It found that those models lost 21 percent of their range on average when temperatures drop to 32° Fahrenheit.
That is a pretty significant drop.
When its that cold I use a signifcant amount of fuel more than when its warmer. I think this will improve with better battery tech. I don't think my petrol will.
Winter gas also has less energy in it than summer gas, due to the different (lighter hydrocarbon, mostly more butane) mix.
Fair, but my hybrid (not plugin) gets about the same efficiency regardless of outdoor temperature, it's usually around 45-50 mpg. While pure combustion engines likely won't improve, hybrid systems can absolutely thread that needle really well and are a great option if you need range in the winter.
We currently have a hybrid and a pure ICE car, and we're planning on replacing them with an EV and a hybrid. I'm not giving up my hybrid until EVs can go >500 miles on a single charge, because we regularly go on road trips of >800 miles in a single day, and EV charging infra is pretty spotty in those areas.
Actually, I'm surprised they weren't using them long before. It's basically AC with an extra valve. Thought they get priced like they're some sort of new technology.
There was never really a need in ICE vehicles since they can primarily use waste heat from the engine.
Is this really an article saying heat pumps are more efficient than resistive heaters? Yes, that is why heat pumps exist.
The biggest issue is the battery itself. If it gets cold enough you can have difficulty even charging an EV outdoors. I would be a lot more concerned with whether or not my battery is well insulated and heated. Heat pumps are great and should be the default, but unless you're going really far or have a very low range EV it's not a huge issue.
Yes, resistive heat is expensive, but that's only part of what makes heat pumps in cars more effective. They don't just heat your cabin, they heat your battery so you maintain range while it's cold out. Here's an article with more details and some pretty infographics.
The heat pumps also preheat the battery so it can charge in extreme cold.
As someone in a rural state, cold weather range is one of my chief concerns. I work from home but on the weekends travel to far away backcountry areas to ski.
I'd like to get a full EV when my current lease expires(2.5 years) but the pool of cars that are affordable, have AWD, and 300 miles of range(aka 180-225 in winter) is quite limited.
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