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EV batteries struggle in cold temps, drivers left stranded as stations freeze

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Winter weather and freezing temperatures are blanketing much of the continental United States. Those conditions have been proven to be tough for people to withstand and for electric vehicle batteries to maintain their charge.

According to local news reports in Chicago, drivers are waiting hours in line at charging stations to juice up.

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“We’ve got a bunch of dead robots out here,” one EV driver told FOX 32 in Chicago.

“Nothing. No juice. Still on zero percent,” Tyler Beard told FOX 32. “And this is like three hours being out here after being out here three hours yesterday.”

Getting a charge is hard enough but holding that charge is also a challenge. Zapped battery life is an issue facing all EVs in the market, according to a recent Recurrent analysis.

According to report, the range of an EV drops by 30% in freezing weather. The 18 popular EV models analyzed by Recurrent maintained an average of 70.3% of their normal range in freezing conditions.

Tesla reminded its drivers that vehicles use more energy to heat their batteries and cabin in cold weather.

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Karah Rucker: WHEREVER YOU’RE AT IN THE U.S. RIGHT NOW –

IT’S COLD!

PEOPLE ARE FEELING IT.

AND ELECTRIC VEHICLES ARE FEELING IT TOO.

FREEZING WEATHER IS ZAPPING EV BATTERIES FASTER THAN USUAL.

DRIVERS ARE WAITING HOURS IN LINE TO JUICE UP.

FOX 32 IN CHICAGO SPOKE WITH DRIVERS STUCK AT A CHARGING STATION WHERE THE CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE FROZE OVER.

“Nothing no juice. It’s still on zero percent, and this is like 3 hours this morning of being out here.”

We’ve got a bunch of dead robots out here, dead robots, haha”

GETTING A CHARGE IS HARD ENOUGH.

BUT HOLDING THAT CHARGE IS ALSO A CHALLENGE.

ZAPPED BATTERY LIFE IS AN ISSUE FACING ALL EVS IN THE MARKET.

A RECURRENT ANALYSIS FOUND ON AVERAGE –

THE RANGE OF AN EV DROPS BY 30% IN FREEZING WEATHER.

EVEN IF YOU CAN GET A CHARGE –

SOME DRIVERS ARE BEING ASKED NOT TO.

MANY STATES ARE ASKING RESIDENTS TO CONSERVE ENERGY.

AND ON THE LIST OF WAYS TO DO THAT –

AVOID CHARGING ELECTRIC VEHICLES.