Types of Electric Vehicles (EV):

1. Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs or AEVs)

Battery Electric Vehicles have a battery and an electric motor instead of a gas tank and combustion engine. These EVs are also referred to as All-Electric Vehicles or Plug-in Vehicles. They run entirely on  electricity and do not produce any exhaust from the burning of fuel.                 

2. Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs)

Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles have an electric motor and a gas-powered internal combustion engine. Some PHEVs operate exclusively, or almost exclusively, on electricity until the battery is nearly depleted. Then, the gasoline-powered engine turns on to provide power. Like Battery Electric Vehicles, PHEVs can be plugged in to charge the battery when the vehicle is not in use.

3. Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs)

Hybrid Electric Vehicles have an electric motor and a gas-powered internal combustion engine. They do not plug in for charging. HEVs can have substantial range on a single tank of gas, but they still burn fossil fuel, produce carbon emissions, require trips to the gas station, and scheduled engine maintenance. HEVs may be an ideal choice for those with extended commutes and limited charging system access.

Determining the lifespan of batteries is like determining the lifespan of a combustion engine; there is no definite answer. Most manufacturers are currently offering an 8-year/100,000-mile warranty for their batteries. Most electric vehicles use Lithium-ion battery packs. They will degrade slightly with each charge and discharge cycle, and eventually lose their ability to fully charge over time.

Geotab has created a helpful interactive website that demonstrates Electric Vehicle Battery Degradation (see link below), showing the battery health of over 6,300 fleet and consumer electric vehicles, representing 1.8 million days of data. This gives us real-world conditions and how they influence the battery health.

Things to take into consideration while looking at the degradation graphs:

• The degradation curves displayed below are the average trend line from the data analyzed.

• These graphs can offer insight into average battery health over time but should not be interpreted as a precise prediction for any specific vehicle.

• A subset of vehicle makes, models, and years are not available in the visualization tool— we have excluded vehicles with insufficient data.

https://storage.googleapis.com/geotab-sandbox/ev-battery-degradation/index.html

• Avoid keeping your car sitting with a full or empty charge. Ideally, keep your State of Charge between 20-80%, particularly when leaving it for longer periods, and only charge it fully for long distance trips.

• Minimize fast charging time on Direct Current Fast Charging systems. Some high-use duty cycles will need a faster charge, but if your vehicle sits overnight, Level 2 chargers should be sufficient for the majority of your charging needs.

• Climate is out of an operator’s control but do what you can to avoid extreme hot temperatures, such as choosing shade when parked on hot days.

• High use is not a concern, so fleets shouldn’t hesitate to put them to work. An EV isn’t useful sitting idle in the fleet yard and putting on more miles per vehicle is overall a better fleet management practice.

Maintenance to the chassis of an electric vehicle can typically be performed by any mechanic. But when it comes to the engine, drivetrain, or other electric vehicle specific problems, you need to take the vehicle to a mechanic that is electric vehicle certified for the make and model of the electric vehicle. Below is a list of the electric vehicle certified dealers nearest to Eastern Idaho by make and model:

Comparison of Electric Vehicles:

This basic Electric Vehicle (EV) information is to help you understand the various performance attributes to consider when making a purchase. We try to keep the information up-to-date. Please refer to manufacturers for additional details.

How extreme hot/cold weather saps the range of electric vehicles:

Range refers to the number of miles an electric vehicle will travel before the battery needs to be recharged. Batteries in electric vehicles perform at their peak at around 75°F. A study conducted by the American Automobile Association (AAA) tested the 2018 BMW i3s, Chevrolet Volt, and Nissan Leaf, as well as the 2017 Tesla Model S 75D and Volkswagen e-Golf. All have a range of at least 100 miles per charge at 75°F. AAA tested the cars at 20°F and 95°F, comparing the range to when they were tested at 75°F.

Without the use of the heating system or air conditioner: When the outside temperature is 20°F, the average driving range fell by 12% without the use of the cars’ heating system. When the outside temperature is 95°F, the average driving range fell by 4% without the use of the cars’ air conditioning.

With the use of the heating system or air conditioner: When the outside temperature is 20°F and the heating system is turned on to heat the inside of the vehicle, the average driving range decreases by 41%. When the outside temperature is 95°F and the air conditioning is used, the average driving range decreases by 17%. This means that, for every 100 miles of combined urban/highway driving, the range at 20°F would be reduced to 59 miles. AAA’s study found that the use of heating system when it’s 20°F outside adds almost $25 more in electricity for every 1,000 miles, when compared to the cost of combined urban and highway driving at 75°F.

Fall River owner-members are advised that extreme temperatures certainly play a role in diminishing driving range of electric vehicles. Below are some ways to help get the most range out of your electric vehicle:

• Keep electric vehicles in the garage when not in use to help shield it from the elements.
• Always keep the vehicle plugged in to ensure that the battery will maintain a full charge.
• If your vehicle has it, use the pre-conditioning feature. This will heat or cool the interior of the vehicle while the vehicle is plugged into the charger, which will in turn help preserve battery capacity.
• Use the cars heated seats and heated steering wheel, which consume less energy than a car heater.
• If your electric vehicle has the option, utilize the “eco” mode. This will adjust the performance parameters to preserve the battery life.