How does winter affect EV range? Snow and ice! Fiat 500e (got stuck...)

Nature provided a proper test for the electric Fiat 500e that we've been loaned for one month by Onto. Snow, ice and sub-zero temperatures. Can it de-ice itself? What effect will that have on the range? What are EVs like to drive in snow and ice? How does winter effect the economy of an EV? We find out by visiting Bwlch Nant yr Arian for spectacular views.
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[@paulie-Gualtieri.]

I remember how fun it was starting an old Ford Orion 1.6 diesel in conditions like this, it was like starting a Class 40 locomotive.

[@piuthemagicman]

that is the fun with old mechanical diesels at arctic winters 😂

[@paulie-Gualtieri.]

@@piuthemagicman When batteries and starter motors took lots of abuse and never gave up.

[@piuthemagicman]

@@paulie-Gualtieri. hmm. never heard of such problems on any cars. and I've been around cars and interested about them my whole life. I've even had 19 cars myself 😂 very old almost dead batteries only have caused problems.

[@Lot76CARS]

OMG I remember the diesel waxing up on a then newish Escort 1.6D estate, not fun up a very long incline I can tell you!

[@piuthemagicman]

@@Lot76CARS no winter type diesel in your country?

[@CaptHollister]

My friend has a Mustang Mach-E. In the depths of a proper Canadian winter (-30c ish) with seats and steering heated, car heat on, and driving on winter tires (which are legally required in this province) he loses closes to half of the range. The advantage of having a charging station at home is that he can program the car to heat and defrost while it is still plugged in thereby allowing him to always climb into a warm car without affecting the range.

[@piuthemagicman]

wow... :/

[@michaeltutty1540]

Just wait until he gets stuck on the 400 or 401 and a normal hour drives turns into a 9 hour endurance test. That is my biggest bug Bear with electric cars. You can't carry a spare 100 kilometers of electricity with you to dump in the tank at will. The other scary thing was demonstrated in a video from England, but I can't remember the channel. They took every EV on the market at the time to see if the distance claims were valid and what happened when the batteries were dead. There were several that bricked themselves until some juice was added. One had to be plugged in to a friendly pub to get enough power to let it get to the opposite end of the same car park, because it would not even roll. If that happened in a traffic jam it would be stuck until a crane came to lift it off the road. Hardly a safe scenario.

[@peterhurst]

@@michaeltutty1540 it was the car wow channel and yes the fact they couldn't be moved at all was a bit inconvenient to say the least

[@jochenstacker7448]

@@michaeltutty1540 but have you ever ran out of juice on a diesel? You don't always carry a spare canister of fuel, that's rather rare these days. And have you ever had to bleed a diesel that doesn't have a build in hand pump? You either have to crack open the fuel lines at the injectors to let air out, or you have to undo the fuel return line, hook a pump up to it and suck the fuel through. And I don't care how beefy your battery is, it can't noodle a diesel for half an hour while (hopefully) fuel makes it's way through the system. Ask me how I know! Every car has ups and downs. Just like with a banger, you gotta plan your trip.

[@squeakers27]

@@peterhurst I think they should have a mechanical way to put the car in neutral because some of these electric cars need the electricity to power the interior electrics on in order to put the car in neutral.

[@35dononeill]

I am enjoying this video series. I think the biggest flaw with ev's is that you must be able to charge at home. I have seen on some of the other comments that warming the car while charging doesn't affect the range. Renters and people who have to park on the streets will have problems with EV's

[@eugeniaskelley5194]

Yep !

[@DUCKSAREEVILLLLLLLL]

Which is why less than 1% of drivers in very Democrat NYC have EVs.

[@colinpritchard7044]

Message from Canada.... properly cold windshield and kettle of water = risk of a new windshield making an appearance unless you're very careful

[@HubNut]

Never had an issue. I never use really hot water.

[@highdownmartin]

@@HubNut indeed!Luke warm, not superheated steam.

[@craigix]

Stop spreading this silly myth.

[@tomhope4613]

Mk3 Mondeo with heated front screen would make light work of that ice……. Miss mine and always had a smile when other people were out with scrapers

[@HubNut]

I hate the wires... especially in fog or heavy drizzle.

[@ivanfernyhough3851]

Heated screens great.had them since my sierra sapphire ghia.fabulous invention.wouldnt have a daily car without one.the wires never bothered me in the least.

