5 ms·
This is a good point, with a few caveats: 1) gasoline-fueled cars have a significantly higher range than their electric battery-fueled peers, 2) heat is "free
by WiseWeasel 14y ago
This is a good point, with a few caveats:
1) gasoline-fueled cars have a significantly higher range than their electric battery-fueled peers,
2) heat is "free" in a gas-fueled car where it's an added cost in electric battery-fueled cars, and
3) gas range is more predictable than battery capacity, the latter of which being more sensitive to ambient temperature.
These factors contribute to a significant advantage for gasoline-fueled cars in colder climates.
- ceejayoz 14y ago> 1) gasoline-fueled cars have a significantly higher range than their electric battery-fueled peers, The Tesla's 300 mile range is pretty close to most of the gas-powered cars I've owned here in the US. > 2) heat is "free" in a gas-fueled car where it's an added cost in electric battery-fueled cars, and Yes, but idling an electric car is free, where it's an added cost in gasoline-fueled cars. If I slide into a ditch in winter and get stuck, I'm going to be depleting my fuel either way.
- WiseWeasel 14y agoWith a 16-gallon tank at 25MPG, you'd get 400 driving miles out of a tank, and many hours of idling (assuming typical consumption of 1/4 to 1/2 gallon per hour idling gives us a minimum of 32 hours on a 16-gallon tank of gas). It's not clear how long you could run just the heater on a model S, but I'd assume it's over a day on a relatively full charge. Still, 33% more range is nothing to sneeze at. While I'm at it, I'll also note the density of gas stations as a huge advantage over the relatively sparse network of battery charging stations, which can certainly add to the anxiety of winter driving, as mentioned in the review.