Extreme Cold EV Road Trip Part 1 : Canadian Winter (830km)

[@neilchristensen6413]

I just drove my Kona in minus double digits as well in a part of Alberta with piss poor charging infrastructure. I still did almost 350 kms on one charge in some harrowing conditions. It was also uphill and snow covered. One pro tip: make sure your regen is set low (zero bar) in bad conditions so you don't get unexpected deceleration.

[@petertransd]

i'm looking into EV and this video gives me a better idea how they would perform under real Canadian weather. thanks for the video

[@heribertosarmiento1265]

American here, I always say if it can handle Canadian winters then it can handle ours pretty well

[@geoffgaudet2545]

Thanks for this video! I just completed a 500 km, one-day out & back trip to pick up my wife, driving our new 2023 Kona EV…3 mountain passes each way, -25C temps, one DCFC for 90 minutes at -21C (-29C windchill). I was hesitating to take the EV, but your videos helped me decide it’d be a good test of the Kona’s winter abilities. I followed many of your tips, including setting the DCFC charger as the NAV destination-charging started at 47kw (50 kw charger), but it did slow to 22 kw after the battery reached 80% (we charged to 92%, app was saying another hour to 100%).

[@fdanieln8759]

We just picked up our new 2023 Kona EV 2 weeks ago. Such a well made and informative video, we're excited to do winter road trips with it! Thank you!

[@danostrom]

The Canadian Kona EV has a battery heater. The US Kona EV, since 2020, also has a battery heater for the Limited, and Ultimate trims, but not lowest-level SEL trim. I have the Limited trim and it's well worth the extra money to have a heater added to the Kona's BMS. As for repairs, EVs are generally low-maintenance (except for makes that throw all sorts of gratuitous extra technology in the car. Tesla cough cough). The maintenance is yearly software updates and tire rotation at the dealer.

[@DoctorJellicle]

Very informative video! Super thorough.

[@williamyqb]

Very nice and informative video. I’ve ordered the 2024 Kona EV and I’m not stressed about winter roadtrips no more thanks to you! I am from Quebec (canada) and I guess it will do even better even though we have the same temperatures as in your video since the new model has battery preconditioning. No more worrying about the battery temperature for when its time to charge!

[@maniata8869]

excellent video and useful information on battery thermal management. I hope that the charging infrastructure improve soon.

[@lorrainehinchliffe5371]

I have a Kona EV 2021 64 Kw battery. I drive every Sunday approximately 280 klms in as low as -20 Celsius. So far I usually have 75-100 klms range left at the end of my trip so let’s say about 350-375 klms. I’m very happy with my Kona, no issues at all. I agree completely with your manual use of the heating system , I never use the auto setting and often use the defrost on fan only, no heat. When you start with a clear window the fan alone will often keep it clear.

[@thenetworkarchitectchannel]

Cool vid. Thx. Can't believe there were wild elk just munching away on the side of the road there in Jasper (5 lakes). We don't have that kind of thing here in North Carolina.

[@peter8s]

I had the same experience at the Jasper DCFC last weekend. Two of the three capped at 37 kW and the third capped at 24 kW. I called Flo and submitted tickets on all three. The temp at the time was around 0 C.

[@alainparent7629]

Nice work and nice video. Pretty technical. this should help a lot of people. Small precision, the Tesla chargers at Edson are not destination chargers but are superchargers. Destination chargers are the level 2 chargers you find at hotels, restaurants, etc... Keep up the good work. :)

[@FelipeRibeiro-kn8uu]

Great video! I made this same trip last year in September, weather was ok and I had no issues traveling with the Kona EV. The elevations are tricky to plan the trip around the mountains and you can regen a lot downhill...

[@emilycorona2277]

extremely informative and great explanations with details...thank you!

[@michaellippmann4474]

Excellent video - Thank you! We just purchased a Kona 2023 Ultimate last week...we take delivery just after Labour Day weekend. It was part of a dealer allocation and we were lucky enough to call just as it was verified! Very excited...we had ordered a Bolt EUV months ago but GM still seems to have production issues. Thanks again for a very informative video....really appreciate it! Mike 🇨🇦 🍁 👍

[@TheNone724]

I think there should be option to force battery heater on to have good temps for fast charging with selectable time limit. Heating battery is in my opinion part of charging because warm battery has more energy to use.