[@ghunt9146]

The heated front screen was the only benefit that Ford gave to Volvo during their ownership.

[@hadtopicausername]

Oh, and hope you're enjoying the weather we've been sending you from Trondheim, courtesy of the Arctic. My car detected minus 20 degrees this morning.

[@briangriffiths114]

Thank you for this video as I have only ever driven my Fiat 500e in Range mode and would also have done so in the snow. My range has recently dropped by 25% to 3.25 miles per KWh in low single figure temp conditions, despite driving with a light foot and the heater barely on.

[@dickturpin3115]

I rented one from onto and I have to say that they are not a straightforward company to deal with. They recently sent an email saying you won't be able to use BP or Instavolt anymore unless you pay them an additional £120 a month. This was hot on the heals of a 33% increase in return fees. With that, their offering (in my opinion at least) no longer represents good value for money.

[@HubNut]

Yes, received that email. Rules it out for us entirely because the only local charger we have is BP Pulse.

[@andrewhaines3259]

They've obviously got their figures wrong, so they are now trying to claw the revenue back. Electric just won't work without the infrastructure, and if companies don't start making charging points universal to all, then it's another nail in the coffin for me. You don't have petrol stations saying that their fuel is only available for certain vehicles, so why do so with electric vehicles?

[@jnksgb]

I would agree with this. I rented an E-208 from them. Excessive pick up and collection fees and Shell recharge is rubbish. Won’t be getting a car from them again unfortunately

[@trevorcrook2565]

Ian, I am enjoying your 500e videos, interesting and informative. The odd modern car adds even more variety to your channel, which I don't mind at all.

[@tristanpage6805]

Great video again. Still not sold on the new electric stuff

[@anthonystevens8683]

You can't beat a real world test for an EV in the cold to get a real life view on how it affects the range so many thanks for doing this one Ian. All good information, not only on the range but also the drivability when an EV has so much torque available at low speeds. Back in the day the suggestion was to start off in the highest gear possible to pull away but with an EZ having a single forward gear we're a little stuck for choice. A very good point about the lower rolling resistance tyres that certainly used to be the the manufacturers preference to eek out that extra range as range seems to be one of the key concerns for many. Thanks again. I'm looking forward to the round up review of the time with the car that I do confess I rather like.

[@brianlaunchbury4491]

It's hilarious how people think that this is a real world test, it's just a drive around in some random weather. The quoted figures are from a repeatable test, they are not intended to be used as "this is what you'll get" ranges. The testing required to achieve "real world results" would be unbelievable. I know I used to test car heating and air-conditioning systems for a living. Testing just a "climate system" could take thousands of hours to do properly. The number of variables that would need to be included to develop a "real world range table" is enormous!

[@ricosound654]

It would be better if it was nuclear rather than faffing around with all that battery charging. You wouldn't run it out of charge and need to have it towed if it was nuclear. Plus, you'd get to control your own reactor. Hopefully safely! 👌

[@chuckbradley1]

You are so privileged being surrounded by mountain scenery.

[@ebutuoyYT]

I am currently running a set of Goodyear Vector 4season tyres, even in today’s snow and cold they were excellent, perfect for Bella the Berlingo.

[@robtt997]

Well done Hubnut tribe . Very interesting seeing an ev in winter conditions. Neighbour of a friend has gone all green spending big bucks covering his roof with solar panels , insulation ,heat pump ch and so forth . Also bought a mid range ev . He is evangelical about all this . Hates log burners and me as I am threatening to burn nutty slack on our fire .I am only teasing by the way. . Anyway his ev battery has just failed and it will cost £6k plus fitting for a new one.Thankfully under warranty but car will be away for weeks until a new battery can be sourced . I asked about repairing it but seemingly no go as threat to life of mechanic. So no Hubnut videos in 2040 tinkering with an ev battery 😅

[@grahamleiper1538]

Working on batteries isn't difficult, it's just different.

[@robtt997]

@@grahamleiper1538 Great can’t wait for Hubnut to get his screwdriver in their

[@daniellee9015]

Absolutely brilliant video Ian Miss hubnut 👍interesting seeing the otherside of extremely cold weather in a eV brilliant

[@johnmiller4973]

Thank you Ian for the update...

