Questions About Electric Vehicles

[Maine farmer]

How do electric vehicles perform in cold climates?  I've always understood that batteries don't do well in cold weather, and then you will also have the extra drain of keeping the driver and passengers warm, as well as windshield defrosting that would drain the batteries even more.  Do they have any solutions in the works for use of electric vehicles in extreme cold?

 

Also, when you consider the environmental impacts of mining the materials for use in batteries, are electric vehicles actually "cleaner" than internal combustion engines?

[exchemist]

How do electric vehicles perform in cold climates?  I've always understood that batteries don't do well in cold weather, and then you will also have the extra drain of keeping the driver and passengers warm, as well as windshield defrosting that would drain the batteries even more.  Do they have any solutions in the works for use of electric vehicles in extreme cold?

 

Also, when you consider the environmental impacts of mining the materials for use in batteries, are electric vehicles actually "cleaner" than internal combustion engines?

I can't answer the question about the effect of temperature on battery performance. I imagine it depends on the battery chemistry.

 

As for the overall environmental impact compared to IC engined vehicles, I think it is important to keep two points clear when attempting this.

 

1) The chief  environmental advantage of electric vehicles is specifically to reduce climate change, which is by far the most serious environmental change faced by the planet due to human activity. There is no way one can trade off CO2 emissions against other forms of pollution, e.g. heavy metal contamination. I would argue that an increase in these other forms of pollution is a price well worth paying, if we must.

 

2) The contribution of electric vehicles to reducing climate change depends entirely on how the electricity to power them is generated. They are an enabling technology but they can only deliver their potential benefits when linked to non-fossil fuel based power generation. As we reduce our use of fossil fuels for electricity, their contribution will increase. (Musk's idea of linking domestic solar panels to a recharger for an electric vehicle and selling the two as a package is interesting, I think.)

 

Personally I think it is amazing that electric vehicles have now come so far, when they seemed so unpromising only a decade ago. I think society should support them strongly as one of our routes out of the climate change trap. We will get better at overcoming their weaknesses, including the pollution aspect, and at maximising their contribution. 

Edited April 25, 2018 by exchemist

[Maine farmer]

 

 

Personally I think it is amazing that electric vehicles have now come so far, when they seemed so unpromising only a decade ago. I think society should support them strongly as one of our routes out of the climate change trap. We will get better at overcoming their weaknesses, including the pollution aspect, and at maximising their contribution. 

I agree to a point, but I think we are going to have to start getting people to learn to get by with less of everything as well.  There is a huge building boom going on in my town with a lot of new huge houses being built by people who work a good hour drive away, or more!  What a needless waste of what was decent farmland not so long ago.

[exchemist]

I agree to a point, but I think we are going to have to start getting people to learn to get by with less of everything as well.  There is a huge building boom going on in my town with a lot of new huge houses being built by people who work a good hour drive away, or more!  What a needless waste of what was decent farmland not so long ago.

On the other hand, I read that increasing number of younger city dwellers are choosing not to own a car at all. Public transport plus bike seems to do the job. I am actually close to that point myself, only using the car to visit my old dad in his nursing home once a week.

 

But I did notice, during my time in Houston, that cities tend to sprawl until the commute time to the centre is about 1hr. If you build a lot of freeways, people just move out until it takes them an hour to get to work again! 

[hazelm]

I agree to a point, but I think we are going to have to start getting people to learn to get by with less of everything as well.  There is a huge building boom going on in my town with a lot of new huge houses being built by people who work a good hour drive away, or more!  What a needless waste of what was decent farmland not so long ago.

McMansions?  They are all over the country now.  So close together that you have no privacy at all.  Only benefit is that you also have very little grass to mow.  :-)

 

Think what they must cost to heat. 

 

I know I'm a bit behind on this but had to say it as we just lost a beautiful acreage to a flock of them. 

[hazelm]

On the other hand, I read that increasing number of younger city dwellers are choosing not to own a car at all. Public transport plus bike seems to do the job. I am actually close to that point myself, only using the car to visit my old dad in his nursing home once a week.

 

But I did notice, during my time in Houston, that cities tend to sprawl until the commute time to the centre is about 1hr. If you build a lot of freeways, people just move out until it takes them an hour to get to work again! 

Most cities I am familiar with do not have good public transportation.  So, that's a gamble.  You end up relying on taxis.   Then, as you said, it takes so much time.  One nice day last summer I decided to try the bus to a particular place I wanted to visit.  First I had to walk one mile to the bus stop.  Two transfers and an hour and 20 minutes later, I finally arrived facing another half mile walk into town.   When I was ready to go home, I called a cab.  It arrived, maybe ten minutes later.  From that point, a fifteen minute ride had me home.

 

The times, they have also changed where public transportation is concerned.  Don't make any bets.