[Kunundrum]

This is directed at those currently living in freezing climate (Canada & Northern US).

I am trying to gauge if there is something going on with my car or not.

With the cold weather and my winter tires I have been experiencing a total range drop of 1/3 Vs. warmer weather & the OE tires.

Now my winter tires (General Altimax Artics 205/60R16) are at the same pressure as my OE tires (42psi)

Normally I am able to get my 75km (highway) drive to work without issue, and now I struggle to get above 50km (without heat)

What is everyone else experiencing as a range drop in freezing Temps with winter tires.

 

[rcuz]

This is directed at those currently living in freezing climate (Canada & Northern US).

I am trying to gauge if there is something going on with my car or not.

With the cold weather and my winter tires I have been experiencing a total range drop of 1/3 Vs. warmer weather & the OE tires.

Now my winter tires (General Altimax Artics 205/60R16) are at the same pressure as my OE tires (42psi)

Normally I am able to get my 75km (highway) drive to work without issue, and now I struggle to get above 50km (without heat)

What is everyone else experiencing as a range drop in freezing Temps with winter tires.

I've seen a fairly large hit on my ICE mpg with my snow tires on. Surprised me. My electric range oddly seems rather unaffected. That being said the cold weather certainly takes its toll on electric miles.

I am seriously considering NOT putting my snow tires on next year and just try to avoid driving when it snows, but that is not always practical, which is why I bought snows this year.

Best,
Rick

 

[skiflyer]

Aren't you kind of negating the snow tires by overinflating? I'd think 42psi snow tires would be awfully slippery.

That said, I haven't changed my tires, but I'm getting about 40 miles out of the 2017 battery in single digit (F) weather.

 

[klchiew]

Living in Metro Detroit - typical morning commute (the coldest ambient temperature of the day), winter tires - Michelin X-Ice3, ~ 40 psi. Around 20F ambient, ERDTT in deferred with a mixture of 20% rural (55mph) & 80% highway (70mph), HVAC @ 75 F manual (50/50 Eco & Max), seat heater on #2, steering on 50% - I typically get 36 EV range (@ ~ 55mpge). If it is around 90% rural (55mph), I usually get 45 EV range (@ ~ 86 mpge)

 

[Arcanox]

I was getting 60+ miles in October when I first bought the car, and I think in the mid 40s in terms of ICE-only MPG. Now I'm getting low 30s MPG and high-30s-to-low-40s in terms of EV miles. My mileage on one charge is higher because ERDTT runs all the time and provides power while doing so, but the actual mileage I'm getting of battery-only driving is usually in the low 40s.

 

[bluzer1]

I see a similar drop here in the dry cold of the west.
When I bought the car in min-Nov I was seeing ~78km at +5. Now with -25 I see high 40s even though I run HVAC on Econ as the HW portion of my commute is very short.
The drop was gradual and I now have my winters on (see my first post), so I think it's normal and to be expected.

 

[viking79]

Tires will take 10 or 15%, cold weather (with warm battery) could take another 5 or 10%, cold battery might take another 20 or 30%, and the heater has a draw of up to 7 or 8 kw in Gen 2 plus AC could add another 2 KW. So the heater alone could drain the battery in 2 hours.

 

[Kunundrum]

I've seen a fairly large hit on my ICE mpg with my snow tires on. Surprised me. My electric range oddly seems rather unaffected. That being said the cold weather certainly takes its toll on electric miles.

I am seriously considering NOT putting my snow tires on next year and just try to avoid driving when it snows, but that is not always practical, which is why I bought snows this year.

Best,
Rick

I'm considering using the Wife's Car during the winter, not just because of reduced range but to keep KM down on the Volt... she is sitting at nearly 35,000km in 8 months... (I do about 1,000km a week)

 

[KenC]

This is directed at those currently living in freezing climate (Canada & Northern US).

I am trying to gauge if there is something going on with my car or not.

With the cold weather and my winter tires I have been experiencing a total range drop of 1/3 Vs. warmer weather & the OE tires.

Now my winter tires (General Altimax Artics 205/60R16) are at the same pressure as my OE tires (42psi)

Normally I am able to get my 75km (highway) drive to work without issue, and now I struggle to get above 50km (without heat)

What is everyone else experiencing as a range drop in freezing Temps with winter tires.

I have the same tires. I figure depending upon what temps you face you could easily see a 20% to 30% drop in range due just to the cold. Factor in heater use compared to optimal warm conditions. And of course the tires and road surface have higher rolling resistance. In the summer, if it rains, I can see that my range drops, because the tires face greater rolling resistance. So, a 1/3rd drop would not surprise me at all.

I did a small 20mile loop yesterday at 32 degree temps, and I got 110mpge, when in optimal conditions in summer, no AC, I can get 140 to150mpge. About a ¼ drop, but it wasn't all that cold and the roads were mostly clear.

And, ICE engines are 20% less efficient in cold weather. EVs are 10% more inefficient than ICE as the temps drop.

