EVs and really bad weather.....

[Migmac]

The vans others use at work ( I still have a pickup ) don’t do to well in snow.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

with an unsympathetic egit behind the wheel

That was my thinking

you learn to drive carefully when its wet or icy like any other car, even with traction control.

If all the drivers getting stuck currently had done/could do that, they'd not be getting stuck, surely. Having an EV won't turn them into brilliant drivers overnight and by 'osmosis'.

 

[Wozzaaah]

Ground or air source?

Diesel-powered.

 

[atomant48]

if the battery is charged to 100%, which they say is not advisable for battery longevity. 80% is the recommendation, and never let it go below 20% if possible

Is that VW recommended or just what he’s heard ?

 

[atomant48]

My Tesla is 4WD and so the grip is there and from memory it has a “slip” mode which makes the torque delivery much lighter for exactly the conditions you describe.

As discussed above it won’t spin the wheels in any conditions anyway - I guess the computer controls each wheel independently. The thing that does concern me is it is very very low to the ground - but this is not an EV thing per se I guess. If it did get proper heavy snow I think it’d stay on the driveway and the big volvo would truck on through !

Regarding the range I’m not convinced it’s the heater etc in winter it’s the actual “energy” stored in the battery. If I leave it at X% over a very cold night it can easily be several % less by morning. Can’t quite get my head around it but I guess the electrons prefer warm temperatures to buzz about. I’m pretty sure it uses the heater to heat the battery… sounds like using energy to make energy but apparently it works. Not sure if other brands do the same.

 

[daleyd]

Is that VW recommended or just what he’s heard ?

It's just a recommendation from VW for battery longevity, and only a recommendation not to charge it 100% and leave it sat there for days on end. We do it with ours all the time, especially when using it for a long journey.

 

[DAPPH]

It's a good question and I've never heard / seen it discussed anywhere.

The more expensive EVs have dual motors which equate to 4WD so if I lived somewhere with a lot of snow then I suspect that a dual motor would be best.

As for the throttle response, a big plus is torque being available very low down so I'd hope (but having but hope to base the opinion on!) that you should be able to get the wheels moving very slowly & very easily.

Do the EV car manufacturers talk about ice / snow modes at all?

Our Outlander PHEV has electric four wheel drive
The replacement for my big heavy motability diesel Turismo is an all electric Vauxhall Combo (171 mile in good weather ) no four wheel drive on my version but available for the top of the range vehicles apparently )

The electronics do bring in traction & anti skid control . Re acceleration in slippery conditions it's as good as you are at controlling your right foot .

My advice was it's a lot better in snow & ice than comparable vehicles as it's heavier and has the traction & skid controls.

See if this helps .... https://www.autotrader.co.uk/content/advice/electric-cars-in-winter

 

[fizzy]

My Tesla is 4WD and so the grip is there and from memory it has a “slip” mode which makes the torque delivery much lighter for exactly the conditions you describe.

As discussed above it won’t spin the wheels in any conditions anyway - I guess the computer controls each wheel independently. The thing that does concern me is it is very very low to the ground - but this is not an EV thing per se I guess. If it did get proper heavy snow I think it’d stay on the driveway and the big volvo would truck on through !

Regarding the range I’m not convinced it’s the heater etc in winter it’s the actual “energy” stored in the battery. If I leave it at X% over a very cold night it can easily be several % less by morning. Can’t quite get my head around it but I guess the electrons prefer warm temperatures to buzz about. I’m pretty sure it uses the heater to heat the battery… sounds like using energy to make energy but apparently it works. Not sure if other brands do the same.

A lot depends on which batteries you have fitted. And the manufacturers are being cagey about which ones are fitted.
Standard range Teslas are now being fitted with Lithium iron phosphate batteries. They are cheaper but not as good in cold weather as the more expensive Lithium ion which are now only used in the more expensive longer range models.

 

[DAPPH]

Funny, range on our Leaf hasn't dropped much, haven't really noticed it. Heating doesn't seem to take much out of it either.



When I'm driving the Leaf, it feels like any other front wheel drive car. It does have a "nutter" setting that I haven't tried yet, plenty of power as it is. I haven't driven our latest Leaf with more power in ice or snow yet, but when its wet, it can be difficult to get the power down, just like a hot hatch, We do use winter tyres on the leaf, makes a difference. The wife drives it more than me and she has driven it in in ice. The e-pedal. is a mode I use often, it simulates engine braking by being a bit more aggressive on regenerative braking. I rarely have to touch the brakes when I use that mode.

