Last night on ITV News at 10, Science Correspondent Martin Stew investigated the impact of the cold weather on EV range, which has directly correlated with a sharp rise in the number of EV drivers running out of charge before reaching a static charging station.
“Batteries don’t like extremes of temperatures… Turn the thermostat up, and the battery power drops quickly.”
Martin Stew, Science Correspondent.
By reviewing the performance analysis of electric vehicles in freezing temperatures, ITV News reported that heating the car meant that EV drivers used 39% more battery power in the first hour compared to normal conditions. On average, EV drivers can expect 18% fewer miles on a full battery in winter than in warmer temperatures.
The reduced EV range has meant some drivers have run out of charge faster than they anticipated, which has meant the RAC has experienced an increase in the number of callouts from EV drivers:
“The RAC is fitting special charging units to many of their breakdown vans. 6% of callouts to EVs are because they have run out of power – a far higher percentage than petrol or diesel vehicles.”
Martin Stew, Science Correspondent.
As explained by the RAC’s Technical Development Manager, Chris Millward, when an internal combustion vehicle breaks down, patrols or drivers can quickly put it into neutral and move it to the side of the road. When an electric vehicle runs flat, the patrol can’t move it, complicating recovery. The only way to unlock the vehicle’s handbrake is to give the EV a power boost. Therefore, from a roadside recovery perspective, having a shoe-box-sized charger on the recovery vehicle is the perfect solution for dealing with an out-of-charge EV. As shown on News at 10, by having Original ADS’ Charge Pod system installed on many of their patrol vehicles, the RAC is well-prepared to assist EV drivers if they run out of charge before they can reach a charging station.
To watch the full news story on ITV, click here.
You can learn more about the Charge Pod system here.
To find out more about RAC roadside assistance for electric vehicles, click here.