[@stefencooke]

Defrosting the screens on my ford focus mk3 is very easy as it also has a heated front windscreen in fact it takes me longer to remove the frost from the side windows then it takes the front and rear screen to clear

[@Tagora2664]

This biggest issue I've found with my ZS ev is how slow it charges at home when the weather is really cold. There's no doubt it has quite a decent effect overall.

[@jfv65]

You are limited to a certain charging Amperage. But the cold of the battery pack means that the chemical processes inside that batterypack slow down. I believe it is called 'cold gating' . The other side of the temperature spectrum is also problematic. A hot battery isn't good either. Ideal charging temps are between 20-25C. That's why good BEV's have liquid cooled battery packs with battery management software that optimises the battery temp. Cooling down or even heating up as the battery pack needs it while charging.

[@eugeniaskelley5194]

Yah, and be careful peak hours are becoming a problem.

[@darrencowley8265]

Hi hubnut family I have the same problem with my mobility scooter when it's cold thanks again for the video take care all 😄👍

[@scottishcarenthusiastsandtrain]

Great Video as always, loving these EV Videos on the 500.

[@iainmacleod4007]

I keep my EV garaged which makes a big difference to range as less need to defrost and battery kept at a slightly better temperature. Also as stated you can preheat the cabin whilst plugged in. I am the only person in a large new estate that garages my car. Everybody’s garage is full of junk, which I think is madness. Even ice cars benefit from being kept under cover, it’s the second biggest purchase most people make in life.

[@briangriffiths114]

Same here!

[@grahamleiper1538]

Most UK single garages struggle to take a car, and open the door. Only had one car go in my garage, BMW Z3 convertible, and that was because I could climb out.

[@iainmacleod4007]

@@grahamleiper1538 Not in my estate where the garages are generously proportioned to take a large car and still have room for shelving and racking. All my neighbours have them filled with junk. Well I suppose protecting MFI furniture discarded since 2000 makes more sense than leaving £40k of BMW laying out in all weathers.

[@davidjones332]

@@grahamleiper1538 Unfortunately, as cars keep getting wider (often unnecessarily so) it isn't so easy to just widen your garage. I've seen a 1930s semi with a garage that was obviously tailored to take an Austin Seven -I bet nobody's managed to get a car into it for the past eighty years!

[@grahamleiper1538]

@@davidjones332 A modern Fiesta is larger than an Austin Maxi - it is much more survivable in a side impact though.

[@Adam_T]

Ian it’s been an interesting series and a good diversion which has added something different . Thanks a lot .

[@rolandkamp5307]

Realistic review, for now I will use my Ford focus MK3 diesel, heated front windscreen, 900 KM on a full tank. (You can't see the wires in the screen, this was the case with my previous MK3 mondeo)

[@Sheamusf500]

I always use de-icer, I don't use water.,.... (Personal choice,what ever works for you) and I never operate the window switches either till everything is thawed out because I am scarred of the incident that wrote off my Accord when it went on fire because of that ☹️.

[@itsmephil2255]

Another great consumer video from HubNut 👍

[@jamesbaum4523]

Watched a Hoovies garage vid and the range on his electric Ford F150 pickup was so bad in the cold of winter he got rid of it! Batterys just hate cold weather.

[@plym1969]

A very informative and interesting video. Thanks.

[@chrisstoddard1144]

Have you no ice scraper? I don't think I've ever relied on car heat to clear my windows. No, never a kettle of hot water either.

[@peterjames448]

Beautiful scenery Ian. 👍👌

[@dxutube]

I'm enjoying the series as I love EVs

[@allanriches9381]

The cold weather range is hardly never discussed. This is probably one of the most important things EV owners should be aware of.

[@kaitlyn__L]

This is why I pay attention to Norwegian EV reviewers. Canadian or Northwest US helps a lot too. The main takeaway is you lose ~40% range with heating included, ~20% just from the air density. If you have a heat pump it’s more 30-35% overall loss rather than 40-45%. That’s the case in pretty much all electric cars, regardless of brand.

[@HubNut]

Number of passengers makes very little difference. As a percentage of the overall vehicle weight, the odd 75kg isn't much. These are hefty motors.

