Electric Cars Hit a Rough Patch in Freezing US Weather

Heater Use Reduces Driving Range
Cold Weather Slows Down Charging Times
Long Lines at Electric Car Charging Stations
Numerous Cases of Battery Drainage and Towing

As cold weather sweeps across most of the Midwest and North Central United States, numerous electric car battery drainage and towing cases have been reported. The extreme cold has resulted in longer charging times and reduced driving ranges.

According to the New York Times (NYT) and Bloomberg on the 17th (local time), the bitter blast of cold Arctic air has hit the Midwest and North Central regions of the United States, where the wind chill temperature has dropped below -30 degrees Fahrenheit, leading to a series of electric car battery drainage and towing incidents.

The severely cold weather has reduced battery efficiency. With the increased use of heaters, the driving range per charge has drastically decreased.

Internal combustion engine cars operate heaters using waste heat from the engine. In contrast, electric vehicles with no waste heat must operate heaters utilizing the battery. Therefore, an electric car’s heater causes faster wear in the battery. Although various technologies, including heat pumps, have recently emerged, the limitations are evident as the battery drains as much as the heater consumption.

Charging times have also increased. The chemical reactions between the battery’s positive and negative electrodes slow down at low temperatures. The NYT reported, “Electric car charging stations in Chicago have turned into scenes of despair due to battery drainage, drivers facing off against each other, and long lines extending out onto the streets.”

They continued, “A 35-year-old Tesla owner in Chicago drove 5 miles to the electric car charging station but had to wait several hours in the car because all 12 chargers were already in use.”

One Tesla owner told local Chicago station WLS, “I witnessed at least 10 Tesla vehicles being towed because their batteries had drained.”

The NYT pointed out the problem of inadequate charging infrastructure in the United States, citing cases in Northern European countries like Norway, where the average temperature is low. Still, the rate of electric car adoption is high.