Those objecting to the coerced switch to EVs are against not technological advance but mandated technological regression.
While it is something of an exaggeration to refer to electric vehicles (EVs) as a box with wheels, a battery, and a computer, the battery accounts for a material share of an EV’s cost, and, as is argued in this piece on KXAN, it’s reasonable to think that the time when an EV’s battery comes to the end of its life will be the time when an EV owner decides to buy a new car. (Replacing a battery can cost upwards of $20,000.)
The author of the article rightly points out that battery technology has improved:
Once met with skepticism, battery technology has continued to evolve as manufacturers create larger batteries with improved range. The advanced technology of these larger new batteries also reduces battery degradation. Even as they degrade, they will still maintain a large percentage of their range. For example, a Tesla Model S only loses an estimated five percent of battery capacity over its first 50,000 miles.
Read on, however, to find this:
Although modern EV batteries are built to stand the test of time, that only remains true if they are properly maintained.
Something tells me that a catch is coming.
Avoid extreme temperatures by parking in the shade on hot days and inside a parking structure or garage in extreme cold temperatures to assist battery longevity.
Oh.
Relatedly, although it is not mentioned in this article, the ideal temperature for driving EVs is between 68 and 86 degrees. Above 95 degrees, range can fall by 15 percent. This is only a temporary problem, but it’s still a number that may catch the eye of drivers in, say, Phoenix.
Cold weather (defined as 20 degrees) can also hit a battery’s range, again temporarily, by around 10 percent. But even if it doesn’t get that cold, well, here’s PC Mag:
Cold temperatures also mean running the cabin heater. That plus other electronics—like the infotainment system—drain the car’s battery. The more they run, the quicker the charge depletes. Long stretches of highway driving also tend to sap the battery faster than city driving no matter the climate, but especially in cold weather. Taken together, these cold weather factors reduce range by up to 41%, according to AAA.
Oh yes, according to Recurrent, Idaho National Labs reported that cold weather can increase charging times almost threefold. Recurrent adds that “high temperatures can damage batteries during charging.”
But, but . . . progress.
Back to KXAN:
Modern electric cars have management systems that avoid charging and discharging at the maximum and minimum charging levels. That means never reaching a full charge or falling to zero percent. This helps avoid charging your vehicle above 80 percent or below 20 percent, which will help prolong battery life.
So, to put it another way, an EV owner wanting to eke out the maximum life for his or her EV’s battery must knock 40 percent off its range. Now, of course, this doesn’t mean that drivers must never charge their battery beyond 80 percent or let it fall below 20 percent, but this is yet another reminder that ranges may not be all that they are promised to be.
Wait, there’s more:
DC fast charging stations, also known as Level 3 EV charging stations, can bring your battery level from 1 to 80 percent in as little as 30 minutes. The added convenience of these chargers puts a strain on your EV battery, so drivers should only use these rapid charging stations when completely necessary, like road trips, and do most charging with at-home charging units or level 2 public chargers.
“As little as 30 minutes.”
Come on.
There is nothing wrong with EVs in principle, and I am confident that they will get better in time. But the idea that “only” taking 30 minutes to charge a car is something to boast about is yet another reminder that those objecting to the coerced switch to EVs are against not technological advance but rather what is, for now and under certain circumstances, mandated technological regression. Forcing a switch is objectionable for any number of reasons, but to compel a switch into what is (for now and for some) an inferior (but expensive!) product, well . . .
The best way to improve EVs is to make them compete against internal-combustion cars. There is no better way to ensure inferior EVs than to regulate or legislate away their main competition.
And, no, EVs are not going to make much of a contribution to slowing climate change anytime soon, so they do not even have that going for them.
Meanwhile, according to the Department of Transportation:
Level 2 equipment offers higher-rate AC charging through 240V (in residential applications) or 208V (in commercial applications) electrical service, and is common for home, workplace, and public charging. Level 2 chargers can charge a BEV to 80 percent from empty in 4-10 hours and a PHEV in 1-2 hours.
Four to ten hours!
This won’t be too much of a problem for people who have garages or driveways of their own, but this does not strike me as ideal for urban residents who don’t.
Then again, according to the script prepared by our climate policy-makers, these urban residents are meant to be taking public transport, cycling, or walking.