Only Electric Vehicles Will Never Work in Washington or Oregon

Both Washington and Oregon have made commitments to follow California and only allow electric vehicles to be sold after 2035, but there is no way it will work in either state.

Electric Vehicles Have 1 Huge Unknown Weakness

There is one big weakness that all electric vehicles have that is just now starting to come to light. Reports have been mounting about EVs not being able to charge in cold temperatures. This week a Tesla owner went viral after his Tesla would not charge leaving him stranded on Christmas Eve in temperatures of -7°C or 19°F. He tries to charge for over 3 hours and his Tesla just tells him the battery is warming. Those temperatures happen regularly every year in both Washington & Oregon, sometimes for months at a time.

Washington and Oregon have Intense and Cold Winters

That is just the last example of a long line over the last few years showing the weaknesses in EVs. The fact that EVs won't charge in the cold is a big problem that can not be ignored, especially in the northwest. Just imagine not one car in either state being able to move because it is too cold outside. Will they have no school on cold days because there is no way for anyone to travel? It would be like the entire state being buried under snow, except we are really being buried by our own stupidity.

How Does Cold Really Affect EVs?

Cold does not only keep EVs from charging but it also can drastically reduce the efficiency of a single charge. Some EVs can be affected by as much as a 33% drop in efficiency according to Axio. They show multiple studies defining a decrease of 20-40% efficiency in the studies they quote. That alone makes EVs more expensive to drive and more wasteful than perceived. Even with warmers or a heat pump, EVs can't get the temperature warm enough for batteries to take a charge leaving the owner stranded.

What is the Solution for EVs Not Charging in the Cold?

Currently, car manufacturers have not figured out a way to warm up batteries in EVs so this is not a problem. Some EVs do have a cold weather option with insulated batteries that are supposed to help but not eliminate the problem. The Twitter account below describes the option on their EV.

The only solution I see is that EVs are not the answer some people think they are and we can not fully switch from combustion engines yet. Battery technology is slowly progressing and maybe this will not be a problem by the time we reach 2035. Or then again, maybe it will still be a problem. Until I feel there is a viable solution, we will be keeping hold of our regular gas cars that mostly start in the cold. lol