EVs and Traffic Jams

Here's an interesting article that points out how unfounded the assertion is, that Electric Vehicles (EVs) would somehow be totally unable to cope with being stuck in a traffic jam for a few hours, in hot or cold weather.

 

As I occasionally weigh the pros and cons of becoming an EV user, I’ve been wondering about this exact issue myself, so this was a nice summary of some relevant information. 

Sad to see some people (in the comments) getting stuck on the word “likely“ in the title, considering that predicting most outcomes in life is based on probabilities and not certainties.

 

If you headed out onto the road with a low battery charge in your EV, you would be more likely to be adversely affected by running AC, heat, or accessories while sitting in a traffic jam. Of course, leaving the house with a nearly empty fuel tank in a gas powered vehicle would have a similarly lower probability of success.

 

The article being debunked touts the advantage of jump starting a gas powered vehicle, which doesn’t help a lot when you’re out of gas. And speaking of jumpstarting, my guess is that roadside assistance vehicles will be carrying jump starters for EV batteries pretty soon, if they’re not already doing that.

 

My bottom line: Running the heat or AC while stuck in traffic does not feel to me, like a legitimate discriminator, for a choice between a gas or electric vehicle.