Photo courtesy: Tesla King / Youtube

By Caden Fanshaw

Weather

How did EV’s handle Prince George’s latest cold snap?

Dec 30, 2022 | 6:40 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – The cold snap that sent temperatures tumbling into the minus forties prior to Christmas was tough on almost everything from homes to cars, but it wasn’t any tough as you may have thought on EV’s.

For regular gas and diesel-powered vehicles, a block heater was essential for most vehicles to even start. When it comes to electric vehicles, you may be wondering if they would even start or be able to function at all, well it turns out they did, and did relatively well.

“Electric vehicles, for the most part, are reliable,” said Doug Beckett, Founder of the Prince George Electric Vehicle Association.”They’ll start in cold weather at the push of a button and you’ll have electric heaters or heat pumps with electric heaters inside. So in the cold weather, 5 minutes or so, you typically get really nice, comfortable warmth.”

Most makes and models had the same result, full functionality with a few consequences due to the weather conditions.

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The main downsides of the weather were the limited range of use and slower-than-usual charging speeds. Mark Vejvoda, an owner of a Tesla said he saw his range decrease by roughly 50%.

Cold weather can also significantly reduce the fuel economy of gas and diesel-powered vehicles as well.

Vejvoda said his tip for those who have an EV or are thinking of purchasing an EV, the cold weather can be managed with a bit of preparation.