It's a good idea to keep a beady eye on the range calculator on an EV as the weather gets colder. As anybody who has ever needed to jump-start their car knows, winter can be hard on a car battery.
On an electric vehicle, the main culprit of battery range is the cabin heater.
In a conventional internal-combustion engine, heat is a natural byproduct of the burning of the fossil fuel, making the heating of the interior of a car an activity that carries no penalty on fuel mileage.
The electric motor on an EV is so efficient it produces very little heat. So when EV owners turn on the car's heater, it draws on power from the battery, which makes a significant impact on the car's range.
My Mitsubishi has an onboard computer that instantly calculates expected range of the battery to empty. I can tell instantly how my range is affected when I switch different equipment on and off.
Here is an example taken from earlier this week, with the outside temperature hovering at a balmy 10 degrees. Remember these are only estimates. As they say in the fine print, actual mileage will vary.
? Total mileage with all accessories off: 97 km.
? Mileage with heater switched on its highest setting (fan on high): 75 km.
? Mileage with heater switched to Max setting (fan at maximum): 63 km.
? Mileage with heater switched to max and air conditioner on: 52 km.
These numbers were taken on my driveway, with the car in park.
As you can see, my total mileage for the day would be almost halved if I chose to drive with all my accessories on high. In real-world driving, I would get back a few extra kilometres of range as I turn down my heater once the car has warmed up. Similarly, I would use the air conditioner only briefly to defrost the windshield.
The fan speed also affects mileage. Mileage drops in tandem with an increase in the fan's intensity. It pays to drive with the fan set on medium or low.
The i-MiEV is also equipped with a heated driver's seat. Its operation doesn't seem to affect the battery as much as the forced-air heater. Ditto with the rear-window defroster.
Using the headlights, radio and other accessories has no effect on range whatsoever - they are run separately by a regular automotive battery under the hood.
To reduce a driver's need to warm the vehicle in the morning, Mitsubishi allows the operator to remotely pre-heat the car if it is plugged into the home charger. In the summer it can also start up the vehicle's air conditioner before starting a trip.
The range can be extended if the car is parked in a heated garage and the battery is kept out of the cold.
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