What does cold weather mean for electric vehicle

It's well known that cold weather reduces the range of electric vehicles, but for drivers, this often means more charging rather than less driving, according to a recent analysis from battery analytics firm Recurrent.

The principal business of Recurrent is creating battery health assessments for used electric vehicles, but the company analyzes the data used to make those reports to draw other conclusions about electric vehicle use.

According to its most recent research, while most electric vehicle users deplete their batteries a little more, cold-weather performance fulfills driving needs. The most major effect is that they take longer to charge.

Electric car drivers self-reported a 30% average winter range reduction, and 60% claimed they used and thus paid "a bit" or "a lot" more electricity when it was cold. Those who reported spending significantly more were largely from places with exceptionally harsh winters, such as Michigan, Illinois, Minnesota, Maine, Pennsylvania, and Idaho.

This tendency might not apply to all-electric vehicle drivers. 25% of those polled claimed they "always plug in at home so they don't notice" any change in charging routines, while 15% stated they reside in locations where cold weather isn't an issue.

Some automakers are also exploring for ways to boost EV range in cold conditions. Heaters can help boost range in the winter, but only for longer trips or on highways. General Motors is betting on it to increase real-world reach. The manufacturer stated that heat pumps will be added to all of its existing and prospective electric vehicles based on the Ultium platform.

Tesla could be closing in on its 50% US delivery growth guidance

Tesla has maintained its guidance of 50 percent year-over-year delivery growth. While it appears to be on track to fulfill that target, certain studies indicate that it is just not possible. However, according to Cox Automotive data, this brand of EV may come close, at least in the United States.

Automakers rarely grow as quickly as Tesla, despite the fact that it is still a startup with factories all over the world. The auto industry as a whole has had a difficult few years, but Tesla has remained firm and demonstrated that it can prosper well beyond most brands in the face of great uncertainty and adversity.

According to a number of recent media stories and expert pronouncements, Tesla may fall short of its 50 percent growth objective this year, which would not be surprising considering the difficulties it faced in 2022. However, the electric automaker is doing everything possible to assure that it can deliver nearly every EV it can produce before the end of the year.

To meet its target, Tesla will need to sell more than 1.4 million electric vehicles globally by 2022. According to Cox Automotive's extensive study, Tesla will sell almost 134,000 cars in the United States in the fourth quarter of 2022. This would represent a 16 percent rise over the fourth quarter of 2021. Adding together all of Tesla's projected US sales for 2022, Cox calculates a total of approximately 525,000 vehicles delivered on US soil, representing a 48.9% increase in US sales for the year.

Post by Bryan C.