[@wonggentle]

Amazing work mate, thanks a lot!

[@JenoFletter]

I just wish they would reduce the cost of the Kona and fix some of the issues. I really like the look of this EV. It is my second favorite after the Bolt EUV

[@camalexander8843]

Very educational, thank you for the video.

[@scottburton414]

Excellent video. Keep up the great work!

[@alex77xl]

Another great video with ton's of useful information!

[@shaneb9160]

I'm getting 3.2km/kwh on the highway in summer! 3.3 in the mountains with the heater blowing is spectacular hahaha! I guess that's what happens when you buy a big EV (lightning)

[@andreasmall7556]

This video makes me believe I can trade in my Prius Prime for a Kona. So helpful to learn about truly cold temperatures not just drops below 0C. Thank you.

[@bigjoecovers]

Great info for someone learning about EV’s. Thanks for doing this!

[@SunshineVocals]

Im seriously surprised at the efficiency you get in this weather and this just made me see that i coyld get ev6, ioniq6 or 5 or the ev9 and be able to go Banff and Jasper with an ev.

[@tomdy69]

I have an OBD port on my Model Y. Interesting seeing the difference in temperature management between that and the Kona. I don't ever think I've seen the battery temp in the model y go below freezing, even on long, cold trips.

[@JWY]

fyi our 23 Bolt at 15,000 miles has 4.0 mi/kWh lifetime average efficiency which is 6.4 km/kWh - but it's usually quite warm in Louisiana. Edit: this cold morning for 15 miles the Bolt only made 3.0 mi/kWh (4.8 km/kWh) - ouch.

[@JWY]

It's been consistently cold and lifetime average is 3.9 now. Current weather is rough for ev - but the Bolt is holding up.

[@robertsparling2646]

Well done!

[@doost6233]

Charging the battery must not take more than 10 minutes.

[@ericernst3043]

Excellent. Well thought out and well presented. I just got my I5 and have been getting this kind of info in bits and pieces. Thanks!

[@AlainODea]

Great analysis and experience video here. I am concerned about traction in my and my wife's Kona Electrics this winter because they tend to spin tires in trivial conditions like wet grass. Hoping that doesn't translate into winter traction issues, but you seem to be doing great in snow and ice so I'm optimistic! Any special winter tires or wheel sizes or just any 215/55R17 winter tires at the right price? I'm looking at FastEv EV05 wheels (Canadian made) and Continental VikingContact 7 tires but they're quite expensive if they're not necessary.

[@nissanelectrified9583]

Great video mate! And good job Hyundai! As far as I know, it is normal for chargers to coldgate at really cold temperatures. I am not an expert, but people who are much wiser than me stated, that the conversion from AC to DC is much less efficient in low temperatures. How badly the charger deteriorates is dependent of the make and model as well as the used auxliliary components, but at -25°C, you can expect a charger to have an efficiency of about 70% at best (which would render the 50kW charger you used as quite efficient considering the circumstances), and a completely dysfunctional charger in a worst case scenario. And yes, the wind may matter. The charger may suffer from wind chill. What's meant with that is, that the cooling effect of air with a certain temperature combined with a significant wind speed is actually far greater than the cooling effect of still air of the same temperature. Reason would be the constant disruption of the boundary layer of air around the charger. This could explain, why the charger in -30°C was fine, while this one in close to -25°C was not. The sun might have also played a part. If it was sunny despite the -30°C, the charger housing might have heated up significantly. In your video we can see, that the sun was very much absent, so that might also have played a part. The same effect would be responsible for the Konas temperature probe showing -4 in -25°C weather. The sensor is probably near the lower "nose" of the vehicle, so it can detect the surface temperature of the road while driving as acurately as possible. But that means that it will heat up very quickly if the vehicle is stationary and facing the sun.

[@doost6233]

You do not want to sit in your car and wait until charge the battery in one hour and 11 minutes.

[@la_ki]

BMS limits the power supplied to battery to avoid damage due to reduced efficiency of battery on cold weather is lower than in normal conditions.

