Somebody asked in another thread how much the cold effects my batteries.
Well, do you recognize this car?
Not only does the cold effect the batteries but rolling resistance really cranks up the power needed to go down the road (note to self: re-check tire pressure..)
If all that snow is left there, that's wind resistance as well.
Ok NOW do you recognize this car?
It was 11 degrees F this morning. That's pretty chilly.
Last night, I drove my car over to my father's house. He's almost exactly 10 miles away. I sort of babied the car to get it there. At the last stop (about a quarter mile from his house) the car quit on me because the 12V accessory battery didn't have enough juice in it to hold down the main contactor. I had to push the car out of the intersection and then manually reset the contactor. (Keep in mind my car has a used 12V battery, no DC/DC converter, and it's at night, so my headlights were running the whole time...)
Oh my.
Anywhoo - the point of getting my car over to my Dad's was that he has a workshop, which can be HEATED!!!
I am working on a
DIY HYBRID ADD-ON Pack for the car. You can read about that over in the HYBRIDS forum.
So, yeah, the cold car be harsh. It's reduced my winter capabilities to a mere 10 mile max. Also, it limits top speed and amperage, so hills quickly become trouble as well.
Even though my rear battery pack is insulated, the car has just been soaking in the cold for the last week. Ick.
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