Charging an Electric Vehicle in Canada’s Deep Freeze, By Eric Worrall
I hope the Canadian EV owner survives the winter. But continuing to drive a vehicle which struggles to make a few miles down the road in conditions like that?
Charging an Electric Vehicle in Canada’s Deep Freeze
EV Charging @ -45C. Source Twitter, Fair Use, Low Resolution Image to Identify the Subject.
Charging an Electric Vehicle in Canada’s Deep Freeze
Essay by Eric Worrall
A Canadian in a frozen parking lot trying to coax a bit more range, at 45C below zero (-49F).
I think the store behind the charger is a Mark’s clothing and footwear store, though I couldn’t find the exact location.
If Aircon drains the battery that fast, how long would EV owners last, if an unexpected blizzard dumps a few feet of snow while they are on the open road? The electric vehicle in the photo doesn’t look like it has significant ground clearance or off-road capability. At least with a gasoline or diesel vehicle you can sit idling and stay warm for a long time if you get stuck. In really severe frost conditions, an ICE vehicle can pack a few extra cans of gas in the back to stretch your survival time, in case of emergencies.
I hope the Canadian EV owner survives the winter. But continuing to drive a vehicle which struggles to make a few miles down the road in conditions like that? What would have happened to the EV driver if the charger was not working? Would he have had enough power to make it to the next charger?
Its not difficult to imagine such a scenario rapidly becoming life threatening, if the failed EV charger was remote enough that help wasn’t readily available.
Surely it is time for people who live in such places to throw in the towel on EV ownership. At the very least EV owners should purchase a real automobile, for use when driving conditions are too harsh for EVs.
The downsides of EVs are becoming glaringly obvious due to several real-life disasters coming to light, including nearly-impossible-to-extinguish fires and, perhaps soon, entire families freezing to death in their cars.