Frozen electric cars, -25 C

[Old Rocks]

By the past developments in battery technology, I am sure that there will be a continued decline in prices of the batteries and an increase in the energy density.

Stem CTO: Lithium-Ion Battery Prices Fell 70% in the Last 18 Months

Tesla's battery factory gets a lot of attention. When completed, the so-called Gigafactory will manufacture more lithium-ion batteries each year than were produced globally in 2013.

That will help push prices further downward. But a few other large producers -- LG Chem, Panasonic and Samsung -- are already making batteries at unprecedented scale. There are numerous giga-scale factories producing cells and battery packs for electric cars and stationary applications throughout Asia. And the recent wave of capacity is already impacting pricing in a big way.

According to Larsh Johnson, the chief technology officer of Stem, the company is paying 70 percent less for lithium-ion batteries than it was 18 months ago.

"It’s happening. The capacity is out there," said Johnson in an interview. "The momentum continues."

Stem has installed 68 megawatt-hours of batteries for commercial and industrial applications, mostly to shave demand charges for customers that consume a lot of power in the middle of the day. Johnson said the improvement in pricing is allowing Stem to think beyond traditional demand charge management.

"There are new markets opening up because of what we've seen in battery pricing," he said.

 

[HenryBHough]

[
LOL The Prius is a hybrid, has a gas engine. And many cars have a problem starting in very cold weather. Simple solution, put a small heater or lamp in the engine compartment when it is that cold.

Now as for it stopping moving after 10 miles, that has nothing to do with the cold, as by then, the gas engine should have been running a while. That, or this whole story is a fabrication.

Yup. Obviously you've never lived anywhere the temp got below about +32.

Hence have no understanding of how an internal combustion engine won't run at all when the catalytic converter is chock full of ice.

Most people who experience that cut open the converter and gut it but environmentally sensitive whackos find that disgusting and much prefer to walk.

 

[Old Rocks]

A really stupid assumption on your part. I have worked twice in temperatures at -30 F, and many times at -20 F. And were what you are claiming be the case, why are all the cars in Fairbanks running around?

 

[westwall]

A really stupid assumption on your part. I have worked twice in temperatures at -30 F, and many times at -20 F. And were what you are claiming be the case, why are all the cars in Fairbanks running around?

They have electric heaters to keep the engines from freezing solid.

 

[Viacheslav]

Testing Tesla S in Russia at -31C

 

[Jarlaxle]

And forget about running the heater.

You can run the heater, but it's electric and runs off the batteries. Which further reduces the driving range of the car. ...

Actually, it's a heat pump, which doesn't work worth crap in extreme cold.

 

[Jarlaxle]

[
LOL The Prius is a hybrid, has a gas engine. And many cars have a problem starting in very cold weather. Simple solution, put a small heater or lamp in the engine compartment when it is that cold.

Now as for it stopping moving after 10 miles, that has nothing to do with the cold, as by then, the gas engine should have been running a while. That, or this whole story is a fabrication.

Yup. Obviously you've never lived anywhere the temp got below about +32.

Hence have no understanding of how an internal combustion engine won't run at all when the catalytic converter is chock full of ice.

Most people who experience that cut open the converter and gut it but environmentally sensitive whackos find that disgusting and much prefer to walk.

What a steaming pile. I have lived my entire life in places that get cold winters. I have NEVER, not ONE SINGLE TIME seen or heard of a catalytic converter getting plugged with ice.

In other words: you are full of shit!

 

[Jarlaxle]

A really stupid assumption on your part. I have worked twice in temperatures at -30 F, and many times at -20 F. And were what you are claiming be the case, why are all the cars in Fairbanks running around?

They have electric heaters to keep the engines from freezing solid.

They're not really necessary anymore...modern engines will start unaided at -30.

 

[Moonglow]

[
LOL The Prius is a hybrid, has a gas engine. And many cars have a problem starting in very cold weather. Simple solution, put a small heater or lamp in the engine compartment when it is that cold.

Now as for it stopping moving after 10 miles, that has nothing to do with the cold, as by then, the gas engine should have been running a while. That, or this whole story is a fabrication.

Yup. Obviously you've never lived anywhere the temp got below about +32.

Hence have no understanding of how an internal combustion engine won't run at all when the catalytic converter is chock full of ice.

Most people who experience that cut open the converter and gut it but environmentally sensitive whackos find that disgusting and much prefer to walk.

What a steaming pile. I have lived my entire life in places that get cold winters. I have NEVER, not ONE SINGLE TIME seen or heard of a catalytic converter getting plugged with ice.

In other words: you are full of shit!

The only way is if it has a hole in it..

 

[Viacheslav]

[
They're not really necessary anymore...modern engines will start unaided at -30.

As I live in Russia, I can say that literally today the night temperature was about -30 С. If the car was overnight at a temperature of -30, without any additional solutions for warming up the car, the car has many chances not to start at next morning.
And a simple solution is just a self-timer start (once every 2-3 hours) for 10-15 minutes, a bit more complicated (I use it), automatic engine start according to the oil temperature in the engine he engine starts if the oil temperature is less than -15 С and runs for 10-15 minutes, usually, if the car is on the street with a temperature of -30, then one or two starts per night is enough. And, of course, very popular special heaters for engines (both electric and petrol).

 

[Jarlaxle]

Then something is wrong with the car.

 

[Viacheslav]

Then something is wrong with the car.

Perhaps, but even a new car "just from the store" can also have problems with starting, if the car was on the street all night at -30 ° C, of course, there are many reasons, first of all, the state of the battery, the quality of the fuel, the condition of the spark plugs and so on. But as shown in practice in our winters, it is better to take some measures to warm up the engine. Some people use even such solutions:

 

[Old Rocks]

In 1984, I had a diesel VW Rabbit in Eastern Oregon. We had a cold winter there that year, with many nights below 0 F. A couple at -30. Even with a block heater that attached with a magnet to the engine, below 0 F I had to coast it down the hill to start the car.

 

[MarathonMike]

I remember as a kid living on a military base in Anchorage Alaska that the flat spot on the bottom of the tires would freeze. The tires would go "clop clop clop" down the road until they warmed up.

 

[Viacheslav]

By the way, about the temperature, today I had to go by car, and the temperature was -38