Live-Action Movie 'Tomorrow'... Chicago Turned into an Electric Car Graveyard

As Temperatures Drop, Electric Vehicle Driving Performance Plummets
Battery Drains While Waiting to Charge... Towed Away by Tow Truck

Recently, the major city of Chicago in Illinois, USA, hit by a cold wave, has turned into an 'electric vehicle graveyard.' This is because the driving performance of electric vehicles drops sharply in cold weather, causing sudden stops to occur frequently. It is said that it is easy to witness vehicles with dead batteries being towed away on the streets.

On the 16th (local time), NBC Chicago local news focused on the line of electric vehicles gathered at the 'Evergreen Park' charging station. A citizen who has been waiting in line for over two hours in front of the charging station told the media, "No matter how fast the (charging) speed is, it takes several hours to find a charging point."

Citizens turning off a discharged electric vehicle. [Image source=Fox News X]

Chicago recently experienced a sudden cold wave, with temperatures dropping below freezing. As a result, the driving performance of electric vehicles has plummeted, causing headaches for car owners. It has been reported that it is common for electric vehicles to suddenly run out of power while driving, requiring a tow truck.

The issue of reduced electric vehicle performance in winter is not new. The Norwegian Automobile Federation, from Norway?known as the 'electric vehicle kingdom,' where over 50% of new car buyers choose electric vehicles?previously investigated the level of winter electric vehicle driving performance decline. The survey found that in cold weather, the driving range of electric vehicles decreases by an average of 20%. If the car's heater is used at maximum, the range decreases by as much as 40%.

Electric vehicles waiting at the charging station. Some vehicles run out of battery during the waiting time and are towed away by tow trucks. [Image source=Captured from NBC broadcast]

In particular, as price competition among electric vehicle manufacturers has recently intensified, equipping cheaper LFP (lithium iron phosphate) batteries to reduce costs is also a cause of performance degradation. LFP batteries are about 20-30% cheaper than ternary batteries but have lower energy storage performance at low temperatures. This is because LFP batteries have lower energy density than ternary batteries.

So, how should electric vehicle owners respond when a sudden cold wave hits? The Norwegian Automobile Federation advised NBC, "It is very important to have a charger at home, and if you drive far from home, you should know where fast chargers are located. Always plan ahead in winter."