommend that those with six year old Nissan Leaves should stay out of risky situations.
Yes. Be warm for the Rest of your Life.
I get less mpgs in the winter than in summer.
I would imagine a older Toyota 4runner with full tank could idle for 3 days in cold weather without an issue. Is that supposed to be a big deal?
obvoiusly he got stuck in his driveway at home... I-95 is 90 miles from my house... that would put the charge at 50%... how far is my destination, or do i turn around...
even with a small delay... i would not be able to make it back home...
Based on my experience with that model Mustang, when the traffic cleared, I would have driven it away going 0-80 in 4 seconds...
That would have been the real battery test...
Survive the cold, but can I get my 88-year-old body home in time before the bladder bursts...
that is the winter blends fault.
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