I think if it was Edina that’d be a Tesla.
I did a LOT of driving around Central NJ today, and I am a very observant old coot.
My sightings for the day include 5 Tesla Model 3s, but it is entirely possible that I might have missed one or more of them.
Although I am not fond of white interiors, I have to say that the Tesla Model 3 (Navy Blue with a white interior) that I saw in the parking lot of the Princeton Whole Foods today was… spectacular!
You may be right, but this dentist lives in Canada. Smart Cars has since dropped the diesel version; it just did not have a great deal of power.
Boy, is that an understatement. I saw a road test and it had the diesel 0 to 60 at 16 seconds .
…12 years ago, does he still own that car?
He gave it to his son as a second car when he sold his practice and moved to Mexico. He probably drives a Volkswagen there, since service availability was always important to him.
Smart Cars here are sold and serviced by a nearby Mercedes dealer. The car still lumbers on.
Pretty old story for an EV topic (2014) and no link to the study. There is no doubt that there is some effect, but people use EVs in cold weather pretty successfully in actual practice. Interesting that the AAA Southern California did that study. Why would they bother?
There are plenty of more recent examples if you care to look for yourself. It’s hard to defy the laws of physics. here’s a 2018 article- https://www.caranddriver.com/features/tested-how-cold-weather-affects-ev-range-feature
There is no doubt that there is some effect
All EVs suffer substantial range degradation in cold ambient conditions
Some v substantial…
and no link to the study
Now if you want scientific study results then feel free to do the research yourself. I know enough about batteries to know what effect can be expected so I don’t dispute the conclusion. If you’re not convinced, by all means look for someone publishing their results…
people use EVs in cold weather pretty successfully in actual practice
That’s a pretty general and broad statement. Of course some people can utilize an electric car for their circumstances. It doesn’t mean the range hasn’t been significantly affected. It just means that their requirements fall within the degraded performance. I’m on the road every workday with a pretty large stream of people commuting from well outside the Boston area where the range degradation effects described are concerning in the colder months (e.g. November to May). YMMV.
Hey, it gets COLD there. I went there once in the winter and had to put on long pants!
I think we’re kind of getting off the original topic when we talk about low-range EVs like the 1st gen Leaf, etc. The idea that a Tesla specifically, which is what was asked about, would suffer sufficient range degradation to be problematic for the majority of drivers is flat out wrong, because the majority of us do not drive 200-ish miles per day.
Those little EVs with only 80 miles of range on a good day… Yeah, you’ve got a point, but the thread wasn’t about why OP doesn’t see Leafs (Leaves?) in Denver.
They opened a dealership near my house in the Philadelphia suburbs 2 months ago. I happened to meet the GM last week and he told me they were moving 24 units a month, which is right in line with their business plan.
Electric cars have many issues. Range is a major one. The second one is charging time. The third is four season climate driving.
Do you want to wait an hour for your car to charge?
I just completed three years of a Nissan Leaf lease. The charging time is a major show stopper. Charging stations in Pennsylvania are few and farther than the range.
Tesla charging stations in my state are staggered ~40-50 miles apart, which should be sufficient for somebody who is doing more than just local driving.
Stepping back to the OP - As to whether Teslas have the options people in cold areas want, Tesla’s Model 3 has heated front and also rear seats. It is also available now with AWD. Tesla has been lagging with the heated steering wheel. The Model 3 outsold all of Acura and also outsold all of Audi in November. The as-delivered price of a RWD mid-range battery Model 3 now starts at about $47K, not $70K. Until recently with the longer range battery, the as delivered starting price was between $55K and $59K before incentives. Because Tesla insisted on packages to anyone it filled an order for. The new AWD trims can cost more and does go into the Mid-$70ks. The Model 3 Production really only started in earnest in July. You can check out the sales trends at Inside EVs.
Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t think the majority of buyers in the $50K to $75K range are without garages. If they have garages, those Model 3s are plugged in, fully charged to 300 miles range, and the cabins are preconditioned by morning. Regardless of the temperature outside. Anyone who buys an EV in a winter region without a garage and without their own dedicated charger has much bigger EV lifestyle concerns. Remember, Tesla never built any “standard range” Model 3 cars. So before cold weather range reductions, the car starts at 310 miles when charged. The top-selling car in Norway last month was the Leaf. Earlier this year, Tesla began to get bad press in Norway because service was well below expectations. That is going to be a challenge for Tesla in the U.S. as well.
As I alluded to in the other thread you started, you bought the wrong car because you didn’t properly research its limitations and determine that it didn’t meet your needs. Don’t blame the car for that…
True, although to be fair many of us in cold states have our own garages, often heated, and then drive to work and the car sits out side in -20 weather freezing all day. So garage or not, range reduction is an important thing to consider.
It’s why I don’t have an EV yet. Tesla and others in its price range are the only ones that go far enough to meet my needs, and while we are saving for one, we don’t have the cash yet.
To the point about range and performance limits in colder weather, I read a lot about the new Prius with AWD coming in January to the U.S. One thing that I noted, but didn’t fully appreciate was that Toyota says “The AWD-e models rely on a Nickel-Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) battery, since nickel batteries are inherently resilient to extreme temperature change.” The temp affects of EV and hybrid batteries are something I’m going to start paying more attention to. This post really has me thinking now.
Range is NOT a problem for 90% of all commuters. If it is then I suggest you move closer to work.
You’re forgetting the FACT that you charge the car while you’re at home. It is inconvenient for people who live in an apartment that doesn’t have charging stations. But since most people who buy electric cars have a garage will charge it at home…kinda makes the charging time moot.
Bull. I see Tesla’s almost every day here in NH and MA while driving to work. I don’t think Tesla would have opened a dealership in Boston if it was an issue.
I saw a Tesla S last Friday. It was driven by a quite elderly lady. Modern version of the “Little Old Lady From Pasadena”?
No free lunch, there are tradeoffs between the two technologies. Easier than typing- here’s a link that describes some of them- https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1120320_lithium-ion-vs-nickel-metal-hydride-toyota-still-likes-both-for-its-hybrids
It’s like the people you see driving a new Vette. Only older wealthy people can afford them.
Maybe when I’m 80 I can finally afford a Vette. Then all the younger people can complain that this old coot is driving around in a brand new vette.