Electric automobiles suffer dramatic reductions in battery life when air temperatures are either cold or hot, the American Automobile Association reports. The findings are not new, but they are receiving more media attention after the prominent AAA released a report on the topic last week.
Paul Chesser of the National Legal and Policy Center published an excellent article summarizing the AAA findings and explaining how poor electric vehicle range is not a new revelation.
Chesser noted electric vehicle owners report less vehicle range than industry claims even when temperatures are optimal. For example, Leaf owner Murray Thibodeaux reported, “My average is just a little over 70 [miles] in perfect conditions, but when it got really cold we were just getting 40 miles.” Chesser noted AAA said it rated “normal” range at 105 miles.
“AAA’s study only confirmed what has been reported often elsewhere, but the organization’s influence at least caused a few more journalists to notice and some consumers to become more aware of yet another shortcoming of EVs,” wrote Chesser.
Chesser’s full article is available here at the National Legal and Policy Center website.
