Winter Range Decreases No Matter Your Vehicle. Here’s How ICEs and EVs are Different | Utilimarc Fleet FYIs

Gretchen Reese (00:24):

Hey, there. Welcome to the Fleet FYIs podcast, the weekly podcast by Utilimarc that reveals how you can make the most of your data for smarter fleet management. My name is Gretchen, and every week you'll hear from me or some of the industry's finest in candid conversations that will not only shed some light on over two decades worth of fleet data insights, but also some of the industry's hottest talking points and key metric analysis with the aim to help you better understand your fleet from every angle. 

(00:52):

But before we begin, if this is the first time you've heard our show, thanks for stopping by, I'm so glad you decided to come along for the ride with us, but I've got a quick favor to ask you, once you finish today's episode, if you could take a few minutes to leave us a review on your favorite podcasting platform, we would really appreciate it. Give us a rating, five stars I hope, or tell us what you liked, or leave us a comment, or a question about what you've heard in today's episode. If we haven't yet covered a topic that you're interested in hearing more about, let us know, we would be happy to go over it in detail in a later show.

(01:34):

Hello, everyone. Happy new year, and welcome back to the official start of the third season of the Fleet FYIs podcast. Yes we are back and better than ever, back with fresh new episodes, new guest roster, and all of the good stuff that comes along with that. Now, as I do at the beginning of every season of this show, I wanna open it up to you before we kick off this season, what topics would you like to hear about from us on this season of Fleet FYIs? Let me know what you'd like to hear us cover. If you would like to hear any interviews from a specific person or from a certain industry, you name it, you never know what may pop up later on in this season. 

(02:14):

Anyways, today's show is an exciting one, we are talking all about winter range. We all know that range decreases in the winter regardless of the vehicle type, if you drive an internal combustion engine or an electric vehicle. This boils down to fuel mix and composition, and decrease in battery life due to the necessary powering of all vehicle accessories, think, heating and cooling, et cetera. But why is that, and exactly how different is the range in the wintertime between these two vehicle types? Because we all know that this is one of the main concerns that a lot of people have when they're considering the purchase of an electric vehicle, whether it's for fleets or for personal use. 

(02:57):

Now, when it comes to vehicle range, operating in what are considered to be sub-optimal weather conditions, ha- has an inevitable and rather significant effect. Now, this includes both extreme cold winter conditions as well as scorching hot summer temperatures. For those of you that live in warmer climates, you know that it's not just ice that can make the road slick, all my Memphis and our Nashville folks I'm looking at you, (laughs), but the cold just so happens to be a common argument against adopting electric vehicles as cold winter temperatures can affect battery performance and decreases range significantly. 

(03:32):

What a lot of people don't point out, however, is that cold weather has always affected range and internal combustion engines as well. Air has higher density the colder it is, so naturally d- driving at high speeds in the winter increases the drag on your vehicle, using up more fuel more quickly in both internal combustion engines and also energy in terms of EVs, because we all know EVs don't have fuel unless you're driving hybrid. Now, low temperatures can also cause tire pressure to decrease, which increases rolling resistance in all vehicle types, doesn't matter the energy or fuel source here. And these are just a couple of the ways that extreme winters can affect both electric and internal combustion engine vehicles just off the top of my head. 

(04:14):

So, in my mind, that brings up the question, why is the impact on internal combustion engine vehicles range not brought up nearly as often as, "Ooh, EVs don't do well in cold weather. What should I do about it?" As a fleet manager operating in colder climates, it can be worth comparing the effect of low temperatures on both your EV and ICE models, and it can even help in making decisions regarding the best vehicles for your fleet, as well as, of course, taking action to maintain optimal range despite your low temperatures. Let's dig in.

(05:00):

So, let's talk about the winter range of electric vehicles. I mean, we all wanna start off with the big kicker of the episode, don't we? (laughs). So, we all know that cold weather can cause a decrease in range for electric vehicles. That's no trade secret here, we all know that by now, or at least I hope we do. For electric vehicles, cold weather can decrease their range by up to 40%, which is a pretty daunting number for any person driving a vehicle or a fleet manager specifically. And this can affect operating schedules and route planning in addition to changing a fleet's charging strategy from how it works for the rest of the year when the temperatures aren't as cold. 