[@alansmith1770]

Very interesting vid take care in this cold snap

[@LeicesterMike]

You can preheat the car whilst sitting inside your house, a big advantage of EVs

[@rusty911s2]

Yes, but ideally you'll be able to plug in at home. Many can't and perhaps parked up on Saturday night with, say 55 miles range. Let's say during Sunday the temps drop right down and stay there. You wake up on Mondag ready for work, 35 miles away. You switch your remote heating on and look forward to getting into your toasty warm car. Disaster! By time you get to your car, the combination of remote (disconnected) heating and the cold weather has dropped your range to 29 miles.

[@LeicesterMike]

@@rusty911s2 each car differs but you can set a minimum level of charge where the car will preheat. It from many years of experience only loses around 5 miles of range at the most preheating.

[@rusty911s2]

@@LeicesterMike I guess that if you say 3 miles per kwh, 6kw heating with rear screen and seats (for ease of maths)for, what, 20 mins (33% of an hour) so 2 kwh x 3 = 6 miles. Not nearly as bad as I'd have thought. Wish I had the next model up with E heat now!

[@StevensPaul]

HubNut on ice 🍦🍨👀🚗! Watch it on those slick roads Ian 👍.

[@alanholman5466]

An interesting video. I live in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. I presently own a six year old Toyota RAV 4 Hybrid. I am in two minds about buying an ev. I like the idea of reduced running costs but I have to balance this against the possible disadvantages of running an ev during a Canadian winter. Also in our province we do not have an abundance of charging stations in rural communities and where travelling distances are so great this could pose a problem. Thanks for an interesting video.

[@mbak7801]

I once had an infra red rifle sight. It had an external battery holder available that was on a long lead. When shooting in low temperatures you put the battery pack in an inside pocket to keep them warm. The only problem is you had to remember to take the pack out before walking away from the rifle as otherwise either you or the rifle went flying. Whoops.....

[@phillipstothard]

That is a really good test to show how how EVs are affected by hills and cold weather combined.

[@hectorshouse7348]

Thank you 😃

[@chrisw3771]

Great video, we were there yesterday on the way back from Aberystwyth. I agree it was chilly! Other side of Sarnau was an adventure

[@hadtopicausername]

A friend of me had the fun experience of the car's automatic wipers detecting water on the windcreen, and activating. While frozen to the screen. He had to replace the wipers afterwards.

[@rusty911s2]

That's a really good point: I've left my Outlander PHEV's wipers on auto and currently they're probably frozen to the screen under 3in of snow. Thanks for the heads up! BTW I went to unlock it the other night. It was well below freezing after earlier rain, the mirrors had folded away so naturally they attempted to fold back out despite being frozen. They managed it, just, but it didn't sound great. I shall alter settings so they don't fold upon locking.

[@fruitychink]

Just convinces me that I do not want ever to have one

[@robc5955]

Having been a cynic of winter tyres for years, I got some this year - snow in the Scottish Borders has allowed a suitable test and I have to say I’m blown away at the difference. Anyway, I guess a scraper would save some time and electric use (wouldn’t it?) but otherwise for some electric still seems viable it’s just about where you are located and where and how often you need to go I guess.

[@cambridgemart2075]

I've never had proper winter tyres, but having moved to Northern Finland recently, we are required to have them. Our local roads don't get ploughed, so the surface is compacted snow; even the ploughed roads are ice with a dusting of snow; running studded winter tyres gives a surprising amount of grip.

[@kjp136]

After sliding down a hill a couple of years ago in the snow, I decided to get some Michelin Crossclimate 2 all season tyres as I didn't want the hassle of changing the wheels twice a year. They are truly amazing in bad wather, I don't think I will be going back to summer tyres.

[@HarryJamesBooks]

@@kjp136 Allweathers all the way here. Bugger changing and storing wheels, waste of time, money and space

[@DavidFBird]

Winter tyres were not something we ever thought of in Welsh winters back in the stone age. We just got on with it and tried to avoid sliding into the hedge on our cross plies!

[@MrCElk]

Yup, still enjoying this series.

[@VDPEFi]

The end reminded me of being young and getting my dad's 7 series half way up a very slippery single track road and that depressing loss of momentum followed by a gut wrenching descent somewhat out of control and trying not to smash it up....ah memories lol

[@colingoode3702]

Ah yes the old FWD vs RWD scenario. I always chuckled when winter came & all the Beemers & Mercs had trouble in the snow & ice vs the FWD cars who had a much easier time. My old 1969 Viva GT had similar issues. A bag of sand or a paving slab in the boot helped. Alternatively drive up the hill backwards with two mates jumping up & down in the boot seemed to work. A FWD EV seems to disprove that theory completely & probably needs winter tyres more than any other ICE car. My 4 x 4 Skoda Superb on normal tyres & in manual mode on the DSG as no issues in this weather.

