Among growing pains with electric vehicle technology, extreme weather is the worst environmental offender. It can produce a significant drop in driving range, which increases the cost to operate the vehicle.
After years of being praised as the answer to the quest for green and clean mobility, the reality is that the performance of battery-powered vehicles is inferior to regular cars. EVs have a litany of problems ranging from too few charging facilities to issues surrounding the cost, crash rating, and performance of the vehicles that may take years to resolve. It is a stark reminder that widespread acceptance of a transformative technology like the EV can take decades, or possibly never happen, in a society that’s happy with the gasoline car.
Recent studies showed that as freezing temperatures plagued most of the United States, EV owners typically experienced a decrease in driving range, and that loss got worse when the heat in the vehicle was cranked up. The average driving range decreased by 41 percent when the mercury fell to 20 degrees and the vehicle’s HVAC system was on. The problem is that, unlike a conventional vehicle with an internal combustion engine that can warm the vehicle with waste heat, EVs have to tap into their batteries to power the HVAC system.
This means that for every 100 miles of combined urban and highway driving, the range at 20 degrees is reduced to 59 miles, compared to 200 miles per charge and, in some cases even 300 under ideal conditions, increasing the need to charge more often to minimize the chance of being stranded by a dead battery. In other words, the use of heat when the temperature outside drops to 20 degrees adds almost $25 more for every 1,000 miles compared to the cost of combined urban and highway driving at a balmy 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
The studies were conducted by the American Automobile Association, in partnership with the Automotive Club of Southern California’s Automotive Research Center. Simulating real-world driving conditions using a dynamometer, essentially a treadmill for cars, AAA found the impact on range was essentially the same for the five EV models tested: the BMWi3, Chevy Bolt, Nissan Leaf, Tesla Model S, and Volkswagen e-Golf.
Hot weather is another overlooked potential consequence of EV driving. When outside temperatures heat up to 95 degrees and air conditioning is used inside the vehicle, driving ranges can decrease by 17 percent.
While EVs perform best in areas with warm weather year-round such as Florida, Hawaii, and California, most people live in parts of the country where the temperatures fluctuate between highs and lows.
The sale of battery-powered vehicles in the U.S. is climbing, albeit slowly. In 2018, EV sales reached 361,307, which was about 2 percent of the U.S. car market. Except in California, where EVs appeal to some well-heeled drivers and have a 7 percent share of the car market, motorists are sticking with conventional vehicles. That’s not likely to change, because one of the selling points of EVs as manufacturers seek a larger market, a $7,500 tax credit, is being phased out.
Gasoline cars are part of our social fabric, and they continue to get better. One of the great myths is that only EV technology is evolving. The reality is that gasoline engines coming off the assembly lines have technical refinements like direct fuel injection, turbochargers, variable valve timing, and an electronic brain to oversee it all. In the next few years, combustion engines are expected to achieve 20 to 30 percent improvements in efficiency, while emitting less greenhouse gases.
The combustion engine, of course, is not dead here in the U.S., and still powers cars, SUVs, pick-ups, trucks, and much more. Its resiliency has been proven time and time again, which underscores the importance of being practical in automotive research and development. Some auto experts predict that in 2050, 60 percent of light duty vehicles will still have combustion engines.
In short, gasoline engines are not done yet by a long shot, and will continue to play an important role in our transportation future. The optimistic predictions of a bright EV future are clashing with the reality of their limitations and challenges. Instead of the widespread EV adoption that some have predicted, it’s possible that they will remain a niche market in the U.S.
Mark J. Perry is a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and a professor of economics at the University of Michigan in Flint.
