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Every car maker tests models in cold weather climates. Even car makers with electric models. In fact I've seen video footage of a Tesla driving around in froz

Every car maker tests models in cold weather climates. Even car makers with electric models. In fact I've seen video footage of a Tesla driving around in frozen conditions...it was boring, but that was the point- it just worked. I do think cold weather operation has some trade-offs, but I don't think it's enough to impede sales in cold climates.

jfb 12y ago
I think the point is that cold weather imposes different trade-offs on a pure electric than it does on a conventional car. This is largely expressed in decreased range -- but then again, an IC engine will also be less efficient in Winnipeg than LA.
- scott_karana 12y ago
  > I think the point is that cold weather imposes different trade-offs on a pure electric than it does on a conventional car. This is largely expressed in decreased range -- but then again, an IC engine will also be less efficient in Winnipeg than LA. I don't know if that's necessarily true. Doesn't the Carnot equation imply that it's the difference between engine temperature and ambient that helps determine efficiency? Eg, a 100° engine running in 100° ambient is inefficient, but a 100° running in 200° or in 0° will be equally efficient?
  - seanflyon 12y ago
    > I don't know if that's necessarily true It's not necessarily true, but it happens to be true.
    - scott_karana 12y ago
      Though you are correct, it would have been nice to at least present an explanation. I was asking a legitimate question. This would have helped, for example: http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/coldweather.shtml http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/coldweather.shtml
      - seanflyon 12y ago
        I apologize if my tone implied that your question was illegitimate. I thought that someone reading your comment might think that IC engines do not lose efficiency in low temperatures. I wanted to make it clear that in fact they do, but that they don't fundamentally have to. I did not present an explanation because I did not know the correct explanation (thanks for that link).

jfb 12y ago

I think the point is that cold weather imposes different trade-offs on a pure electric than it does on a conventional car. This is largely expressed in decreased range -- but then again, an IC engine will also be less efficient in Winnipeg than LA.

scott_karana 12y ago
> I think the point is that cold weather imposes different trade-offs on a pure electric than it does on a conventional car. This is largely expressed in decreased range -- but then again, an IC engine will also be less efficient in Winnipeg than LA. I don't know if that's necessarily true. Doesn't the Carnot equation imply that it's the difference between engine temperature and ambient that helps determine efficiency? Eg, a 100° engine running in 100° ambient is inefficient, but a 100° running in 200° or in 0° will be equally efficient?
- seanflyon 12y ago
  > I don't know if that's necessarily true It's not necessarily true, but it happens to be true.
  - scott_karana 12y ago
    Though you are correct, it would have been nice to at least present an explanation. I was asking a legitimate question. This would have helped, for example: http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/coldweather.shtml http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/coldweather.shtml
    - seanflyon 12y ago
      I apologize if my tone implied that your question was illegitimate. I thought that someone reading your comment might think that IC engines do not lose efficiency in low temperatures. I wanted to make it clear that in fact they do, but that they don't fundamentally have to. I did not present an explanation because I did not know the correct explanation (thanks for that link).