Forum Discussion
Lessmore
May 05, 2019Explorer II
We make a trip across three prairie provinces...a bit more than 700 miles and we usually drive straight through in 12 hours or so with our IC vehicles. It's not business trips it's to visit family. We do this trip 3-4 times a year.
Last family trip was in late January of this year...temps for half the trip. eastern Saskatchewan, western Manitoba ranged from -28 to -33 and there are few towns in that area. The internal combustion engine in our vehicle was able to provide good cabin heat...but the heater fan and heat were turned up to close to maximum.
My understanding is that batteries lose efficiency at extreme cold temperatures and any cabin heat for the vehicle, comes from the batteries that are also providing motive power to the vehicle. EV range suffers in these conditions.
I know a vehicle range of 300 ( 186 miles) -400 (248 miles) kms ... in this cold would have that range lessened significantly in the cold winters we experience, out here during prairie winters.
We couldn't do our 12 hour...700 + mile (1,126 kms) trips. On the prairies, there are no passenger trains anymore. Greyhound cut out bus service. Plane service is good to major centres, but a lot of the prairies are rural and can be very cold in the winter and if you need to travel, you generally have to rely on your own vehicle.
Looks likely that EV's will eventually take over transportation...but there needs to be significant improvement in range, charging infrastructure. I'm sure it will be here eventually...out here...and EV's will improve battery range and charging speed....but that appears be a ways in the future.
Last family trip was in late January of this year...temps for half the trip. eastern Saskatchewan, western Manitoba ranged from -28 to -33 and there are few towns in that area. The internal combustion engine in our vehicle was able to provide good cabin heat...but the heater fan and heat were turned up to close to maximum.
My understanding is that batteries lose efficiency at extreme cold temperatures and any cabin heat for the vehicle, comes from the batteries that are also providing motive power to the vehicle. EV range suffers in these conditions.
I know a vehicle range of 300 ( 186 miles) -400 (248 miles) kms ... in this cold would have that range lessened significantly in the cold winters we experience, out here during prairie winters.
We couldn't do our 12 hour...700 + mile (1,126 kms) trips. On the prairies, there are no passenger trains anymore. Greyhound cut out bus service. Plane service is good to major centres, but a lot of the prairies are rural and can be very cold in the winter and if you need to travel, you generally have to rely on your own vehicle.
Looks likely that EV's will eventually take over transportation...but there needs to be significant improvement in range, charging infrastructure. I'm sure it will be here eventually...out here...and EV's will improve battery range and charging speed....but that appears be a ways in the future.
About Travel Trailer Group
44,026 PostsLatest Activity: Feb 22, 2025