• bstix
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    11 months ago

    EVs do perform worse in cold, but starting really isn’t as much of an issue as it is with combustion engines.

    The main reason why old cars can’t start in the cold is because the 12v battery can get low due to the cold and can’t power the spark plug. Or from some movable part being frozen.

    An EV also has a 12v, but it doesn’t require any particular power to start, so it really doesn’t matter if it gets low. It also has fewer moving parts in the engine.

    Even in extreme conditions or from having shitty batteries, they can quickly preheat. There’s no reason to keep them warm all day long. There are preheaters for combustion engines too, so unless you’re driving ice road truckers, there’s never a good reason to keep the engine idling on any type of car. Idling is generally bad for engines too.

    However, a good reason to preheat an EV while it’s still plugged in is to use the grid for heating and thereby saving the battery range for driving.