[@TheClaudio7078]

Lets do a stuck on the 401 senario

[@christinasefton4839]

Thanks for your great explanation. Just wondering, I’m in calgary. I don’t have a garage. Will it be ok in the winter cold. You know how we get those cold snaps. Should I not drive it that week. If I did that, would the battery run out keeping itself warm I assume? Would it ever goto zero? How bad is that for the battery. Or how do you wreck the battery so I don’t do that. I want to get an Ev soon. As well, how was it on ice? Re the lane assist etc. will it over steer?can you freeze the battery? What kind of maintenance have you had to do?

[@READYSTEADYCHARGE]

From what I have observed, the Kona will allow for it's battery to drop to a really low temperature without heating it up. From the manual, it seems like the battery stops functioning when the battery reaches -35C. In order for the battery to reach -35C, the ambient temperature has to be sustained at -35C for a long time. That type of weather will be very rare. I suppose when the battery gets to -35C the battery heater will turn on and use the battery's own energy to keep it warm. It is possible to have the battery run out while keeping it self warm. But it will probably take a week of sustained -35C to drain the battery through the use of battery heating. That is assuming that you are not driving it or charging it for the whole week of extreme weather. So as long as you charge it once in a while and don't keep the vehicle in the extreme cold with only 10% left, it would take an extreme set of circumstances to render the vehicle inoperable. I have driven the Kona Electric at temperatures of -30C to -35C multiple times in Edmonton and the vehicle works. Sometimes when the battery is cold, the vehicle applied a power limit so you are limited to 50kW power output instead of 150kW until the battery warms up. And if you are driving any significant distance, the battery will warm up. I haven't encountered a situation where it was so cold that the Kona Electric refused to drive. I think there are other EVs that have a harder time in extreme cold. But when it gets to -35C, it's not like ICE vehicles have no issues. When comparing extreme cold and extreme heat, extreme heat is worse for battery degradation. All things being equal, an EV battery exposed to extreme cold will suffer less degradation compared to extreme heat. In south east Asian countries that regularly have ambient temp of 35 to 40C, you actually see more degradation compared to colder climates. There is a battery in the Kona that you have to worry about in the extreme cold. And that is the 12V lead acid battery. This is the same 12V battery you find in any other vehicles. When the 12V is exposed to cold for a long time, it is at a lot more risk than the traction battery. And if your 12V battery dies, you can't turn on the vehicle.

[@lucapacino8831]

Hi Solomon, thank you for this very informative analysis, much appreciated! I am based in the UK and I am planning to drive with my Kona to Alps. Could you please recommend winter tyres that you were using? Were they very loud and affected consumption?

[@matthewwilkinson1338]

Where did you purchase that small display and is it compatible with 2023 Kona ev?

[@swansproduction]

So after all those tests... And EXPIRIENCE - can you recommend to use Kona (especially 2024) in Calgary as the main vehicle? And how much time it will charge at home with huyndai charging system?

[@mipmixchannel]

one question please: why you don't show/say ... X kwh/100 km ? almost all reviews I saw used that kind of energy consumption ... thanks !

[@Simon-dm8zv]

So this one does not have a heatpump?

[@Jahavek]

Hi! Do you maybe know critical charging temperatures for Ioniq 38.3 kW? Thanks!

[@READYSTEADYCHARGE]

I don't know it off the top of my head. I remember @Teslabjorn had done extensive testing with the Ioniq

[@vanhoot2234]

ty

[@amigatommy7]

Could use a big heat pump.

[@romanakhmedov80]

How can an EV be without the indicator of battery temperature. It is like a phone without the indicator of connection

[@Maceyee1]

The cars ambient temp sensors must be inside of glass you parked with the sun quite bright so maybe the lens effect tricked the sensor

[@TheSherahprincess]

Have you driven across Canada in winter?

[@READYSTEADYCHARGE]

I have not. It will be a bit difficult to do in a Kona since in some places the chargers are just close enough to make it. But if one of those charging sites are down. Then you can't move on quickly to the next one. It will be easier in EVs with longer range, like a Model S.

[@darrinyo-mamakimble7002]

Thank you very much for this information, this Canadian definitely won’t be buying an electric vehicle anytime soon. If I have to wear winter clothes inside my vehicle and tack an extra three hours travel time I don’t think it’s worth it at all especially at $100,000 cost for most electric vehicles

[@jtv3881]

Literally only 2% of electric cars on market are over $100k

[@darrinyo-mamakimble7002]

@@jtv3881 I’m not sure where you’re from but there’s not a lot of choice in Canada and paying 55k for a Chevy bolt or a Hyundai ain’t happening for me. If you want some thing half decent with decent range you’re paying the better part of 100 K, dealer sticker prices are bullshit it’s been that way for years. You can make the argument that stuff is cheap but when you go to buy it, with dealer mark up and the current market your statistics are poppycock.