(05:37):

One thing I'd love to do is discuss the top contributing factors to the significant drop in range. Now, first up we have in-cabin climate control. So, we're talking about your heating, and your air conditioning, and all that sorts of good stuff there. So, we all know that the inside, or heating the inside of your truck or inside any other vehicle type here is the absolute first thing you wanna do when you set out on a 20 degree winter morning, or, you know, colder if you're experiencing a Minnesota, or Midwestern, or Canadian, or Northern European winter too. Unfortunately, the downside is that this is probably one of the most draining activities for an EV battery. Vehicles often spend about five to 10 minutes idling when they're warmed up to a comfortable temperature for driving, but what a lot of people don't know is that actually lowers both your vehicle's range and fuel economy all in one go. About two-thirds of the extra energy consumed in the winter is due solely to in-cabin climate control. Now, this includes, like I said, heater fans, heated seats, and wheel and window defrosters, you know, the whole smorgasbord board of different things there, right?

(06:48):

Now, if we talk about lower battery performance being the next step on my list, the second major perpetrator is the EV's battery performance in this less than ideal condition, or what is deemed as less than ideal, right? Colder weather. The lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles have optimal operating temperatures of 68 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit. The lower you drop from this number, the quicker batteries charge depletes and the longer it takes to recharge. Think about taking your phone out in the winter as well, for those of you that have smartphones, you'll notice the battery goes, um, a little bit faster to that dreaded zero number or to a lower charge. It's the same basic principle. 

(07:28):

Now, EV battery technology has come a long, long way, and you know that's important to take note of. Thermal management systems exist within battery packs to ensure that they're kept in an ideal optimal temperature when being used, but still, as your car can take a little while to warm up to its ideal temperature, shorter trips will likely be made at suboptimal temperatures for the battery itself and opt-, and ultimately not be the most fuel, or, I guess, energy efficient because, you know, again, EVs don't use traditional fuel sources, and could mean that your range could be significantly impacted.

(08:14):

Now, for their counterpart, let's talk about the winter range of internal combustion engine vehicles. Like we were chatting about before, it's not only electric vehicles that suffer from ice-cold, freezing, tundric winter conditions. Yes, I made up the word tundric, but it's kinda fitting, you know? Maybe, I don't know (laughs). Anyways, internal combustion engines face their own challenges in the cold that can weaken vehicle performance and fuel efficiency. At 20 degrees Fahrenheit, a gasoline or a petrol-powered car gets about 15% less mileage than it would at 77 degrees Fahrenheit. But why? Well, part of it is cold starting the engine, that's probably the biggest part, and, you know, just like an EV's battery, the engine of an internal combustion engine vehicle has an operating temperature sweet spot, so to say, between 195 and 220 degrees Fahrenheit. Setting up your car in the winter can be harsh on the engine, causing a bit of wear and tear, and ultimately deteriorating the engine's performance.

(09:15):

Now, since your vehicle can take up to 15 minutes from when you drive off for it to reach its ideal temperature, taking it easy for this time is quite advisable for obvious reasons. Until the engine is warmed up, your vehicle won't be performing at its peak fuel efficiency, that's just a pretty standard deduction from that in general. But another piece to the puzzle that a lot of people tend to kind of glaze over, so to say, is thicker fluids. Now, that doesn't sound very nice when you just say it out loud, but, you know, bear with me here. Cold weather can take a toll on all of the different liquids and fluids at work within your car, making fluids like motor oil and transmission oil thicker and more viscous, so, meaning they don't move around as e-, as easily as if they're warmer. 

(09:56):

Different AD-mixes of your fuel can also play a part too. Now, this is detrimental to the vehicle's operation as these lubricants are necessary for keeping the moving parts in motion and resistance free, basically making sure that all of the moving parts don't break down when it's cold outside. And these fluids protect various parts of your vehicle, like the transmission, and axles, and the motor, and, you know, all the parts that basically move. So, being at a warm temperature is key for them to effectively do their job and prevent the engine from working overtime because no one wants that. 

(10:30):

But what does this mean for fleets and for the drivers of these fleets? Because that's a really key part of this conversation that we really wanna focus on for this episode. For fleet managers in colder regions, this means that regardless of the vehicles they deploy, harsh winter conditions will inevitably take a toll on all vehicle performance. That's just pretty standard. However, that doesn't mean that nothing can be done to lessen the impact and try to protect them as best as they can. 