[@johnnorth9355]

Ellie would have course handled it all with aplomb .

[@AlexF931]

Yayyyyy another vid !!! 😊😊😊

[@simonc858]

I decided to take my 18yr old V50 to work this morning, -4 and 4 inches of snow, started first time and was steady on the ice rink untreated down hill roads today 🙂

[@mvpeters]

Just a couple of tips from New England, where it gets a great deal colder. Don't use water to de-ice, it will just freeze again. Warm up a couple of towels, lay them on the wipers for a minute or two & just wipe the ice away. A hair-dryer/hot air gun on a low setting works well too. Can you get windscreen anti-freeze fluid? Ours comes in one-gallon jugs & protects to -25F. If not, use methylated spirits/denatured alcohol - or vodka, Never, ever, use the orange or green or Rain-X types, it just clogs the pump & nozzles. I'm curious why you can't charge at home. Parked too far from a plug? That's going to be an issue, especially for street-parkers. Mike

[@HubNut]

Yes, screenwash is used, which stops the fluid from freezing. I always use the warm water technique and have never had a problem with re-freezing. Just put the wipers on!

[@FryNOR]

@@HubNut The biggest problem with hot water and cold glass is the temperature shock and expansion that can make the glass shatter, glass don't like rapid temperature changes and it's the same problem when polishing it. But hot water can be used in other ways, if a door lock is frozen then hot water in a bag can be quite useful. Hold the bag against the lock and it will thaw the ice, a bonus is that it also keeps your hands warm. Remember to oil the locks afterwards so that they dont freeze easily.

[@mvpeters]

@@HubNut Rubber wipers on ice just wrecks the blades!

[@mvpeters]

@@FryNOR GOOD idea - indirect heat is the key.

[@MrSteamywindows]

@@FryNOR I don’t use HOT water as that’s daft, I use tepid water (barely room temperature) as it only has to be this temperature in order to melt the ice. Use wipers instantly to clear water before it freezes. Job done

[@scalecrawlnl]

Beautiful scenery of the Welsh countryside in Winter atmosphere and I have not followed the previous 500e videos, I have though enjoyed this shorter, more of a vlog type HubNut video very much. I like the EV tech, it's rather interesting, am a bit concerned about the let's say, political angle of ev things. For video, like 210 given and naturally, big thank you✌

[@duringthemeanwhilst]

quick tip - use heated seats instead of the heater in very cold weather. it has a minimal effect on range (in my ID. 3 anyway) on the tyre front, I've just had to fit 4 new ones, and went for a Michelin Cross Climate rather than re-fit the Bridgestones that came with the car when new. Safety over range any day of the week

[@HubNut]

It doesn't have seated heats. Need a Winter Pack option for that.

[@rusty911s2]

@Retired Bore I've just bought an Outlander PHEV 3H which is the poverty (non heated seat) version. Someone had optioned full leather, but incredibly it still doesn't heated seats. Unheated leather very much = Brrrr!

[@HarryJamesBooks]

Yeah, I used to shell out for Michelin CCs - great tyres. Then I bought a set of Imperial All Season Drivers on a car I planned selling but ended up keeping, and the only real difference is they cost half as much. I'm on my 3rd set on three cars now and wouldn't have anything else. On all the very different cars, they've driven every bit as well as Michies come rain or shine (or ice and German winters)

[@jimmydesouza4375]

A positive about EVs in the snow is that when it inevitably bursts into flames you can warm yourself and your family with it.

[@thomasalbrecht5914]

EVs actually burn less often than petrol cars according to insurance statistics. Although with petrol cars, the cause is usually the 12 V electrics, because low voltage lets you get away with poor connections and isolation until it doesn’t, while high voltage doesn’t tolerate it from the start. The talk about EV fires is about the impossibility of extinguishing them. The likelihood they start burning is no point of concern.