[@jtv3881]

@@darrinyo-mamakimble7002 Chevy bolt is actually $35k for me here in Alberta after incentives but unfortunately Alberta doesn’t have a provincial incentive like Quebec otherwise it would have been way under $30k. I’d recommend checking out the Chevy bolt lineup on the Chevrolet site because they’ve actually gotten so much better after the refresh last year and got a HUGE price drop.

[@BioniqBob]

Spoken like a true fool.

[@BioniqBob]

@@darrinyo-mamakimble7002 LOL, another uninformed fool.

[@TheClaudio7078]

Imagine driving in winter when you get snow or water freezing on your windshield as you drive and have to heat full blast and pull over to clean it

[@InternetDude]

Great info! I am in Sask and drove Tesla for 6 years. Have you had many troubles repairs with the vehicle? I gave up on Tesla and therefore EV.

[@sugambhusal5638]

What is car name

[@dalekaechler4872]

Please provide a link to where to purchase the item

[@READYSTEADYCHARGE]

I bought the OBD display here: evobd2.com/

[@AlainODea]

Did you use a Veepeak OBDCheck BLE OBD2 or a Panlonf OBD2 OBDII Bluetooth Scanner with it? I'm really curious about being able to get detailed diagnostics like you are seeing on our pair of Kona Electrics.

[@gerhardk98]

Windchill doesn’t affect machines.

[@K_R_W]

The temperature of the wind should have no effect on a car whatsoever. Wind can cause a car’s engine to cool down faster if it’s parked outside, but its ultimate temperature will be unaffected.

[@chrisbutler1136]

So owning an EV. You have to make plans for extra time to charge. So a trip in a petro unit can make the trip with out stopping to charge. EV are not suited to Canadian weather.

[@sprockkets]

Nonsense. This is an older EV. Hyundai has EVs that charge around 125kw on their worst days in the cold, and can pre condition the battery to accept a near full charge amount.

[@ZachMeador]

50kw should barely be considered fast charging...

[@amigatommy7]

Too bad Kona did not get 800 v charging.

[@nicolelee2229]

Omg!

[@krugerdave]

Nice video! Regarding the charger in Jasper: Option 1 can't be the reason, since windchill is only relevant for human skin. A machine like a charger won't notice the difference between -23° in still air or in high winds. My bet is that those chargers just don't like the cold for some reason. Pretty disappointing that there are so few chargers at each location and only 50kW units as well. They're fine for an efficient car like the Kona, but God help anyone who wants to charge their R1T around there!

[@southhillfarm2795]

Love videos from my little yellow friend.

[@JensSchraeder]

So i can fill up my Ford F150 with a range of 1000 to 1100 km. Which basically means I could have driven that whole trip without stopping.

[@DoctorJellicle]

No one asked

[@gianvisentin1232]

How much you spend to fill up your truck? I’m sure the EV could do 2 to 3 times those amount of miles with what you spend on your one tank of gas or diesel. Not to mention, zero pollution.

[@victorseal9047]

No pee stops, coffee breaks, rest stops ?? 😮 Are you a human ?? 😊

[@Plisken65]

​@@DoctorJellicle exactly😂

[@clintonkirker5154]

@@gianvisentin1232my cost per kWh at home is 19¢. my cost per us gallon is currently $2.49. I have paid as much as 30¢ per kWh while traveling. Electric is 4.75¢ per mile at home and 7.5¢ per mile while traveling. On Gas my cpm is 4.6¢, add 1¢ for an oil change every 7500 miles. Assuming 4 miles per kw and 54 mpg. 2017 Toyota Prius prime.

[@sugambhusal5638]

Car namd

[@rogervondach1238]

OK, if I have to wear winter clothing by driving my car, that reminds me of my early days of driving my 1958 VW Beetle. So give me a reason why I should go back in time. EV's are a nonsense, no matter what brand.

[@EVMan298]

EVs are not nonsense.