Electric Cars: Chev Bolt seems to be the first practical one.

[IslandTractor]

You sold a 2002, big mistake.

Yep, but it was belching smoke and I was too poor and busy to have the engine rebuilt. At least it wasn't a tii. British racing green with tan interior. Nice car.

 

[IslandTractor]

That is a whole car that cannot work outside from October through April.

Nah, they work fine but they do have about half the range when you need to run heat. On my CMax I have gotten used to just using the seat warmers instead of heating the whole cabin on chilly days. On really cold days I can increase my range by starting off with the ICE until the heat blows warm and then switching back to electric. No doubt EV have lower range in cold (or very hot) weather but it only affects range.

 

[buickanddeere]

I will state the obvious. Regulations level the playing field. Taxes and incentives are used to lower the investment risk in the development of new technologies. Market forces not always work to do so. Industries cleaned their act not because they wanted to but because they were forced to. Many things that make our life better and more comfortable wouldn't happen without government suport.

Industry and an economy dependent on Government subsidies and intervention is not a viable cause. Few of the goods, services and jobs were created and grew on anything other than supply and demand.

 

[buickanddeere]

Thank you EPA.

EPA has gone overboard and forgotten what their mandate was . Now the EPA is about power, control and bureaucracy.

 

[IslandTractor]

EPA has gone overboard and forgotten what their mandate was . Now the EPA is about power, control and bureaucracy.

People have been claiming that for decades but the air, water and soil just keep getting cleaner. Do you really believe that industry would have cleaned up their act without EPA pressure???

 

[vvanders]

Industry and an economy dependent on Government subsidies and intervention is not a viable cause. Few of the goods, services and jobs were created and grew on anything other than supply and demand.

Yeah, that whole ARPANET thing was a total bust and was never going to take off.

 

[IslandTractor]

Yeah, that whole ARPANET thing was a total bust and was never going to take off.

Interstate highway system is a loser too.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

Nah, they work fine but they do have about half the range when you need to run heat. On my CMax I have gotten used to just using the seat warmers instead of heating the whole cabin on chilly days. On really cold days I can increase my range by starting off with the ICE until the heat blows warm and then switching back to electric. No doubt EV have lower range in cold (or very hot) weather but it only affects range.

I cannot find anybody with a video of an EV car working in sub-zero. I see people lying about the temperature and some snowy pictures, but when I see that they aren't wearing gloves or a hat, and cannot see their breath I know they are lying about the ambient temperature.

I did find this article which basically says, I'll die of exposure in an EV in northern MN.

"one Model S owner recommends buying heated jackets and gloves designed for wearing on motorcycles. Dahn says the solution is 'snowmobile suits.'"

https://www.technologyreview.com/s/522496/electric-vehicles-out-in-the-cold/

The link above does point out that the Nissan Leaf uses battery power to warm the battery which reduced its range by at least half (they tested in a warmer area than where I'm at) while Tesla uses heat from the electric motor to try and warm the batteries. However, nobody says anything about the energy cost in maintaining warmer temperatures inside the cars.

I also found one data-driven site which shows snowy ice roads in and of themselves greatly reduce EV range.

Tesla Battery Range in Sub-Zero and Snowy Conditions

Anyway, for reference: Where I'm at we're frequently the coldest place in North America.

On this morning I had to go to Sibera to find colder weather.

I did find Tesla ad copy where they did testing on a frozen lake in northern Minnesota but they say nothing of the data they collected from northern Minnesota.

 

[California]

... Where I'm at we're frequently the coldest place in North America.

On this morning I had to go to Sibera to find colder weather.

I don't think an EV is for you.

Or Siberia.

There's a reason these are promoted mostly in the temperate regions, they work better that way. (87 here today).

When Tesla first came out I recall one of the first road tests by an automotive journalist - NYT?? . He started out in cold weather, I think in upstate New York, with the predictable result - shorter range and anxiety about making it home. He also made some strategic errors, went to charging stations that didn't exist or something like that. Existing owners got all over him and described important points he hadn't considered. He was not impressed.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

I don't think an EV is for you.

Or Siberia.

There's a reason these are promoted mostly in the temperate regions, they work better that way. (87 here today).

When Tesla first came out I recall one of the first road tests by an automotive journalist - NYT?? . He started out in cold weather, I think in upstate New York, with the predictable result - shorter range and anxiety about making it home. He also made some strategic errors, went to charging stations that didn't exist or something like that. Existing owners got all over him and described important points he hadn't considered. He was not impressed.

Hey, if it could work, I'd be interested. I have little AWD Infiniti as the "not truck" for banging around and getting groceries.