Summer has arrived in the Philippines, and with it comes the heat that we’ve grown accustomed to. This dry season is special, however, since it coincides with a rising wave of electrification in the Philippines automotive market. Skyrocketing fuel prices, an effect of the war in the Middle East, have driven some Filipino motorists to shift to electric.
And so, a question on readers’ minds: how does summer heat affect EV performance? We’ve done some research on what to expect while taking your new electric ride for a spin.
Before getting to our main talking points, it helps to lay down some context. It helps to think of electric vehicles as you would smartphones. Yes, skeptics do like to call EVs smartphones, but for the sake of discussion, it’s an apt metaphor.
EVs and smartphones are both designed to be operable at extreme temperatures. However, that comes with the drawback of having to bring down performance. Your phone might open apps slower or have choppier frames when it overheats. In turn, your EV starts to scale things back when the heat turns up.
1) Ranges start to drop
When temperatures exceed 35 degrees celsius—like the forecast for Metro Manila this week, according to my weather app—studies have shown that EVs can lose up to 17% of their range. If your EV’s manufacturer says your ride has 400km of range on paper, expect to squeeze just 332km on a sunny summer afternoon in the city.
This is because the EV’s battery has to use more energy on cooling, both for the battery as well as the cabin. As a result, the EV loses range because those kilowatt-hours that would typically be used for driving the wheels now goes to making sure everything’s at an acceptable temperature.
2) Charging times stretch longer
In the summer, everything outdoors gets hot. This includes your EV, its battery, and the charging station you just parked next to. Expect longer waits while juicing up in the heat. The charging process introduces more heat to components that have already been baking outside, which doesn’t help.
As a result, the system slows itself down to minimize further heat buildup. This is a safety precaution to avoid damaging the components involved. This highlights the importance of charging stations that have at least some heat protection like an overhead cover (like gas stations), or even chargers installed in indoor parking areas. Being away from the sun keeps things cool and minimizes heat.
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3) The same apply to HEVs and PHEvs
Since HEVs and PHEVs carry batteries too, the above points also apply to them. If you make use of EV-only mode often, expect to have less range than usual. Plugging in your PHEV to charge the batteries will also take more time.
The added factor here is the internal combustion engine. It also has to deal with the same summer heat the other components are exposed to, and as a result, needs to work harder to keep up. Typically, this manifests as worse fuel economy.
The maontakeaway here is that your EV can handle the summer heat, but your available cruising range will take a hit. This is unavoidable since your vehicle needs the extra energy to regulate itself for a safe and comfortable ride. Charging up outside will also take more time, so plan accordingly. The above also apply to plug-ins and hybrids, though drivers will feel the heat through worse fuel economy.
There’s also the extra wear and tear that operating in high heat can bring, but that’s hard to quantify outside of a service bay. Just keep that in mind and stay on top of your manufacturer’s recommended service schedule to ensure safety and reliability. It also helps to keep warranty information on hand on the off chance something goes wrong.