[@jimmydesouza4375]

@@thomasalbrecht5914 You should stop pulling figures out your rectum. EVs burn more often than cars, for example the incident rates from the London Fire Brigade are 0.04% for petrol cars and 0.1% for EVs. Or in other words 1 out of every thousand EVs burns per year.

[@eugeniaskelley5194]

@@thomasalbrecht5914 That study sounds somewhat biased, in comparison to how many EV vehicles there are to fuel vehicles.

[@thomasalbrecht5914]

@@eugeniaskelley5194 if an EV burns, it gets reported anyway, because it’s a novelty. If an ICE car burns, it’s not newsworthy unless someone dies. Anecdotal evidence doesn’t prove a thing, statistics do. And there is no statistical evidence from all sources that have sufficient data, to prove that EVs burn more frequently. Similar statistics exist from insurance companies in Germany for instance, where initially there was also some reluctance on behalf of underground parking garages etc. to accept EVs because of this supposed fire hazard. But on inspection of the data this fear was proven without any foundation whatsoever. Still, haters gonna hate and prejudice suits them.

[@andrewentwistle515]

It is great to see & hear how electric cars cope in cold weather. I have enjoyed all of the electric car episodes.

[@kimcason8764]

Why People would NOT like these E.V. posts is beyond me..!? This is What we are likely to be Pushed into, as the World attempts to Clean up our Mess..! So to gleen information from 'Your Work' is just Great..! I don't face too much Snow and Ice, here in South Australia. But in winter it Can get Very Cool..! So to My Mind, it's Good Sense to Suss Out the Pitfalls before you Spend your Hard Earnt $£€¥..?? The Sight of the Snow made my Fingertip's tingle, however, and it's 20°c plus here..! Great Video, Great Work. Keep Warm, Cheers All. Kim in Oz. 😎

[@oldclassiccarUK]

Interesting stuff re the effects of cold weather, the constant thinking about range and re-charging etc reminds me of when my car's LPG was functioning properly, planning ahead in the hope that I'd reach LPG stations down the road and the LPG pumps would actually be working - although at least with that I could use petrol if needs be, plus it took no longer than petrol to fill up. EVs are just too big a compromise for me.

[@leonardosimm3536]

Really surprised that you don't use anything on the windscreen, like a simple alcohol-based de-icer (I mix very cheap isopropyl alcohol 50/50 with water in a spray bottle to make my own de-icer)...would speed up the thawing process immensely. Also, lift the wipers off the screen over night when the forecast is for minus temps...

[@HubNut]

I wanted to test the heater Vs range.

[@eddiejones.redvees]

I put a little bit of Methylated spirits in my washer bottle when he gets really cold works a treat and smells good coming through the air vents

[@tony-yp6qk]

I didn't realise it was the fan inside the car I thought you were parked next to a jumbo jet another great video has always Ian and miss hubnut and hublets and hubmutts 👍

[@BrorAppelsin]

I think that it'd make sense to have a heated windscreen instead of making the whole interior super toasty...

[@abl5134]

Yep heated windscreen wheel and seats

[@HubNut]

Would make sense, but I always seem to see the lines in heated windscreens. I don't like 'em.

[@BrorAppelsin]

@@HubNut VW (or VAG rather) supposedly has a model with less visible lines. Unfortunately I've got only the old style, but it's a lifesaver.

[@piuthemagicman]

In nordic countries we scrape the windows and have antifreeze windscreen wash fluid. This seems common sense for us with freezing long winters. cheap too.

[@doggy55915]

Ford wont allow it they still hold the patent. Toyota tried on the Carina with a single element neat the wiper blades and had to stop because of legal threats from Ford.

[@bluedeva]

I collect my new fiat 500e this week and your videos have helped put my mind at ease moving over to electric Thank you for all of your fiat 500e reviews

[@redsorgum]

I’ve seen people leave the wipers lifted up when they are done using their car, that way the wipers don’t freeze/stick to the windshield. Great demo on the EV.✌️🇺🇸🇬🇧✌️

[@grahamleiper1538]

Seen that done in really cold countries, and really hot countries.

[@GoldenCroc]

Yep, standard procedure where I live.

[@HubNut]

I do that usually, but got caught out.

[@MrDavidcoote]

I agree with your comment about the range dropping below 5 degrees. Range drops in my Mii electric at this temp. and below. P.S. thanks for the E.V. content from an E.V owning HubNut fan...

