Cold weather range

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Ualdriver

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 24, 2010
Messages
48
Has Nissan given any guidance as to what type of hit we will take in cold weather as far as range is concerned? I understand that range is dependent upon many different things, but has there been anything stating, for example, that at 32F, range might decrease by 20%? It surely has been tested in cold weather, so they must have some sort of idea.
 
Too hard to account for individual driving habits and conditions. Generally there is little loss in cold weather. Until you start using the electrically powered heater and electrically heated seats. Creating heat from electricity is not really efficient and you could see a 50% range hit.
 
Dav said:
Too hard to account for individual driving habits and conditions.

Not necessarily. Nissan is throwing around a 100 mile range despite differences in individual driving habits and conditions. Certainly they could estimate what the range hit will be on, for example, a 32F day.
 
evnow said:
I see reports of 20% loss in winter in Tesla forums. Seen worse from mini e.

That's what I'm thinking.....maybe 20% or so near freezing temperatures- perhaps less if you tell your Leaf to preheat itself while it is still plugged into an electric socket. I image TN as an initial launch market gets pretty cold in the winter. I guess we'll find out for sure this winter but it would be nice if we got some very educated guesses from Nissan.
 
The 100 mile range is for a very specific set of circumstances in the standardized "LA4" circuit. It is very hard to know what experience each driver will have in the many different driving conditions. I would estimate that in freezing weather the range would be reduced between 20 and 40 percent. However, the variables are MANY. Stored in warmer garage? Traveling for the whole time or parked at work in cold? How much heat do you want in the cabin? The list goes on...
 
evnow said:
I see reports of 20% loss in winter in Tesla forums...
This seems consistent with what I experience with my Zap Xebra in Spokane. It takes a lot of power to heat the car, but once warm, in moderately cold weather (say around freezing) it does not take a lot to keep it warm. 50 amps at 72 volts heats up the Xebra pretty quickly, and after that I just have to give it the occasional brief shot on low power (25 amps).

A driver in North Dakota in January would use a lot more heat.
 
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