Featured Dead “robots” pack the Chicago Supercharger stations

Not being familiar with the cold, they likely didn't know of the trick to drive hard to get the battery heated. Won't help with the power out to the charger, but the report of people sitting at the charger waiting has me thinking that wasn't the case.

 

Those of us used to cold like that and old, not well insulated building, know that you should leave a tap on so the pipes don't freeze and burst.

 

good luck running your fire sprinklers whose path travels thru your frosty attic ...

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Those of us who live in places where it gets to -52 °F (-46 °C IIRC) and build houses here know to put glycol in the fire sprinkler loop.

 

That didn't seem to help with the Nissan Leaf I owned.

 

I haven't seen an individual home with fire sprinklers here.

 

I believe they are now required for all homes in the area I live in. But again, this has been figured out years ago. Even homes heated with pumped heated water have freeze protection. So do solar powered water heaters.

I haven't tried every EV. There are other EV's here that people drive in the cold, but the only ones I know that don't complain about their performance in the cold also own heated garages. So I don't know.

Modern day gasoline cars are extremely reliable in the cold. My Avalon will start at temps of at least -30 °F (and likely even colder) even without a block heater.

With diesels it seems the other way around. Older diesels usually started just fine in the cold. I survived in my 1985 VW diesel in temps down to nearly -40 °F. But at my old job, the newer the diesel the worse it was in the cold. The 2010 Cummins diesel we got (the last one when I left) had the most problems starting in the cold.

 

I assumed he meant that 90 % of the existing stock of cars are gassers.

 

That's why I mentioned "old houses", newer one here are built to better standard. My 2010 diesel tractor didn't start last year during a cold front. EV? No problem. Took a bit longer for the inside to be warm when preconditioning but had no trouble keeping that warthm while moving. My coat was (as always) on the backseat.

 

If that's the case, the statment indicates that all gasoline powered vehicles will suffer just the same as all EV's.

This would be a good Mythbusters episode, if they were still around.

But in my experience newer gasoline cars aren't that much different to start and drive in the freezing cold than they are in the summer heat, whereas the Nissan Leafs I've been in weren't designed very well to cope with the cold. I hope other EV manufacturers are able to do better. But just lumping "all cars have problems in the cold regardless if they are EV's or not" is not a very informed statement.

 

It's just Tesla as far as I know. They'll refuse to DC charge if the battery is too cold. A bit of aggressive driving can get the pack warm enough if that happens to you.

 

Usually the first cold snap is when I learn my 12V battery is nearly dead and needs replacement.

Bob Wilson

 

Don't by a Tesla with NCA cells. Buy them with LFP if you want to survive the cold

"Of course, being new to the western markets, the LFP batteries are little known and a lot of people want to know how they hold both as range and as durability in the long run. The good news is coming from the coldest territories of Norway in Europe and it says the new battery is even better in sub-zero temperatures than the older NCA (lithium nickel-cobalt-aluminum oxide) battery it replaced."

Tesla's New LFP Battery Truly Shines in Sub-Zero Temperatures, Looks Like a Winner - autoevolution

"LFP batteries are safe to use in temperatures ranging from -4 degrees Fahrenheit, up to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, which makes them practical for use in any weather conditions."

Using Lithium Batteries in Cold Weather | RELiON

I will gladly buy a Cybertruck with LFP only.

 

-4°F is -20°C, I had no issues supercharging at that temperature last year when road tripping in my Model 3 with a NCA battery pack.

 

NCA is just fine. Yes, LFP is better in a lot of ways, but ‘survival’ does not require LFP cells.
I’ve been running NCA cells for 13 years with no issues ‘surviving’ the cold.

 

The batteries are coolant cooled on Telsa's, correct?
If I had a Tesla, I'd be tempted to do what I do to a lot of my ICE vehicles. I'd put on a pumping circulating tank heater and add a thermostat to the coolant line to cut it off at a warmer but safe temperature. That way, when I get into the car, the battery is nice and warm on those artic temperature days. It's -6 °F right now here, and supposedly is supposed to get down to -19 °F here soon last I checked.

 

cooled & warmed

 

That's what is ridiculous when people think lead acid can withstand temperatures below -30° f. Way too simplistic except for the theoretical . Not all batteries are 100% fully factory fresh ... and the farther away one's lead acid battery gets from ideal fully charged / new status, the greater the jeopardy when you go out to crank it over. Just because YOUR car cranked over in deep Sub-Zero temperatures doesn't mean many others will.

 

I'd really like to see how it is to drive a Tesla in the winter. Just because I had a bad experience in the Leaf doesn't mean all EV's are bad in the cold. Maybe some kinks need to be worked out, like certain supercharger stations. But other than that, an EV makes a lot of sense for a cold area with short distances.

 

The heat pump will do that by itself. Just have the car plugged in and set your departure time or end of charge time (that one will only have the battery warm by the time you leave, not the cabin).

Unless it's really cold, the heat pump will be more efficient than a tank heater (by up to three times more efficient). When it's really cold, it's "just as" efficient than a tank heater. No need to modify the car's plumbing.

Check this video to learn more about its plumbing if you're interested.