Quote:
Originally Posted by Arragonis
Evening battery and 'alternatives' style people. I hope you don't mind this intrusion from the sooty world of Diesel 
Anyhow his week we (in Scotland) have had snow, lots of it. Which led to the main road here (the M8) being closed and people having to spend the day and night in their cars, in the cold. Not nice. The man responsible has resigned and the people have been freed.
This got me thinking and I thought I would pose a scenario, especially as cars like the Leaf are going to get a subsidy here and so people may just buy them. Crazy I know but they might. I'm kind of wondering how this scenario would affect an EV.
So, lets say you are on your way home, its cold-ish but light evening. The road stops and is closed for say 3-5 hours. OK I know your local authorities may take action to get you off asap but what if they can't and you are stuck for say 4-5 hours - I have been before even in good weather.
In an EV everything you need is powered by the batteries. Heat, tunes, lights, the lot. So how do you keep it all going ? How do you make sure you have enough left to get going after it all clears ? And what about the extreme scenario, overnight in the snow for up to 12-14 hours and a 30 mile journey ?
This may sound extreme and it may sound like a doubter 'having a go' but it is one of those obstacles to selling these things as real alternatives. |
Many gas vehicles if stuck in one place idling for more than 4 hours would run out of gas, my dodge truck for example (depending on how much gas was in the tank at the time)
Anyway an EV does not need to have electric heat, my commutacar had a small propane bottle and defroster originally which the 2nd owner kept for reasons I can't explain.
So an EV can run the heat off something else if it is to be used primarily in a winter climate.
Also an EV would tend not to go dead "idling" if you were not running electric heat because that takes very little electricity.
Cheers
Ryan