(10:56):

To round off this episode, I'll give you some easy tips, five of my favorites for keeping range high and boosting fuel efficiency in the winter. First up, keep your vehicle in a covered place overnight. We all know that covered garages tend to keep vehicles warmer than they would be outside. For me, if I park in the garage, it's about 10 degrees warmer than it is outside. Always sad to see the temperature drop the second you leave if it's cold outside, but you know what I mean. Anyways, this ensures that the initial temperature of your engine or battery in-cabin is not as low, so less energy will be expended to get them up to the optimal temperature of... needed for operation.

(11:32):

Number two, warm up electric vehicles whilst they are plugged in. This can maximize the vehicle's range as you consume energy directly from the current instead of using up the energy that's stored in the battery. Especially since EV batteries take longer to charge in the cold, you won't wanna be using your precious range on warming up your car. Number three, and this kind of goes without saying is, avoid idling when you're warming up your car. Uh, for internal combustion engines, vehicles heat up much quicker when they're being driven, believe it or not, rather than sitting and running and going nowhere. This means leaving your car in park whilst it warms up is heating it up at a much slower rate, and it actually burns a lot more fuel, which can cost you not only in, you know, money, but it also can be not so great for the environment too. Driving off whilst it's still cold might be uncomfortable at first, but when you think about it, it'll actually reduce your fuel costs, your emissions, and the time to warm the cabin up overall. So, really it's kind of a win-win-win, so to say.

(12:28):

Number four, combine short trips in the winter. We all know that a cold engine burns more fuel as it's not performing at its optimal temperature, combining various short trips in the winter into one longer trip can minimize the time spent driving with a colder engine, and this will protect your engine, number one, and two, number... uh, (laughs) and number two, it's a little bit late when I'm recording this, but number two, it will lower your fuel consumption overall, which is also a good thing. 

(12:56):

Now, my last tip for you is be mindful of in-cabin heating usage. I know, I know it's tempting to leave heated fans blasting to combat the harsh weather outside, but this is actually the greatest contributor to rapid fuel consumption. Even though I know I'm guilty of this because I'm the type of person where in the winter I love a warm car. I just, I do. I have the fans on 90 degrees almost all the time and I shouldn't. Um, but instead, don't be like me (laughs), instead, get your vehicle to a comfortable temperature and then take advantage of the seat and wheel warmers if your vehicle has them. These features actually save energy and work to effectively heat you up instead of the entirety of the cabin, so, you know, you're not so sweating, but you are comfortably warm. 

(13:36):

And it's easy to point fingers at EVs for being inefficient in the cold, but the fact of the matter is, is that no vehicle can perform optimally when faced with harsh, often below zero weather conditions. Comparing the performance and the capabilities of specific models in your region's conditions is an essential aspect of selecting models for your fleet, or just that you wanna drive in general, and it's actually worth doing this on a model-by-model basis instead of electric vehicle versus internal combustion vehicle, as both vehicle types, like we've covered, have their own specific challenges that they have to deal with. As well, you know, you're also with ever-progressing ba- battery technology, lithium-ion battery packs are being made bigger and with higher capacity which will lessen the threat of lost range due to cold weather or any other reason, promising future technology and smart tricks for boosting fuel ef-, fuel efficiency, or energy efficiency, if your tongue doesn't tumble over syllables like mine tends to do, can help managers really get ahead of winter range issues, and range anxiety, and not let it take them by surprise, which is also a very good thing.

(14:41):

We know that I say winter temperatures can affect all types of vehicles. You know, like we've covered, it is not just limited to electric vehicles anymore. Well, actually it never has been limited to electric vehicles, but I wanna hear your thoughts. Have you ever been concerned about the range of your vehicle in the winter, even if it's not an EV? Let me know, send me an email, tag me on LinkedIn, use the hashtag Utilimarc Fleet FYIs, or you can even go the old fashioned route and send me a carrier pigeon, if you so desire, whichever way you wanna get in touch, I am looking forward to hearing from you as always. And also, again, if there's any topics you'd like to hear covered in this season of the Fleet FYIs podcast, you know the drill and you know where to find me. So, until next time, ciao.

(16:00):

Hey there, I think this is the time that I should cue the virtual high five because you've just finished listening to another episode of the Fleet FYIs podcast. If you're already wanting more content, head over to utilimarc.com, which is Utilimarc, with a C, U-T-I-L-I-M-A-R-C.com for this episode's show notes and extra insights coming straight from our analysts to you. That's all from me this week, so, until next time, I'll catch you later.