New to electric vehicles

[Bbritton88]

Hi all, firstly love the forum however since this colder weather has hit the range on my eqc has plummeted! 224 miles to 133 miles.

I understand that in the winter/colder temperatures the range would drop however by nearly half?

I still have range anxiety despite owning the car for 4 months but the new range estimate is rather worrying and I’m worried I’ve made the wrong decision.

any thoughts?

 

[markjay]

The predicted range is affected both by the ambient temperature and by the driving history (type of roads driven, and your manner of driving, etc).

 

[Bbritton88]

The predicted range is affected both by the ambient temperature and by the driving history (type of roads driven, and your manner of driving, etc).

Ok cheers I can only assume though the impact in the drop from 224 to 133 is weather driven then as my driving style hasn’t changed because it’s cold

 

[Dickster]

Interesting that you are concerned that you made the wrong decision. Batteries currently do not like the cold. That’s a major issue. I’m probably going EV in the next couple of years (I’ll not get rid of ice car though), but with the tech in its infancy I’ll only lease not buy.

 

[BPD07]

Range to empty is based upon how the cars used. I’m guessing seat heaters, heated rear window and blowers etc… even with 120 mile range that’s still 60 miles each way or close to two or three hours of driving before your stop and charge. Our i3 average range drops from 120 to 90 in winter. All the reasons you bought the EQC are still valid.

 

[SmartAmg]

Welcome.

 

[Dickster]

The battery performance is also affected by temp regardless of what equipment is being used. Charging is also an issue apparently as they have ideal charging temps.

 

[W1ghty]

My neighbour has just got an electric vehicle and he was saying exactly the same thing the other day , his forecast mileage range was dropped from 220 to 130 and that was on a day when it wasn’t even below freezing so I think that’s your new normal in the winter .
On a positive note my 2009 E320cdi can do 660 miles without filling up even below freezing
Welcome to the forum

 

[Dickster]

What is he driving? I’m thinking of the Jag Ipace.

 

[W1ghty]

What is he driving? I’m thinking of the Jag Ipace.

It’s not a jag , I’ll have a look later , it’s some shapeless white thing

 

[markjay]

The range on my EV (non-Merc) has only slightly dropped when the temp reached 5⁰, though I obviously can't tell if the predicted range is a real life figure.

My EV does have a heat pump, however, so I suppose this might help.

The EQC was first introduced in 2019, so possibly early EV tech for MB.

 

[grober]

What people frequently misunderstand is that to function correctly- that is to be capable of passing high currents -the battery packs must be maintained within a very narrow temperature range which is often higher than ambient temperature in cold weather. To do this the battery has to be self-HEATING-in other words it must use its own internal energy to keep itself warm- hence the diminished range. Several things can be done to help this. One is to keep the car as warm as possible overnight that means garaging it and possibly putting it on charge on a more regular basis. It is also relevant in winter as to where are your based in the United Kingdom, latitude and altitude- all are contributory factors to range determination. Remember also range is an estimate/prediction at a particular point in time- due to this battery temperature phenomenon you may find that in a contradictory fashion range will improve after a few miles as the battery pack is warming up.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

On a positive note my 2009 E320cdi can do 660 miles without filling up even below freezing
Welcome to the forum

That’s not a fair comparison. Your *ICE* vehicle has an unfair advantage over an EV in *freezing* conditions.

 

[W1ghty]

That’s not a fair comparison. Your *ICE* vehicle has an unfair advantage over an EV in freezing conditions.

I have to take the wins where I can buddy !

 

[W1ghty]

What is he driving? I’m thinking of the Jag Ipace.

It’s a KIA

 

[zipdip]

I still have range anxiety despite owning the car for 4 months but the new range estimate is rather worrying and I’m worried I’ve made the wrong decision.

Well I think you have made the wrong decision,133 miles range you must be scared to go out,what if you get stuck in freezing cold weather on a motorway in stopped or very slow moving traffic,you will be watching the range go down getting hardly anywhere,but of course you might be able to get off to a services where you will find a queue of EV cars waiting to spend 30 mins at the chargers if they are working,I will have got to my destination in my diesel while you are waiting to juice up or is it electrocute,welcome to the forum I look forward to hearing more about your owning that car.

 

[markjay]

Well I think you have made the wrong decision,133 miles range you must be scared to go out,what if you get stuck in freezing cold weather on a motorway in stopped or very slow moving traffic,you will be watching the range go down getting hardly anywhere,but of course you might be able to get off to a services where you will find a queue of EV cars waiting to spend 30 mins at the chargers if they are working,I will have got to my destination in my diesel while you are waiting to juice up or is it electrocute,welcome to the forum I look forward to hearing more about your owning that car.

The cabin heating hardly affects the battery charge level, and the same applies to slow-moving raffic, instead the faster you go the less economical the EV gets. So getting stuck in traffic isn't really a problem for an EV (actually it's worse for an ICE car).

BUT not making it to your destination, is a major problem, obviously. And having just 133 miles range on a 100% battery charge can be a major issue if you do mostly motorway journeys.

 

[Markw70]

It must make planning a long journey a bit of an unknown if your range is so unpredictable.

 

[grober]

Mercedes-Benz: Winter trials of the EQC.

Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 4MATIC

All details and specs of the Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 4MATIC (2019-2020). Compare price, lease, real-world range and consumption of every electric vehicle.

ev-database.uk

 

[markjay]

It must make planning a long journey a bit of an unknown if your range is so unpredictable.

It's not unpredictable, I don't think.... more like disappointing. And yes, it requires planning if embarking on a long journey.