Could anyone with experience of EV’s please comment on the effectiveness of heating/air conditioning. My wife’s health conditions make her very sensitive to hot/ cold and the conventional heater is simple to adjust. I am aware that some TVs rely on heated seats/steering wheel, but what about ambient heating and the ability to blow hot or cold air for short durations?
Heating is at least as good as ICE. Heat initially is created while the battery cooling system generates the heat but there’s a downside – whereas the heating also draws some power from an ICE pushing the mpg down, in a BEV it hits the range, which isn’t huge in the first place. That’s why in an EV heated seats are more important, they don’t draw power from the high voltage battery but the 12 volt one. If the in car environment needs warming, be aware that you’ll lose some range (depending upon car, potentially 25%) but planning accordingly can mean that you can cope easily enough.
MFillingham Sir. May I thank and congratulate you on the comprehensive, clear and concise guide to living with a BEV. My earlier comment had an error at the very start. I used ‘had’ instead of ‘have’. The replacement vehicle is not yet built. Thank you also for reaffirming the infrastructure deficit in rural areas especially Cornwall and for pointing out the worsening situation with the influx os summer visitors. I will, hopefully, return to an electric vehicle. The technical development will see smaller more powerful batteries….. whether lithium ( Cornish or otherwise) or hydrogen cells. We only have to see the development of mobile phones and desktop/laptop to appreciate the speed of change. Kindest regards. At last I am warm! Harry
Harry, thank you. There are new batteries in development just about everywhere, BYD have a new solid state that is used in their own cars and some Teslas. There are new materials, including silicon to increase either the capacity or charging speed. The hope is still to get a huge range rechargeable in a very short time.
Can I just clarify I’m not against BEV’s I just thought it was an interesting read and had no idea it had been debunked as false. Interesting to read from your link that the anti BEV’s don’t include the carbon foot print from drilling for, refining and transporting fuel for ICE cars.
Ok, I apologise, it’s easy to be a little touchy given how many are keen to jump in and spread misinformation deliberately.
It’s amazing how people used statistics to prove their point whilst abusing the whole statistical integrity behind their point. The most common, as you’ve pointed out is they use the most inefficient, poluting generation of electricity and attribute that to any EV and then look solely at the chemicals produced from the tail end of their ICE car and ignore the fact it was dragged up from below the Earth’s surface, transported to a plant, transformed into something suitable for purpose, then transported to a holding place, transported again to a retail hub and on again to the petrol station from which it was bought. The gallons of diesel in transport (and the creation of that fuel), the megawatts of electricity used in refining (although the refining process creates multiple products simultaneously) all forgotten.
The reality of the findings are that it does have a bigger environmental impact to build a BEV. However, from that point onwards the CO2 impacts is lots against practically none. People forget things like the efficiency of the motor, the lack of energies created in the combustion process that don’t go into forward motion (heat, noise) as opposed to the minimal losses between battery and wheels. Even forgetting all the surplus energies used getting the fuel to the car, there’s huge losses transforming petrol or diesel into mechanical energy. From generation to transformers to chargers to battery to motor to wheels the losses are less than 25%, that’s significantly less loss in the whole supply chain for each kW provided to the wheels.
There are a lot of BEV drivers here, in the process of writing all of this, I’ve realised that it’s been so long I now see driving as driving I’ve forgotten the reality of driving an ICE automatic or otherwise. The noise, the pulling away slowly, the smells, the whole experience has gone, it’s been 3 years in this car, 3.5 years before that in a Range Extended BEV (a petrol generator that kicks in when there’s insufficient battery power OR a switch has dictated petrol power still running a motor to drive the wheels) so it’s been nearly 7 years now since I owned a car driven solely by an ICE. To be honest, I know there are compromises and the infrastructure needs to improve, the understanding and attitudes to driving an electric vehicle could be better but, personally, I’ve found my future in personal mobility and it’s a glorified, over-priced, over-engineered milk float.
I'm Autistic, if I say something you find offensive, please let me know, I can guarantee it was unintentional.
I'll try to give my honest opinion but am always open to learning.
Mark