2017 ZOE - 41kWh - 248 mile range
Discussion
Phunk said:
Cold weather means the battery chemistry isn't as efficient, plus heater and lights can use a little bit of energy. This means that it can use more energy and also take longer to charge. However once the battery pack is warmed up (by rapid charging or driving on the motorway), it isn't quite as bad.
Roughly range reduces about 25-40% in the winter.
Wind and rain, of which there is more in the winter, are also factors. Water affects tyre drag. Roughly range reduces about 25-40% in the winter.
AW10 said:
I get that the range is reduced in cold weather/rain/night; thanks. My question is - does it take the same amount of KWh to recharge in the winter as in the summer?
I was trying to decide if this was a daft question or not, my assumption is that it is like saying does it take more petrol to fill tank in winter, but am unsure of efficiency losses in cold weather, or whether it is more efficient charging at cooler temperatures pherlopolus said:
I was trying to decide if this was a daft question or not, my assumption is that it is like saying does it take more petrol to fill tank in winter, but am unsure of efficiency losses in cold weather, or whether it is more efficient charging at cooler temperatures
While IC cars benefit from the lower intake temperatures EVs do not so the denser air and its increased drag have a negative impact on EV efficiency. Add to this the cumulative effect of all the other bits n bobs e.g. colder tyres, bearings, cabin heating etc. I imagine it all adds up. For EVs The I2R losses will be lower in cooler ambient temperatures but what the overall system result is I don't know. Important though to keep a sense of perspective, a 24kWh charge at 11p/kWh is £2.64 plus losses, is an extra 10-20% going to cause much worry?
N.B. EVs don't like hot ambient temperatures much either not that this is a worry in Northern Europe
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