@trollslayer Batteries hate extreme cold. I have a Dear Friend in South Tahoe, California, which is deep cold snow territory, that has a Tesla 3, that refuses to run in winter.
@NativePortlander1970 thanks. I live in a warm climate and was unaware of cold weather issues with lithium batteries. I know lead acid batteries have cold weather issues (hence the term Cold Cranking Amps). I’d be more inclined to think that road salt and brine would wreak havok on electrical systems.
My suspicion is that the drain on batteries of those devices being used in the extreme cold and under heavy pressure due to the heavy snow will result in extremely short battery life. Think about leaving your car lights and radio on overnight 😂 @trollslayer
@jackjjackson i’m guessing somebody will invent some kind if “battery warmer” or other solution and peddle such invention to the government and get rewarded with an exclusive contract. Then said “entrepreneur” will be found to be a relative of a member of congress. I’ve got no problem with electric vehicles, but for public safety purposes I think there needs to be rigorous testing before any kind of requirement that an entire fleet be converted.
That also sounds right. As of now the technology is faulty, the public is rejecting it and there is no way there will be enough charging stations for decades at least. @trollslayer
@trollslayer It also takes a lot of force to move mountains of heavy snow. The amount of energy that an electric vehicle can store is much, much smaller than the same size vehicle carrying fossil fuels. The electric plow would have to head back to the garage and be charged more often than the diesel version would have to refuel.
@trollslayer Not enough charging stations in the country, Ca has the most charging stations and they are few and far between. How about people who rent, or live in an apartment, how are they expected to charge their EV's?
@trollslayer says [quote] i’m guessing somebody will invent some kind if “battery warmer” [/quote] You mean like the engine block warmers that are common in cold climates to make up for the shortcomings of engine oil in extreme cold? Yeah, I think people could easily make the shift from an engine block heater to a battery heater.
[quote]Any particular reason why an electric snow plow won’t work?[/quote] In many ways, electric power is better suited to plowing than gas power.
First, electric engines deliver maximum torque at minimum RPMs (this is the opposite of a gas engine). High torque at low RPMs is exactly what you want to push snow in a controlled manner.
Second, no wear and tear on the transmission. Lots of urban & suburban plow work involves repeated backing up and short pushes. Electric drives have no torque converters, clutches, gear shifts, or similar mechanical components; they just electronically vary the current to the electric motor.
Third, more weight is helpful plowing. An F150 lightning weighs about 1500 lbs more than the gasoline version. You'll see many plow trucks carry sandbags in their beds for extra traction.
@ElwoodBlues i was thinking similar. Just trying to start a discussion on “why” before dismissing the idea as stupid. Where I live, they are starting to test electric fire trucks. I said “test” because it is unwise to jump right in with new technology for emergency vehicles. There are many advantages, as you pointed out, and any disadvantages can be overcome, such as keeping the truck inside to keep the batteries warm.
@trollslayer [quote]starting to test electric fire trucks. ... such as keeping the truck inside[/quote] Everywhere I have lived fire engines have always been kept inside in the fire station so this part of the problem is already solved.
