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from the plugging-electrics-at-an-auto-show dept.
Global automakers are showing off new electric vehicles at the Paris auto show as they look ahead to a world of tighter environmental standards and brace for rapid changes in technology.
Volkswagen, trying to recover from revelations some of its diesel cars pollute far more than is allowed, displayed the I.D, a battery-powered compact it says will sell for about what a fully equipped Golf diesel does when a production version eventually goes on the market in 2020.
Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz luxury brand unveiled a new battery-powered SUV dubbed the EQ, a concept vehicle that gives an idea of what future offerings might look like.
CEO Dieter Zetsche, dressed in faded jeans and sneakers more reminiscent of Silicon Valley executives than the more formal auto industry, said the company aimed to bring out 10 fully electric vehicles by 2025. It wants to have electrics make up 15-25 percent of global sales by then—depending, he added, on the "continued development of infrastructure and customer preferences."
Do any Soylentils have an electric car? What do you like, and dislike, about it?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 30 2016, @05:44AM
How useful are EVs at forty below? While I love the fact that we're starting to see progress on alternatives to fossil-fuel-powered cars, a good part of the world is far enough from the equator that we have to take extreme cold, snow and ice into consideration. I'd love an EV or a hybrid, but I've not heard of any real tests (and results) in environments where it sits below -30 and dips below -40 for several weeks of the year.
On the bright side, thanks to deniers we have global warming working in our favor, so maybe we'll have tropical winters in a couple of decades.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 30 2016, @06:05AM
It's fine if the battery is maintained within boundaries.
It's possible for some battery chemistries to be damaged by charging at below-freezing temps. It's possible for thermal cycling to cause shrinkage/expansion at different rates in different materials, separating or smushing parts or even breaking leads. It's common for batteries to have worse output at low temp. You'd have to get pretty darn cold for discharge to be bad/damaging (beyond 'faster wear and less energy output') but -40C might do it; -30C probably would be fine.
There are ways around this; think about how many ICE owners used to go warm up their cars before trying to drive.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 30 2016, @06:25AM
"Used to"? Sub-minus-30, there's little choice but to allow at least a short warm-up. Sub-minus-forty means making sure the car is plugged in for a few hours first (engine heater, oil heater, battery blanket), then letting it warm up for a good period of time after starting the car to make sure everything is warm enough. Not everybody is fortunate enough to own a garage, never mind one that's heated.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 30 2016, @09:53AM
> "Used to"?
Yeah, used to. Aren't we all into EVs now? Who in their right minds still has an ICE vehicle? But back when people did, block heaters etc...
(Score: 2) by quintessence on Friday September 30 2016, @06:27AM
You have block warmers for IC engines in very cold temperatures. I've read there is advanced battery monitoring to keep it within an acceptable temperature range for EVs. You're at least starting to see infrastructure to support EVs beyond living in major metropolitan areas.
What concerns me is that you haven't seen so much of a dent in obvious markets like trucking.
It would seem somebody like UPS would be very interested in lowering their operating costs, have exact routes they travel daily, and not so much as a peep in converting their existing fleet.
Until then, I find it hard to accept EVs as anything more than novelty. Maybe when my current ride is beyond repair, but I see no benefit in trading up.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by aristarchus on Friday September 30 2016, @06:32AM
How useful are EVs at forty below?
Do you not realize that electricity is more efficient at lower temperatures, and that heat is the enemy of batteries, and that you should probably not buy that Samsung #7, the hot battery special. Real question, how useful are horses at forty below?
Strange how in Alaska you do not see many people with teams of horses. Instead they have teams of dogs. Why? Obviously dog's batteries work better in extremely low temperatures.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 30 2016, @06:53PM
> Do you not realize that electricity is more efficient at lower temperatures, and that heat is the enemy of batteries,
Cold is also the enemy of batteries. [comsol.com]
It is well known that electric cars lose efficiency at colder temperatures. They get a double-whammy because they also have to run a heater whereas a gas car can just use engine heat to keep the passengers warm. Gas engines also work less efficiently in the cold, but the impact on range is a lot less because they have so much excess range to begin with and refilling a tank of gas is fast compared to charging a battery.
(Score: 3, Funny) by aristarchus on Friday September 30 2016, @07:29PM
Well known? By whom? At sufficiently low temperatures, some materials will become superconductors! Then we could have very cold Mag-Lev cars! And heaters? What real Sourdough needs a heater? Did you ever see a heater on a dogsled?
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Friday September 30 2016, @11:54AM
The second largest market for Teslas is Norway [jalopnik.com]. They have snow, very low temperatures, and mountains there. There are plenty youtube videos [youtube.com] posted by Tesla owners talking about winter driving that answer all your reservations.
Washington DC delenda est.