No snow/ICE mode on the Leaf however it is last years tech now. I did test drive the more expensive and newer Nissan Ariya, they have a 4WD version with various modes..

A pointer for people who nearly always use REGEN instead of braking to lose speed .
Two days before the initial warrantee ran out , on the MOT inspection it was found both front wheel calipers had seized solid in just over disc clearance mode . It resulted in the car being fitted with new calipers & all pads and new discs circa £3200 inc vat IIRC .

We were given a replacement hire car FOC ,it took over 8 weeks for the new calipers to come in from Japan .

Taking with the dealership manager about why the calipers had stuck solid we came to the conclusion you must activate the brakes firmly at least once a week or on every journey to stop the caliper pistons seizing up .
He said the calipers were not stocked in the UK or Holland & that of the sixty or so PHEV's that had gone through the dealership that were older than our car non had suffered caliper failure before . It was the same story for the rest of the UK dealerships too.

 

[DAPPH]

It's just a recommendation from VW for battery longevity, and only a recommendation not to charge it 100% and leave it sat there for days on end. We do it with ours all the time, especially when using it for a long journey.

That's the same for all rechargeable lithium batteries ,, don't leave fully charged un-used for weeks at a time .& don't leave them fully discharged by the same rules . Simply fully charge them just before use.

 

[Wildatlanticwelder]

Whats the maximum weight? Say 5 adults and a boot full you must be nudging the 3.5t that the car license allows?

On the eu licences now state 4250kg max on 'b' car licence for alternatively propeled vehicles !

Since when did a 5 seater family car weigh 3 ton ? The old mercedes s class weighed similar with a 6.3 v12 and double glazed windows!

 

[CompoSimmonite]

My mate turned up at our biker cafe yesterday, in his 4 day old VW ID5.
£53,000 of electric car, weighing 2900kg, 19" wheels, and like a fairly robust SUV.

You can buy an awful lot of diesel or petrol for a new car costing, say, £30,000 from the balance of £23,000 from £53,000 !

 

[daleyd]

You can buy an awful lot of diesel or petrol for a new car costing, say, £30,000 from the balance of £23,000 from £53,000 !

There’s no flies on you

 

[DAPPH]

You can buy an awful lot of diesel or petrol for a new car costing, say, £30,000 from the balance of £23,000 from £53,000 !

Depends on the price of fuel , Putin and his mates

 

[Kayos]

Ground or air source?

Ground source would need some long hoses

 

[mike os]

Diesel van heater?

 

[Barking Mat]

My mates got a Tesla, he has to preheat it by phone to get the doors open when it gets to -6 and it's been raining. It's a year old, he's well impressed with it, but not the water ingress around the doors, which then freezes, needing a preheat to open the doors.

My Volvo is no better, but I use warm water.

Frozen shut doors are a PITA.

 

[Kayos]

You can buy an awful lot of diesel or petrol for a new car costing, say, £30,000 from the balance of £23,000 from £53,000 !

But you could also buy a petrol or diesel car for £54,000 and, I'm not sure

What was your point?

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Didn't take long for the thread divert to kick in, my op was how EVs and their drivers would cope with snow/ice. More re this, than alternative vehicles

Guess it's easier if the driver knows the ins & outs of driving and the particular features available to him/her - but who reads car Owner's manuals in full? I suspect many would be caught out with the sudden onset of adverse conditions.

The thread could probably be closed now, before we get to the possibility of there being cowboys on the moon.....

 

[daleyd]

Didn't take long for the thread divert to kick in, my op was how EVs and their drivers would cope with snow/ice. More re this, than alternative vehicles

Guess it's easier if the driver knows the ins & outs of driving and the particular features available to him/her - but who reads car Owner's manuals in full? I suspect many would be caught out with the sudden onset of adverse conditions.

The thread could probably be closed now, before we get to the possibility of there being cowboys on the moon.....

In terms of outright traction I don’t see it as being any different to any other vehicle, as said they all have anti skid built in nowadays. I certainly didn’t feel it was in any way compromised when I drove my missus car in the snow.

Then again my prev car was a rwd 5 series so not a high bar to set in terms of snow ability!! Great fun in the snow though