Melody Xu
Staff reporter
With the recent popularity boom of electric vehicles, companies like Tesla have seen incredible success in their newer, more environmentally friendly car models. However, for those who live in colder climates, is this new form of transportation really sustainable?
A big deterrent for Canadians and other northern residents who want to buy electric vehicles is the idea that they function worse in the cold. Many have experienced the horror of running late on a snowy day only to find their car with a cold, dead battery – according to an article from Blink Charging, experiences like this can lead to the belief that electric vehicles perform worse or die faster.
The primary concern that has risen from the use of electric vehicles (EVs) is that because the entire vehicle relies on battery power, the car will be at risk of dying more quickly in the cold. According to an article from Consumer Reports published in 2019, when tempatures dip below freezing, the chemical reactions which allow the battery to store and produce energy are slowed down.
Besides this, the cold will place additional pressure on an EV battery. Unlike traditional car engines, which burn fuel and use the heat produced to warm the car, electric vehicles produce little to no waste heat and must use additional energy to keep the car warm. This means that the battery is being used to power the entire vehicle, heat up the cabin and seats, and perform many other functions all at the same time, all under the added stress of the cold.
This means an EV’s charging speed and its total battery power will be reduced, affecting the car’s range. Range is the distance an EV can travel on a single full battery, so it’s important to consider how it might be impacted by the climate.
However, most sources show encouraging results about using EVs in the cold. With proper preparation and planning, it’s possible to manage properly and even avoid the problems caused by low tempatures, and allow an EV to function as well. Suggestions from articles by Evo Charge and Consumer Reports include buying a car with a range that is double the user’s daily driving needs, finding reliable charging spots, and switching to heated seats and steering wheels, instead of relying on the standard heater.
Photo taken by D Gadotti