New Data Shows Hot Weather Devastating for the Endurance of Electric VehiclesBy Ward Clark
July 22, 2023
The Biden Administration, as we have seen in recent reporting, seems determined to get Americans to switch to an electric vehicle (EV) whether you like it or not. This is done in the name of “green” policies and climate change, but it’s been known for some time that cold weather dramatically reduces the range an EV has per charge. But now, we learn that hot weather can have the same effect.
A new study suggests that excessive heat can greatly diminish electric vehicle range. The findings are similar to other studies that show how excessive cold also reduces range. Thankfully, it seems as though the range is mostly unaffected unless the temperature is in the triple digits.
Seattle-based Recurrent studies and tests thousands of vehicles each year in order to analyze the relationship between batteries and their range. Its latest data indicates that when things get really hot, EVs could lose almost a third of their stated range. While Recurrent didn’t name names, it says that some vehicles saw a drop in their range of 31 percent when temperatures climbed above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius).
It’s significant to note that, this summer, much of the American Southwest has seen temps consistently over 100 degrees. If you live in Phoenix or Tucson, Arizona, Las Vegas, Nevada, or Las Cruces, New Mexico, prepare to lose 30 percent of your EV’s range through most of the summer.
Recurrent, the company that has done this testing, has already shown how freezing cold weather affects EV performance:
Recurrent is the same company that last year found that freezing temperatures have a nearly identical effect. Both the Ford Mustang Mach-E and the Volkswagen ID.4 saw dips in range of 30 percent when temps dropped below 30 degrees Fahrenheit (-1 degrees Celsius). At the same time, it’s worth noting that less extreme temperatures exhibit very little influence on battery range.
Look closely at that: the dips happened in the range of 30 percent at temps below 30 degrees. Here in our Great Land homestead, in winter it won’t rise above 30 degrees for months. I’d also point out that, in the words of Aaron Lewis, it’s “half-hour from my front door, to a Walmart or a grocery store.” The same applies to places like Fraser, Colorado, Fargo, North Dakota, or International Falls, Minnesota (which often clocks the record low every winter). EVs are, again, less useful than gas or diesel vehicles there—and plenty of other places.
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Source:
https://redstate.com/wardclark/2023/07/22/new-data-shows-hot-weather-devastating-for-the-endurance-of-electric-vehicles-n780458
