The vilification of electric vehicles

[salvorhardin]

10. It depends on how cold, I'd imagine

But yes, unless the car's battery is heated, or cooled, then range could be markedly reduced in extreme temperatures.

The electric Mini E, a battery-powered version of BMW's Mini Cooper, threw New York and New Jersey-area lessees for a loop in the winter of 2009 and 2010. The Mini E drivers discovered that extreme cold reduced the cars' 100- to 120-mile (161- to 193-kilometer) range by as much as 30 percent. According to a New York Times article on the subject, and commenters who said they drove the car, running a heater accounts for a large portion of the energy loss.

There are ways around the extreme temperature problem, namely, keeping the battery heated or cooled so that it runs in its operating temperature sweet spot. So-called active thermal management systems for batteries, like that on the Coda Sedan, Nissan LEAF and Tesla Roadster, work to minimize the effects of efficiency-sapping temperature extremes. GigaOm, a technology news and trends blog, reported on one of the great debates within the electric vehicle battery world -- whether it's best for manufacturers to use air or liquid systems to keep temperatures in check.

Full post: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/does-extreme-weather-affect-electric-cars.htm