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The Hottest Electric Vehicles Leave Winter Drivers Out in the Cold
The Daily Caller ^ | 12/14/13 | Giuseppe Macri

Posted on 12/14/2013 3:59:04 PM PST by chiller

Engineering breakthroughs like the Tesla Model S may be burning up the electric car market (figuratively and literally), but they’re leaving drivers cold and under-powered in the face of Old Man Winter.

Cold temperatures have adverse effects on batteries, slowing down the incoming and outgoing flow of energy and inevitably losing some in the process. The 250-mile average range of an electric car in normal climate conditions can see its performance reduced by 70-miles on a single charge in average winter conditions. The colder it gets, the shorter than range.

Not only that, the average winter driver tends to turn up the heat — a function that also puts a draw on the battery uncommon during other seasons.

(Excerpt) Read more at dailycaller.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Extended News; Government
KEYWORDS: electricvehicles
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To: Reaganez

Oops. The -20 temp was not during that storm. That was another time. The temp for the blizzard was only around zero.


141 posted on 12/14/2013 7:22:45 PM PST by Right Wing Assault
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To: cableguymn

>> “well not likely a 100% options, does not the electric motor it’s self create heat when in operation?” <<

.
And how do you propose to reclaim that heat?


142 posted on 12/14/2013 7:24:10 PM PST by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: chiller

So that reduction in mileage could be considered lost Energy?

The truth about batteries is that during charging energy is lost in the form of heat. The older the battery then less and less energy put in gets returned in power out. Batteries are very inefficient.


143 posted on 12/14/2013 7:25:05 PM PST by Revel
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To: editor-surveyor
If the power grid goes down hard roughly 270 million Americans will die in the first year.

A few because they can't charge their electric cars, and many because without power they can't get gas or diesel fuel pumped into their cars and grocery trucks.

OTOH, if demand for electricity goes up due to more electric vehicles, the market will respond by expanding and improving the electrical infrastructure to provide for it.

Or would you prefer to raise taxes and impose government mandated [hyper sarcasm quote]engineering[/hyper sarcasm quote] solution (think the universally successful government exercises in social engineering as the model).

Why, they could put Al Gore, the man who brought us the low flow toilet, in charge of the whole project!

144 posted on 12/14/2013 7:28:05 PM PST by null and void (I'm betting on an Obama Trifecta: A Nobel Peace Prize, an Impeachment, AND a War Crimes Trial...)
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To: editor-surveyor

Duct the cooling air directly into the car?


145 posted on 12/14/2013 7:29:06 PM PST by ROCKLOBSTER (Celebrate "Republicans Freed the Slaves" Month.)
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To: ROCKLOBSTER

That would have to be recirculated air from the car.


146 posted on 12/14/2013 7:30:40 PM PST by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: null and void

>> “If the power grid goes down hard roughly 270 million Americans will die in the first year.” <<

.
Year?

How many millions do you want to die in the first day due to the immobility of their electric cars?

I can go 1000 miles on full tanks in my 3/4 ton pu.


147 posted on 12/14/2013 7:34:40 PM PST by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: omega4179
I have invented a vehicle that overcomes this obstacle, because instead of batteries it uses a concentrated liquid fuel that works in all temperatures.

My car runs on compost. It's like totally "organic"...man.

148 posted on 12/14/2013 7:35:00 PM PST by ROCKLOBSTER (Celebrate "Republicans Freed the Slaves" Month.)
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To: editor-surveyor
When those electrics fail in large numbers, they can cause large scale loss of life.

Yes. I've seen the carnage that happens when cars run out of gas.

Entire families starved to skeletons on the side of the road, their boney fingers vainly reaching out to implore the uncaring traffic, tragic casualties frozen in their last desperate attempt to live, staring with buzzard hollowed eye sockets in mute testimony to man's inhumanity to man...

149 posted on 12/14/2013 7:35:01 PM PST by null and void (I'm betting on an Obama Trifecta: A Nobel Peace Prize, an Impeachment, AND a War Crimes Trial...)
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To: editor-surveyor; ROCKLOBSTER
That would have to be recirculated air from the car.

Which is, of course, technologically impossible...

150 posted on 12/14/2013 7:36:22 PM PST by null and void (I'm betting on an Obama Trifecta: A Nobel Peace Prize, an Impeachment, AND a War Crimes Trial...)
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To: ROCKLOBSTER; editor-surveyor
Duct the cooling air directly into the car?

The old air-cooled VW Beetle gas engines could not heat the vehicle in the winter, so I doubt the heat given off by a modern high-efficiency electic motor would provide much heat on cold days.

151 posted on 12/14/2013 7:36:36 PM PST by Right Wing Assault
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To: editor-surveyor

It might smell a little “Ozoney” is all.


152 posted on 12/14/2013 7:37:13 PM PST by ROCKLOBSTER (Celebrate "Republicans Freed the Slaves" Month.)
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To: chiller
The 250-mile average range of an electric car in normal climat

is that true ?
153 posted on 12/14/2013 7:37:17 PM PST by stylin19a (Obama -> Fredo smart)
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To: null and void; ROCKLOBSTER

> “Which is, of course, technologically impossible.” <<

.
No, just practically inadvisable.


154 posted on 12/14/2013 7:39:20 PM PST by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: null and void
That would have to be recirculated air from the car...Which is, of course, technologically impossible

Yeah, happens all the time with automotive A/C.

155 posted on 12/14/2013 7:40:17 PM PST by ROCKLOBSTER (Celebrate "Republicans Freed the Slaves" Month.)
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To: null and void

>> “Yes. I’ve seen the carnage that happens when cars run out of gas.” <<

.
Childish retort. - What if it were half of the cars on the road? It would effectively stop all of them.


156 posted on 12/14/2013 7:41:20 PM PST by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: editor-surveyor
BTW, when the gas pumps don't work due to a downed grid, and millions of people are dying next to their hopelessly stalled gas burning cars, the Tesla drivers will be charging up here:

Or does your hate of electric cars require that both the grid and the sun quit on the same day?

157 posted on 12/14/2013 7:43:12 PM PST by null and void (I'm betting on an Obama Trifecta: A Nobel Peace Prize, an Impeachment, AND a War Crimes Trial...)
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To: Right Wing Assault
The old air-cooled VW Beetle gas engines could not heat the vehicle in the winter,

Actually they worked fine going down the highway (when new).

The cables/control flaps would stick, hoses would come off, leaks develop, and of course if the rocker panels rusted along with the heater tubes...fogedaboudit.

158 posted on 12/14/2013 7:43:41 PM PST by ROCKLOBSTER (Celebrate "Republicans Freed the Slaves" Month.)
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To: ROCKLOBSTER

With AC, the air never leaves the cab, it just passes through the expansion coil.


159 posted on 12/14/2013 7:43:42 PM PST by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: Right Wing Assault

I don’t know; the brushless high-efficiency DC motors we use in R/C can get real hot — you wouldn’t want to touch the case with a bare finger in some cases. The motors are much more efficient than the older ones in terms of runtime for the same energy input — but so much energy is going through them they can get plenty hot. Gearing and load and other issues affect the running temperature. Also, an electric brushless motor scooter I had needed a huge heatsink for the speed controller — big loss there.


160 posted on 12/14/2013 7:44:04 PM PST by steve86 (Some things aren't really true but you wouldn't be half surprised if they were.)
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