A winter blast bringing sub-zero temperatures to much of the Midwest over the last week is causing issues for those who drive electric vehicles.Frigid temperatures can cut the battery range of an EV in half, and with so few charging stations drivers are experiencing long lines and major headaches to juice up. Carol Thompson rented an electric vehicle for the first time on Thursday. A little more than 24 hours later, she’s ready to take it back. “I’m 75. I don’t want to spend two hours charging up my car. I don’t care if it’s a gas guzzler, I’d rather take that and go on about my business,” she said.She said the discount she got on the rental is not worth it.Tom Flemming is on his way to Waukesha from Chicago to go cross-country skiing. He likes his electric Volvo and wants to do his part to stop climate change. He’s had his for two years.”I like the car overall and I like being part of the solution, so I like that about it. It’s challenging this time of year the range really gets zapped by the cold,” he explained.”The range just gets knocked out, I mean it gets half of the range I get in the summer,” he added.WISN 12 asked an expert why electric vehicles have problems in the cold.”The battery. It really comes down to the battery; you need to keep them charged, keep them warmed,” said Mark Chappel with Gurtz Electric Co.”There’s just not enough capacity for the charging stations. I mean folks are stuck because they have to go to these few spots to charge their electric vehicles and they’re just not available,” he added.Chappel says with newly announced federal funding and more charging stations nationwide, electric vehicles will become more efficient.Flemming says there’s already more stations than when he got his car two years ago, and he’s optimistic the trend will continue.”It’s gonna take time hopefully, we’ll start to see progress in the next year or so.”On Friday, officials from the Biden Administration visited Milwaukee to announce a $46 million investment in EV charging stations nationwide. Some of that money will go to workforce development programs locally to build more stations.
A winter blast bringing sub-zero temperatures to much of the Midwest over the last week is causing issues for those who drive electric vehicles.
Frigid temperatures can cut the battery range of an EV in half, and with so few charging stations drivers are experiencing long lines and major headaches to juice up.
Carol Thompson rented an electric vehicle for the first time on Thursday. A little more than 24 hours later, she’s ready to take it back.
“I’m 75. I don’t want to spend two hours charging up my car. I don’t care if it’s a gas guzzler, I’d rather take that and go on about my business,” she said.
She said the discount she got on the rental is not worth it.
Tom Flemming is on his way to Waukesha from Chicago to go cross-country skiing. He likes his electric Volvo and wants to do his part to stop climate change. He’s had his for two years.
“I like the car overall and I like being part of the solution, so I like that about it. It’s challenging this time of year the range really gets zapped by the cold,” he explained.
“The range just gets knocked out, I mean it gets half of the range I get in the summer,” he added.
WISN 12 asked an expert why electric vehicles have problems in the cold.
“The battery. It really comes down to the battery; you need to keep them charged, keep them warmed,” said Mark Chappel with Gurtz Electric Co.
“There’s just not enough capacity for the charging stations. I mean folks are stuck because they have to go to these few spots to charge their electric vehicles and they’re just not available,” he added.
Chappel says with newly announced federal funding and more charging stations nationwide, electric vehicles will become more efficient.
Flemming says there’s already more stations than when he got his car two years ago, and he’s optimistic the trend will continue.
“It’s gonna take time hopefully, we’ll start to see progress in the next year or so.”
On Friday, officials from the Biden Administration visited Milwaukee to announce a $46 million investment in EV charging stations nationwide. Some of that money will go to workforce development programs locally to build more stations.
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