Unplugged in the deep cold?

Teberoth · Aug 23, 2017

I'm considering getting my first e-golf (2017) and I have some questions I'm having trouble answering, wondering if anybody here has some insight...?

I plan to drive to the local park & ride and then take the train into downtown for work. At present there are no EV charging spots available and the lot is completely exposed. In the deep dark of the winter this would mean the car would be exposed to -35c (occasionally -40) with no grid power source for ~9hours. My understanding of battery tech tells me this will utterly sap the batteries and possibly damage them.

By the same token I do not have a garage at home so it would be plugged in but similarly exposed.

Tesla actually has an insulated compartment and a battery heater apparently? does the e-golf have a similar setup? I can't seem to find that sort of detail (or I keep missing it)

Does anybody have experience/info on this matter? I'd really like some practical insight.

NeilBlanchard · Aug 24, 2017

Hi, the battery is heated, to keep it from getting damaged, but obviously, that consumes energy to do that. That is very cold, indeed. I think it would be MUCH better to be plugged in, even if just the Level 1 charging unit; to offset the consumption of the warmer.

The thing is, any ICE car would also need to be plugged in in temperatures that cold; to keep the oil thin enough to actually work, and the 12V starter battery would need a trickle charger, and insulation.

Teberoth · Aug 24, 2017

Regular ICE golf is definitely a bit grouchy to start at in this temperatures but typically does so unassisted. The we usually only get about two weeks of really deep cold, but they do arrive reliably. Usually the bulk of winter hovers in the -24c to -28c range.

I would definitely prefer to have it plugged in, it just isn't an option at the moment. (Letters to city councilor and transit authority have been written).

Any info on rate of consumption for the battery heater at given temperatures?

Lotus · Sep 24, 2017

Hello,

With the recent introduction of the e-Golf to Canada there will need to be accurate information on the battery heater power consumption and controller settings. Particularly in the introduced markets of Ontario and Quebec there are days of -40C weather and situations where the car will be parked for 8-10 hrs without being plugged in and 100+ km of driving range needed.

BTW, it's unfortunate NeilBlanchard thinks IC engines cannot handle -40C. Those with direct experience know that todays oil and starter battery technology have made -40C a non-issue for IC cars.

JoulesThief · Sep 24, 2017

Guess you could be a guinea pig and let us know how it does.

ScottyHall · Sep 30, 2017

The battery will not start if its temperature is below -27 C. It will work again once the temperature rises above this threshold. This is in the Owner's Manual.

Remember that ambient temperature is not necessarily the same as battery temperature. But an exposed, windswept parking lot with no cover at all is not the best place to leave the car if it is -25 C or lower. Any kind of parking cover will help a little bit (pillar, concrete barrier, wall, etc.).

If it were me, I would experiment at home with it unplugged before leaving it somewhere like that. And look into a temporary carport, which are fairly common in Quebec.