Canada _ (Commonwealth Union) _ According to a US corporation that studied range loss in 7,000 automobiles, electric vehicles (EVs) can lose up to 30% of their range in frigid weather. Seattle-based Recurrent range loss was detected in 7,000 EVs at temperatures ranging from -7 to -1 degrees Celsius.
At those temperatures, the Jaguar I-Pace had a 3% projected range loss, whereas the Volkswagen ID.4 had a 30% range loss. According to Liz Najman, a Recurrent researcher, EVs lose range in the winter because to the energy required to heat the interior so that the driver and passengers are comfortable. Because electric motors are more efficient than gas engines, they cannot utilise wasted heat to warm up the interior.
EVs must create heat in other ways, which requires extra energy from the battery that does not contribute to range. Some cars, on the other hand, employ more efficient heat pumps to keep the interior warm, which means there is more energy left over from the battery to move the vehicle ahead. Some vehicles, such as Teslas, also include a technology called battery preconditioning, in which the automobile warms up the battery before reaching a charger, which speeds up charging times. General Motors tests its new automobiles in the Kapuskasing proving grounds, a 200-acre (81-hectare) site in Kapuskasing, Ontario.
According to Josh Walton, operations manager for the proving grounds’ engineering division, General Motors tests its planned lineup of EVs in the same manner it tests its regular gas-powered automobiles. Walton stated that General Motors is always upgrading how its EVs function in cold weather based on input from his staff.
Most EVs offer cheaper maintenance expenses, thanks to fewer moving components than a standard combustion engine. This implies they don’t need oil changes to keep their moving components lubricated. EV parts also need to be replaced less frequently. A typical battery pack has a lifespan of five to eight years. When EVs do need maintenance, the expenses may be greater than for traditional vehicles.