Allen K

iTrader: (4)

Another long video from Out of Spec, but TL;DR - new EA hardware faults out in the cold (-6F). Older EA cabinets worked, EVGo cabinets worked, new ChargePoint had a fault, old ChargePoint worked. The older EA stuff had issues in the heat, but cold was no problem

Edit: Tesla superchargers worked without a problem when he tested with his S earlier in the day (also -6F)

LexFinally

Electric cars won't be viable for most people until there's a massive investment in charging stations other than Tesla's. And I don't see that happening in the US anytime soon. There's just not any appetite in either the public or private sector for a big long-term infrastructure investment.

RNM GS3

We are about to hit below 10 degrees in NYC for next few days.
Not sure how those EVs will be working

Striker223

People I know with geothermal are having issues and heat pump users are screwed. They have been using gas to help systems catch up

SW17LS

Big reason why I would still lean heavily towards a Tesla...

mmarshall

Heat pumps operate like a normal electric furnace (with heating-coils) when outside-temperatures get low enough that the heat-exchange function is too inefficient to warm the house. That is one reason why electric bills go up in the winter....the furnace-operation part uses a lot more energy.

I have a heat pump, keep it set at 68 degrees or so in the winter, and have reasonable electric bills ($90 or less), even in the dead of winter. They are as low as $20 during months of mild weather.

As I understand it, BEV vehicles are also equipped with heat-pumps.

Wilson2000

Electric charging stations don't work in the cold? I'm shocked (but evidently not when below -6)!

Electricity, particularly in relation to batteries and charging, is fickle. Not the type of issues you want to deal with in dangerously cold weather. Your life could depend on it!

spwolf

not really. particular type of charging station from one brand does not work.

Teslas work just fine, the same channel tested Teslas SC at something crazy like -25c or less and they worked just fine.

Anyway, using 3rd party EV charging often has broken charging anyway, not great right now anywhere in the world.

Wilson2000

My comment was in part tongue-in-cheek, but it was in response to the thread title: "Brand new Electrify America stations don't work in the cold." I wasn't condemning all charging stations. That said, electricity and extreme cold don't mix well. Extreme cold will affect all EV's to some degree. Personally, I would prefer to be stranded in a blizzard in an ICE vs an EV.

link13

I work in the EV charging but not for EA. I'm with one of the big oil companies. We have seen reports that the new Tesla stations work in cold, but not in extreme heat, meaning 100 F plus. It's not all of them that don't work, but it is an issue.

SW17LS

Why is that?

LeX2K

This makes no sense. ICE car has a pile of electronics and won't run without them. Gas pumps run on electricity. Petrol refineries use massive amounts of electricity. Traffic signals, guess what they run on. ICE cars routinely fail to start in cold weather because the 12 volt battery doesn't have enough energy. Shockingly, it provides electricity to start the engine.

You jumped on board the EV bad train without thinking anything through.

Margate330

Extreme temps always pushes the engineered design envelope.
I'm confident they will get it figured out, hopefully!

spwolf

my part of europe has extreme heat during summer, i cant tell you i ever had issues. It will lower the maximum charge power if the cables start overheating, but i did not notice anything crazy on v1 and v2 chargers around here. Or even Ionity.

spwolf

i know, i am just making it clear for everyone.

As to the extreme cold, you will get less range but with new cars and heat pumps, it is not that crazy. It is just not as perfect as those silly range test done over straight roads, perfect weather show.

When it comes to blizzard, actually for warming the cabin or cooling it during extreme heat, your full tank of gas will last as long as full battery (something like full day or so), problem is that with gas car, you might get co2 back into the car like that poor lady the other day that was all over the news.

but sure, you dont want to go to camping trips with EV, that is just waiting for trouble to happen.