Since 2020, gas prices have skyrocketed, and pollution concerns have grown.
For this reason, electric vehicles have become increasingly popular.
Some are reluctant to make the switch to electric vehicles because of these false beliefs.
Active Cooling vs.
The idea of EV batteries roasting in 90-degree weather is a horrifying thought for many potential buyers.
There is truth in this, although it’s not entirely accurate.
In the early days, many EV models didn’t use active thermal management for the batteries.
Passive cooling technology was more common.
This was done by diverting incoming air over and under the battery pack to keep it from overheating.
The technique didn’t work out so well, as battery packs overheated and began to fail.
This was due to the premature aging of its battery packs due to hot climates and passive cooling methods.
As EV technology has improved, many brands have switched to active cooling technology.
Using liquid-cooled battery packs keeps batteries cool no matter how hot it gets.
Learning valuabletips for taking care of your EV’s batterywill save you money down the road.
What Is the Battery Thermal Management System (BTMS)?
The normal operation of an EV battery will naturally produce heat.
This can also be compounded by outside temperatures.
To maintain the batterys optimal temperature, the BTMS is required.
The optimal performance temperature is between 20 and 30 degrees Celsius.
Without the BTMS, battery performance will degrade at 30 degrees Celsius.
The most common effects are reduced range and acceleration.
At 40 degrees Celsius, the battery can suffer serious and irreversible damage.
Is Rapid Charging Your EV Dangerous in Hot Weather?
Without the necessary active cooling technology, the battery would heat up with no way to properly cool itself.
Thus, shortening the life of the battery pack.
Keeping your EV cooling system in good condition will ensure your battery pack stays healthy.
Does AC Impact EV Range in Hot Weather?
In an EV, everything you use is powered by the battery pack.
So, the loss in range will be very small.
When EVs had shorter ranges in the past, this was an issue.
Now that EV ranges are dramatically higher, the loss in range sparked by the AC is hardly noticed.
Will Your EV Overheat in Hot Weather?
Having your car overheat ruins the whole day.
Many people think EVs overheat more than (ICE) cars but is this actually true?
An EV sitting in traffic on a hot sunny day will not make the vehicle overheat.
There have been a few occasions where EVs caught fire while on the road.
When investigated further, these instances did not involve the temperature outside alone.
Many incidents involved the EV’s battery pack being punctured, in addition to a hot day.
One such case involved a Tesla that was involved in a crash that punctured its battery pack.
A few weeks later, the vehicle caught fire on a hot day while sitting in a junkyard.
