1954 Jaguar XK120
Posted on 02/09/2019 12:16:08 PM PST by Hojczyk
Are electric vehicles the wave of the future, or expensive toys? This shocking news story–shocking if you live in the North, anyway–suggests the latter *** Many owners discovered the range limitations last week when much of the country was in the grips of a polar vortex. Owners of vehicles made by manufacturers including Tesla, the top-selling electric vehicle company in the U.S., complained on social media about reduced range and frozen door handles during the cold snap.
Frozen door handles are an annoyance not unique to electric cars, but reduced range can be life-threatening.
At 20 degrees, the average driving range fell by 12 percent when the car’s cabin heater was not used. When the heater was turned on, the range dropped by 41 percent, AAA said.
Of course, at 20 degrees you pretty much have to turn the heater on. T
Also, AAA tested the vehicles at 20 degrees above zero, a balmy temperature that we haven’t seen for a while here in the Twin Cities. What happens at 20 below, a temperature we have seen several times in the last week or two? Or eleven below, which it is at this moment where I live? A car whose range is severely compromised at such temperatures could be a death trap.
Advocates of “green” energy say that giant batteries will overcome the intractable problem of the intermittency–i.e., unreliability–of wind and solar energy. Of course, while batteries can power my laptop for six or eight hours, or a vehicle for a relatively short distance, no batteries exist that can power a city for six months, nor is any such technology on the horizon. But I wonder whether green energy advocates who toss around the word “batteries” much as they might say “magic” have considered the impact of cold weather.
(Excerpt) Read more at powerlineblog.com ...
This goes back a long way. As I recall it takes around 976 BTUs/lbm at standard temperature and pressure to turn water into steam (phase change). So at approximately 8.3 lbm/gallon this results in
8.3X976=8100 BTUs or so. Boiling water takes takes 1BTU/lbm/degF.
A week ago when the temperature was a balmy -10 in Minnesota, I saw a Chevy Volt struggling to make 50mph. The Volt has 1398 cc gasoline engine to keep the battery charged and to run a small generator to drive the wheels when there isn’t enough battery power. I am certain that garden tractor sized engine was running all out just to keep up with the cold. Later in the week when the temperature dipped to -27 I doubt the Chevy Volt or any of the other electric cars would be very functional.
An uncle had a 54 Jaguar Touring car (when they were made in England, of course) which had a built in engine block heater that was attached to the block next to the oil pump and the oil pan. Had it’s own purpose built plug, shielded cord and controller thermostat.
It gets/got cold enough in the UK for them to have these as standard. Would like it if a FReeper had a photo or more info on these. Alaska FReepers from the old days might remember during the pipeline, how the haulers used to have to carefully light a fire under the tranny of trucks so they wouldn’t freeze up. Had to be very careful with that. Korean War veterans told of this kind of thing in the bitter winters there, and they were seriously under-dressed Marines.
“Now we know why all Teslas is offering the “Tesla Driving Suit” as an added-cost option. It’s the perfect complement to your Tesla Driving Gloves and Tesla Driving Shoes. “
The Amish have solved the winter heat problem for their buggys. You have to dig a little in this article, but the solution for them is propane heaters:
https://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/car-technology/a24666/how-the-amish-build-a-buggy/
And the cold weather “kit” every car driver should have for those situations- blizzard, stranded, and/or traffic jam unresolved for hours and something breaks down. Empathy FRiend, and going to check our vehicles out.
Don’t leave out the “Green” US Navy— with biofuel that costs multiple times more than simple bunker oil for burners, if they aren’t nuclear powered. The “Green” obamaumao US Navy, and the flagship breaking down USS Zumwalt. Can read about that debacle and only one more of this type of ship— too damn costly, to be replaced by 24 Arleigh Burke top upgrade.
Because Math is Patriarchal dictatorship. God is a female and doesn’t use Math. Etc.... and so forth.
Barbie doll recalled because one of the playback phrases when her “string” on the back was pulled was “Math Class is hard”!
1954 Jaguar XK120
Yep— that’s it. Leather interior. His was a shiny sleek silver gray. 12 cylinder? He loved to show me how slow it would go in the highest gear and not judder, etc.
His son, ingrate that he was inherited the car, and totaled it one night running off the road. Damn shame.
Reminds me of my diesel Mercedes 300D. Just, pretty much everything concerning cold weather. That’s when I learned why truckers left their rigs running in cold weather.
Good thing the electricity was not supplied by solar panels then.
Oil a renewable resource?
Wouldn’t that mean using oil to power industry and transportation means you are using organic and therefore “green” means?
At least Tesla. Datsun, and GM do not appear to have paid shills spamming FR endlessly with infomercials.
IIRC from the factory shop manuals, recent Subarus and Toyota 4Runners had optional block heaters.
Possibly not so uncommon, many Japanese cars are sold in Russia and other miserably cold places like Alaska.
I believe all brands offer engine block heaters as a dealer-installed option or part of a cold weather package in cold climes. In many cases, remote starters have replaced block heaters, though the coldest areas will still want the block heater.
Makes sense, I have even used my heater here in Hawaii a touch last few weeks. Those dips into the 70's are brutal when accustomed to 80+. ;-)
Was a mention on another thread of cars in the 50-60' being sold in Forida without heaters............ .
Bring back leaded gasoline. Seriously.
Last year in the 120 degree Palm Springs weather I noticed a big, beautiful Tesla driving with all the windows down. I finally realized that they could not turn on the air conditioning and make it home. Hah!
I wonder how those electric airliners will work out at 35,000 feet with temps around 50 below zero?
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