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> EVs have some advantages at higher elevations since they don't lose power like combustion engines do. That’s somewhat true, if you ignore the “cold weather”

> EVs have some advantages at higher elevations since they don't lose power like combustion engines do. That’s somewhat true, if you ignore the “cold weather” part. Many (most?) new cars are turbocharged though, which also compensates for the higher altitude. Combine that with the fact most people don’t live in the mountains, and it’s likely range can become an issue in the winter.

stetrain 3y ago
Yes, cold weather can reduce range. A lot of newer EVs use heat pumps which help with that efficiency. It all depends on distances and charger availability. If you have home charging and go on hikes in cold mountain weather within a ~100mi radius of home, or a fast charging station, you're probably fine with a lot of EVs on the market.
- 0xbadcafebee 3y ago
  The next aspect is capability. 4wd/awd is nice, but in winter on mountain trails you want ground clearance too. And finally, price is a big part of it. Some of us don't want to be saddled with a 15 year payment and interest, on top of the premium you still pay in this economy for any car. Used cars can be had for a 10th of the cost of new, and EVs are even more expensive. Why buy EV at all when ICE is cheaper? For a "regular" consumer car, EVs can be price competitive, and would have been really competitive back in the days of the big rebates. But today, more capable EVs are quite a bit more than ICE. In 10 years hopefully offroad and heavy-duty EVs will be cheaper (and more available - I don't see any F350/F450/F550 EVs). But today there isn't really an option.
  - stetrain 3y ago
    Of course. There are some very off-road capable EVs (check out Rivian) but they are pricey. Lower prices requires scaling up mass production of batteries and cars which is what is happening. Gas cars have had a century of mass production economies of scale to reach their current production efficiency. And generally cars do not come used and depreciated from the factory, so that market will develop over time. As will charging infrastructure, which is expanding rapidly through lot of public and private investment over the next few years.

stetrain 3y ago

Yes, cold weather can reduce range. A lot of newer EVs use heat pumps which help with that efficiency. It all depends on distances and charger availability. If you have home charging and go on hikes in cold mountain weather within a ~100mi radius of home, or a fast charging station, you're probably fine with a lot of EVs on the market.

0xbadcafebee 3y ago
The next aspect is capability. 4wd/awd is nice, but in winter on mountain trails you want ground clearance too. And finally, price is a big part of it. Some of us don't want to be saddled with a 15 year payment and interest, on top of the premium you still pay in this economy for any car. Used cars can be had for a 10th of the cost of new, and EVs are even more expensive. Why buy EV at all when ICE is cheaper? For a "regular" consumer car, EVs can be price competitive, and would have been really competitive back in the days of the big rebates. But today, more capable EVs are quite a bit more than ICE. In 10 years hopefully offroad and heavy-duty EVs will be cheaper (and more available - I don't see any F350/F450/F550 EVs). But today there isn't really an option.
- stetrain 3y ago
  Of course. There are some very off-road capable EVs (check out Rivian) but they are pricey. Lower prices requires scaling up mass production of batteries and cars which is what is happening. Gas cars have had a century of mass production economies of scale to reach their current production efficiency. And generally cars do not come used and depreciated from the factory, so that market will develop over time. As will charging infrastructure, which is expanding rapidly through lot of public and private investment over the next few years.