[@wolvoman1]

Try to avoid using even warm water to defrost the glass, use a kettle of cold water instead

[@tonys1636]

About time that winter tyres were compulsory for the UK as most of Europe does money could be saved on treating lesser used roads and spent on road maintenance.

[@HubNut]

Problem is, winter tyres are good but they're no magic cure for sheet ice.

[@tonys1636]

@@HubNut Studded ones are great but they have a 50mph max speed restriction on them so as not too throw the removable and replaceable spring loaded studs out.

[@nickc4518]

Has it not got a heated windscreen? They are invaluable in weather like this. No scraping or hot water necessary.

[@HubNut]

Don't like the wires, but does seem a good choice for an EV.

[@RWBHere]

Thanks for this video, Ian; it's very fair. 🙂👍 For comparison, and to agree with your assessment, our ZE50 has a Renault claimed range of about 243 miles. In reality, we see a genuine 280 miles in 25°C+ Summer weather and about 200 at 0°C. (Summer average of about 260 miles and Winter average roughly 210 miles, after 2 years of driving it.) So Renault's claim is about right, if you take an average.

[@MrGaryRoberton]

That's why heated indoor car parks are so popular in Canada, I checked our temp out doors as I was watching this, Minus 17 C with 2 inches of fresh snow on Sunday morning. Just average really. Ice and snow tires are almost a given here, EV's ? Perhaps someday......

[@stephenholland5930]

Are winter tyres a legal requirement in Canada?

[@MrGaryRoberton]

@@stephenholland5930 Not in all places, but they should be. There is a debate about cost, and if the public should be forced to spend 600 to 700 pounds to comply

[@grahamcockerill2406]

It's been a very informative series Ian, thanks mate. Aussie Graham.

[@tommys1678]

I've been enjoying these videos! I think it would be cool if they gave you a Zoe next and you tested that lol - wishful thinking though I'm sure

[@vernonchubb8289]

The company I used to work for ordered Vauxhall Vivaro EV 75kw Range 180 miles on half carrying load . We were told that we couldn't use the aircon in the summer and heaters in summer as range would be halved. Interesting as I drove between 150 to 250 miles a day. I did say they should have got me a hybrid

[@twocvbloke]

So here's a question to put to Onto; Do they offer winter tyre-swap services? Cos low-friction tyres on a low-friction surface in the winter, not really a good mix, whether EV or ICE... :S

[@michaelcoffey7362]

Cool😀

[@andrewevans3489]

Never go up or down Rhiw Goch in freezing weather bit of local knowledge for you,which you now know.👍

[@HubNut]

Aye. Should have realised. Do now!

[@CathodeRayNipplez]

Does it snow enough to go skiing around Aberystwyth?

[@WhitelandRestorations]

Very interesting cold weather test! Does the 500e have a remote heat up option like the teslas? We're in for a long cold snap... thermal windscreen cover might save some range!

[@HubNut]

Haven't found a remote app yet. Car goes back on Friday so we're almost at the end with it. Might be worth a screen covering of some sort...

[@PaulAbell]

@@HubNut Yes it has a remote app for warm up from the Fiat500 app. Great for defrosting, especially for local journeys. The app also does a couple of other things.

[@JLAGAN49]

Up and Down is doing three vids on old-school Citroen brakes etc. if anyone needs relief from battery stuff.

[@hestjensen3876]

Thank you.

[@davidrumming4734]

-8c driving home from work in Wiltshire Wednesday at 10:30pm.

[@michailokeefeMooMoo]

Some great view’s. Do it make any difference with car full on mileage to when you are alone

[@HubNut]

Not especially.

[@jaggass]

It's that time of year for a can of De-Icer again. What would miles per gallon equate to an an electric car? 50 miles every 25% of battery consumption?

[@ginggur17]

You are brave with a kettle pal, tap water of the hot variety is on the verge lol. 🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿👍

[@HubNut]

I heat to about the same as hot tap water. Never boiling!

[@ginggur17]

@@HubNut thank goodness, ya got the ole heart going a tad lol. 👍👍👍🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

[@brianknowles1727]

I would have assumed it would have had heated windscreen.

[@meirionevans5137]

Let's all be very careful out there, shall we?

[@stephenholland5930]

Especially on summer tyres in the snow!

