Electric Car Batteries Vulnerable to Cold

The first generation of electric cars is about ready to hit the market. Electric cars like the Chevrolet Volt, Nissan Leaf, and Cadillac Converj will be flooding the marketplace starting this fall, and more electric vehicles are in the works. While these vehicles are welcome by many people who are anxious to reduce their carbon footprint, recent tests have shown that these electric vehicles are vulnerable to cold weather. It turns out that these cars do not have the same kind of range in cold weather that gas-powered automobiles do.

Cold Climates Can See a 30% Loss in Range

In colder climates, electric cars can see up to a 30% loss in range. This means that the Chevrolet Volt, which is expected to be able to go up to 40 miles on electricity alone, may only be able to go 28 miles solely on electric power in the cold. In the Chevrolet Volt, this will not limit the use of the car: the Volt has a range-extending gasoline engine that will provide electricity to the car for as long as you need it. The downside is that drivers won't get all the benefits of using less-expensive power from home when they have to use the gasoline engine.

This cold climate limitation may be more of a problem for vehicles like the Nissan Leaf, which is only powered by a battery. The Leaf theoretically has a range of 100 miles, which would allow drivers to commute 50 miles to work and back every day. In colder climates, a 30% drop in efficiency would give the Leaf a range of 70 miles, which would only allow customers that lived within 35 miles of work to commute daily. Usage of electric systems and loading cargo could reduce that range further still.

Batteries Will Continue to Get Better

Although electric vehicles may not be for everyone now (especially with vehicles that lack range-extending gasoline engines), battery power is likely to get better over time. Auto makers are looking at ways to extend the range of batteries, and as more and more people purchase electric cars, the infrastructure to quickly charge a vehicle is likely to be built. For early adopters, there is not likely to be the same amount of charging support when cars run low on electric power. Perhaps this is why the Leaf will initially be sold in large cities (this doesn't prevent people that want the vehicle from driving to these cities to purchase one, however). People that live in colder climates may want to avoid electric cars that do not have range-extending motors, at least until auto makers work out some of the kinks.