 

[llninja]

Even if you don't use heat for the cabin, the car needs heat for the batteries. It's hard to separate the range losses caused by snow tires vs. waking hte batteries. But the percentage drop that you state is what we cold weather dwellers have seen on gen1 and gen2. I make it worse by driving freeway speeds and taking on pony cars at stop lights.

So I wouldn't worry about anything wrong with your car. What you are seeing is normal, and the good news is that it will get better in March/April/May.

 

[khalfyard]

My EV ranges are simple enough:

Summer/Fall - 95-108km (Regular Tires, Michelin Energy Saver)
Winter (sub zero C) 55-69km (Snow Tires, Michelin Xi3)

I'm not sure about the difference in ICE/gas kms, as I don't put enough regularly, and when I do, its HIGHWAY, whereas, most of my EV kms are city.

 

[acarney]

I've seen a fairly large hit on my ICE mpg with my snow tires on. Surprised me. My electric range oddly seems rather unaffected. That being said the cold weather certainly takes its toll on electric miles.

I am seriously considering NOT putting my snow tires on next year and just try to avoid driving when it snows, but that is not always practical, which is why I bought snows this year.

Best,
Rick

Before you skip the snow tires just keep them on a little longer this year until you have a week that is like 60 to 70F out and look at your range, then take them off and the following week (hopefully around the same temp) look at your range. I think you'll notice much less of a range drop because of those tires then you think. It's really the temps and increased electric load due to heating that's killing the battery only range. Even a 10% hit because of the tires is only about 5 miles of range, if you're like me you probably lost about 10 to 20 miles of range from your peak. Also, the winter tires are better in the cold even without snow then the standard tires, they have a much more flexible compound, especially in extreme cold temps, so you'll lose some grip even on dry roads at very low temps.

I was seeing about 55 miles of real range and estimates up near 60 when temps were around 70 to 85F. All fall they dropped until winter where they settled at an estimated 34 to 37 miles, obviously far less if I use the heat on MAX the days where it's like 19F outside, even less if it's snowing or there is snow on the ground and thus a lot of increased rolling resistance. That cold is killer and the heating is killer. There's not much way around that unless you bundle up as if you were skiing or something and then didn't use any heat. You'll still lose some to manage the battery, but I'm not exactly sure what temp range it likes to be in, it might be happy all the way down to 30 or 40F or something which would require considerably less heating energy then keeping you at 65 to 75 (or above) in the cabin. Plus there is a lot of cold leakage into the car from the windows and everything else.

 

[ttchybrid]

I've gone from an average of 110-113km on a charge in the summer(not using ac), to 70-75km with snow tires on now.

 

[BAZINGA]

To coin a phrase - Speed Kills, in the case of an EV - Cold Kills

 

[Slotracer577]

Hit a new low on range today. 33.2 miles for a 2.35 miles per kWh. The high temp for the trip was 6F, low was 0F. Elevation change was down 1400 ft, up maybe 800 before I ran out of battery. speeds were speed limit or lower due to road conditions. I would expect range to be even less if I could have driven my usual 3-5 over.

 

[dannycamps]

In the summer I was in the low 60's EV range and ~42 MPG in CS mode on the highway. Now I am in the low 40's (and dropping EV-wise) and about 33-35 MPG in CS mode.

 

[dunhilldarts]

My EV ranges are simple enough:

Summer/Fall - 95-108km (Regular Tires, Michelin Energy Saver)
Winter (sub zero C) 55-69km (Snow Tires, Michelin Xi3)

I'm not sure about the difference in ICE/gas kms, as I don't put enough regularly, and when I do, its HIGHWAY, whereas, most of my EV kms are city.

My range and setup are pretty much the same as Kahalfyard's except my volt is a 2017 LT.

 

[Puddlejumper]

I just did a 117 mile trip at 60 mph in 6 F. I got 35.5 mpg- in the summer I would get at least 42 mpg at that speed. I am running General Altimax Arctic as well.
My winter range has decreased to 26 miles from 40. Depending on how much I run my heat pump it could be a lot less.

Sorry, I have a 2014 gen1.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[alfon]

Cold snap here in Northewestern Oregon. Mid to high 20's. 2016 Volt currently 45-47 electric range. Last trip on gas engine with temps in the high 30's, 47 mpg. Summer 55-60+ electric range, several trips just on gas with over 50 mpg. Cold takes it toll on the battery etc. All gasoline cars, and diesel cars will get lower mpg than in summer.

Remember air density is heavier in cold weather, more resistance when driving, gasoline is winter blend with less BTU's per gallon than in summer.....

 

[JY07]

I have a 42 mile round trip commute that's about 99% interstate (low 70's mph)

In my 2017 I could do the trip with about 5-10 miles of estimated range left this summer/fall, but depending on how cold it gets now it'll usually switch over to gas a few miles before the end of the trip.

On the super cold days it barely gets 35 miles.