![]() ![]() Warming the battery pack takes power that reduces range. To keep performance and reduce accelerated aging of the batteries, many EVs have a thermal management system that keeps the battery warmed (or cooled in hot temps) to an optimum temperature range. Batteries also have lower performance as the temperature dips due to the impact of the temperature on mobility of electrons through the battery. Not all of the loss in range is due to the climate control system. This electricity for heating will come from the same battery that’s used to power the electric drivetrain, so the effective range will drop in cold weather (assuming the driver chooses to use the heater). However, when temperatures dip, this “waste” heat is used to warm the cabin.Ī battery electric car lacks a wasteful (but warm) engine, so an electric heating system (either a resistive heater or heat pump) is needed to keep the inside climate toasty on a chilly day. About 60% of the energy from gasoline is turned into heat, while only about 20% goes to drive the wheels. ![]() That heat is energy from the gasoline that is wasted. You can see (or feel) this inefficiency when considering the energy lost in the form of heat that leaves a gasoline car through the tailpipe and radiator. Overall, electric cars are more efficient than gasoline cars because an electric motor is much more efficient in turning stored electricity into motion than an internal combustion engine is in converting the chemical energy of gasoline to mechanical energy. ![]() For gasoline-powered cars, factors like cold engine oil and increased idling can reduce fuel economy in freezing conditions by 20% or more. In cold weather, all cars get less efficient. (Source Oregon Department of Transportation flickr/oregondot) Gasoline vehicles and electric vehicles both lose in cold weather ![]()
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