{"id":3064,"date":"2019-07-12T13:36:25","date_gmt":"2019-07-12T11:36:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/en.advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/?p=3064"},"modified":"2019-07-12T13:36:25","modified_gmt":"2019-07-12T11:36:25","slug":"tips-to-managing-electric-vehicle-range-in-winter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/2019\/07\/12\/tips-to-managing-electric-vehicle-range-in-winter\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips to Managing Electric Vehicle Range in Winter"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"The<\/p>\n

The Nissan Leaf and other BEVs in the GCEA fleet operate regularly throughout the winter at elevations greater than 7,000 feet. GCEA has since pulled the Leaf and a Chevy Spark from the loaner program and will be selling them. Photos courtesy of GCEA.<\/em><\/p>\n

Tips to Managing Electric Vehicle Range in Winter<\/h2>\n

Alliy Sahagan coasted in a 2017 Nissan Leaf into the Gunnison County Electric Association (GCEA) warehouse in Gunnison, Colo. on the electric vehicle equivalent of running on fumes. Just minutes earlier, the Leaf\u2019s dashboard told her the car had zero miles left and a 9% battery charge.<\/p>\n

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Sahagan was returning from what was supposed to be a 25-mile test drive on a minus 5-degrees Fahrenheit January morning. When she left the electric utility company\u2019s warehouse, she didn\u2019t notice the battery level was at 63%.<\/p>\n

Sahagan knew GCEA operating guidelines warn battery electric vehicle (BEV) operators to expect up to a 40% reduction in vehicle range in Gunnison\u2019s subzero winter weather.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIn my haste, I neglected to follow some of my own EV prep preaching,\u201d says Sahagan, who oversees the association\u2019s BEV loan program, which includes the Leaf, a Chevy Spark model and two other hybrid-electric vehicles.<\/p>\n

She has since used this story as a cautionary tale to help people remember the dos and don\u2019ts of operating electric vehicles during the winter.<\/p>\n

Battery Science<\/h3>\n

According to the University of Michigan\u2019s Energy Institute, the batteries on electric vehicles are much like human beings \u2014 they prefer the same temperature range of 60 to 80 degrees for optimal performance. As a result, charging should take place at temperatures above freezing.<\/p>\n

As the temperature drops, the battery\u2019s electrolyte fluid flows more sluggishly. At temperatures below freezing, charging the battery without first reducing the charge current causes the battery to become less mechanically stable and more prone to sudden failure, warns RELiON manufacturer of a low-temperature lithium iron phosphate battery.<\/p>\n

According to RELiON, under normal conditions, the battery\u2019s lithium ions are soaked up by the porous graphite in the anode, or negative terminal, much how a sponge soaks up water.<\/p>\n

Below freezing, however, the anode doesn\u2019t efficiently capture the lithium ions. Instead, many lithium ions coat the surface of the anode, restricting the flow of electricity and causing the battery\u2019s capacity to drop.<\/p>\n

\"GCEA
GCEA recently purchased a 2019 Tesla Model 3, which will be made available for members to test drive accompanied by an association employee. Members can still borrow the association\u2019s 2018 Chevy Bolt and 2016 Ford Fusion plug-in hybrid, pictured with the Tesla. Photos courtesy of GCEA.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Low Temp Advice<\/h3>\n

For BEV operators, these recommendations will help maximize performance and range:<\/p>\n