nightowl
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- Thread starter
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Trying to share and consolidate EV cold weather range factors, so please share your's too.
Things that apply to all vehicles:
Proper tire pressure, knowing that for every 10 degrees F decrease, you'll lose roughly 1 PSI; gradual time PSI loss applies as always.
Garaged vehicles generally are warmer and need less time and energy to defrost/deice/clean off
A heated steering wheel is more comfortable than gloves on longer trips- yeah a luxury
Winter and 3 peak all season tires reduce range but greatly improve road grip - worth the trade off, and mandated in some regions.
EVs:
Unlike ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles, where roughly 70% of energy is produced as heat, that energy has to come from the batteries in an EV.
Using heated seats are roughy 60 times more efficient than heating the cabin. Cloth is more contact forgiving. in the Pro model, buy cigarette lighter powered ones online? Heating uses far more energy than cooling.
Whenever possible, keep the vehicle plugged in to keep the battery from a deep cold soak, which will greatly effect range and regenerative braking. Essentially a trickle charge to keep your vehicle battery happy. In a ice storm you'll be glad your charge port isn't frozen shut.
Precondition your vehicle using a date and time option if available. This will warm your battery to optimal operating condition and the cabin as selected. When plugged into a 240V, 120V in a pinch, this will draw power from the wall source, not the vehicle battery, giving you the greatest possible range and comfort. Without exhaust fumes to worry about, this can be done in a closed garage.
Remotely preconditioning when not plugged in may be helpful too. If you need to defog or deice, you'll need to do this anyway, and this will help wam the battery and allow for regenerative braking earlier in your trip.
Parked outside facing the sun, use a black or dark color windshield shade/cover to absorb sunlight. Every little bit helps.
When possible "precondition" the battery approximately 1/2 hour prior to needing to fast DC charge on a cold weather trip. I'm not sure how this might be setup in the upcoming Lightning. Mach E owners could provide some current data. Tesla will do this automatically if a Supercharger site is selected in advance, Porsche allows by selecting "precondition battery"? Ideally, if you select a DC fast charging site, Ford will perform this too.
Drive at slower speeds always reduces battery consumption, and use one pedal regenerative braking as much as possible. On solid ice, you may want to use less regenerative braking for safety reasons; experiment in a safe location. With winter tires I've never had a problem, even in ice.
These have worked well for me with plugin hybrid and electric cars.
Things that apply to all vehicles:
Proper tire pressure, knowing that for every 10 degrees F decrease, you'll lose roughly 1 PSI; gradual time PSI loss applies as always.
Garaged vehicles generally are warmer and need less time and energy to defrost/deice/clean off
A heated steering wheel is more comfortable than gloves on longer trips- yeah a luxury
Winter and 3 peak all season tires reduce range but greatly improve road grip - worth the trade off, and mandated in some regions.
EVs:
Unlike ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles, where roughly 70% of energy is produced as heat, that energy has to come from the batteries in an EV.
Using heated seats are roughy 60 times more efficient than heating the cabin. Cloth is more contact forgiving. in the Pro model, buy cigarette lighter powered ones online? Heating uses far more energy than cooling.
Whenever possible, keep the vehicle plugged in to keep the battery from a deep cold soak, which will greatly effect range and regenerative braking. Essentially a trickle charge to keep your vehicle battery happy. In a ice storm you'll be glad your charge port isn't frozen shut.
Precondition your vehicle using a date and time option if available. This will warm your battery to optimal operating condition and the cabin as selected. When plugged into a 240V, 120V in a pinch, this will draw power from the wall source, not the vehicle battery, giving you the greatest possible range and comfort. Without exhaust fumes to worry about, this can be done in a closed garage.
Remotely preconditioning when not plugged in may be helpful too. If you need to defog or deice, you'll need to do this anyway, and this will help wam the battery and allow for regenerative braking earlier in your trip.
Parked outside facing the sun, use a black or dark color windshield shade/cover to absorb sunlight. Every little bit helps.
When possible "precondition" the battery approximately 1/2 hour prior to needing to fast DC charge on a cold weather trip. I'm not sure how this might be setup in the upcoming Lightning. Mach E owners could provide some current data. Tesla will do this automatically if a Supercharger site is selected in advance, Porsche allows by selecting "precondition battery"? Ideally, if you select a DC fast charging site, Ford will perform this too.
Drive at slower speeds always reduces battery consumption, and use one pedal regenerative braking as much as possible. On solid ice, you may want to use less regenerative braking for safety reasons; experiment in a safe location. With winter tires I've never had a problem, even in ice.
These have worked well for me with plugin hybrid and electric cars.
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