[@leeallen1407]

Just took the plunge and ordered a brand new Hybrid last week.......delivery.....september.....be keeping my old cars as well

[@sonnylatchstring]

Cold water is sufficient to remove ice deposits from your windshield

[@UnknownUser-rb9pd]

Large amounts of torque make driving in snow and ice a little more hazardous, especially if you forget and try and accelerate "normally". My diesel car has 420nm of torque and can get wheel spin (until traction control kicks in ) on damp roads in third gear. All weather tyres help a lot.

[@ronaldderooij1774]

I was always taught that hot water on frozen glass has a cracked windscreen as a result. Never tested that idea. I think if I did, my father would briefly return to the land of the living to kill me.

[@stephenholland5930]

Lukewarm water is sufficient.

[@HubNut]

Yup. Never use hot or boiling water. Just warm water, and wipe it off immediately. Spare wiper blades handy for this. I always keep an old one in the car.

[@DehnusNorder]

Range also depends on the car, some can charge to 100 each time others rather not. Some also drive better in winter than othres.

[@emjayay]

Most people with any kind of car would use one of those scrapers on a stick with a brush on the other end to get the ice off the windshield first. Or put some kind of plastic or fabric across the windshield held on by the front door window frames before it snows. And putting the wipers up in the air too (if they do that).

[@bressan1998]

Do you have snow tires? I think there is a heated windshield.

[@JamesG75]

I've noticed the colder weather is definitely affecting my MG5's range a fair amount but I'm still really enjoying EV ownership

[@peteinwisconsin2496]

Tire compounds vary from soft to hard, with rolling resistance varying from excessive to minimal. Tires made with soft compounds give reasonable traction on snow and ice and those made with hard compounds are pretty much unusable in Wisconsin winters because their traction on snow and ice is so bad. I suspect the 500e comes with very hard compound tires to increase its range. A block or diagonal block tread pattern helps improve traction in winter as does a softer compound.

[@DUCKSAREEVILLLLLLLL]

If this man tries that warm water on the windshield trick around here in the cold of our winters, his window would explode. This isn't cold.

[@bx16v]

My forester sti has heated sections on the windscreen where the wipers park so they don't stick!

[@HubNut]

Yes, not sure why more manufacturers haven't copied that idea. Very sensible.

[@GoFuckaDuck1]

Ian you missed the most important thing, the cost of even small EVs are out of the price range of a lot of people. Far better buying a small petrol and save thousands.

[@HubNut]

If money is a consideration, a brand new car isn't the way to go really, whatever it is.

[@laguna3fase4]

Very nice scenery. How many charging points did you find in Wales? I have heard there aren't many about which is a problem and also means I won't be buying one in a hurry.

[@HubNut]

Not enough. Aberystwyth now has quite a few rapid chargers, Cardigan and most other nearby towns none.

[@highlandrab19]

Hardly extreme weather but i guess when half your range is killled by having a heater on that counts

[@robenglish416]

Ice scrape? Winter tires?

[@stippolyte]

If you could plug in at home does it come with an app so you could preheat /defrost?

[@stephenholland5930]

Most EVs do, my Ioniq 5 included.

[@HubNut]

I'm afraid I don't know. Many EVs do, as Stephen says. I've not got an app for the car itself.

[@Leon-uj7pc]

Having driven a dealership loaner Fiat 500 gas powered model in the snow a few years ago (my Fiesta was being repaired under warranty) and being very surprised at how good it drove in the snow, I would not think the EV version would have any trouble at all. The Range thing for me is a killer as i live in a townhouse with no garage and access to a charger unless i go to a charger a few miles away. So it sitting out in the cold winter would probably not be a great idea for me.

[@r4mps]

Are you on summer tyres ? You mentioned low friction tyres; is there such a thing as ev-spec winter tyres?

[@HubNut]

Yes, summer tyres. Not sure about EV winters. Interesting question.

[@r4mps]

@@HubNut No wonder the ABS was in full alert

[@thomasfrancis5747]

I see that cars were stranded for 8 hours on the M25 last night (why is emergency support so useless when it snows leaving drivers unable to move?) leaving many EV's stranded as they used all remaining power - presumably not easy to recover.

[@HubNut]

I'm yet to test it, but in my experience so far, you'd need to be stranded for a very long time to run out of charge by simply having the heater on. Rather be in an EV than a normal car pumping out fumes but not moving away from them...