Citizens Addressing our Changing Climate: Driving an electric vehicle in sub-zero temperatures - Bemidji Pioneer

Citizens Addressing our Changing Climate: Driving an electric vehicle in sub-zero temperatures

Car manufacturers of non-electric vehicles and the oil industry are champions of spreading doubt, even fear associated with the ownership of an electric car.

On the morning of January 20, when the temperature hit a low of -24 degrees in Cass Lake, my wife and I drove our Tesla to the Twin Cities to see our grandson before he left for his second semester of college.

We are aware of the misinformation about electric vehicles not being suited to northern Minnesota’s sub-zero temperatures, but sub-zero temperatures didn’t worry us.

We have 38,000 miles on our Tesla and have driven it over the past two very cold winters on numerous trips to the Twin Cities, Fargo and Duluth with zero “range anxiety” — the term given to the fear of running out of electricity.

Car manufacturers of non-electric vehicles and the oil industry are champions of spreading doubt, even fear associated with the ownership of an electric car. No one wants their electric car to run out of electricity, especially on a sub-zero day.

For people having little or no experience with EVs, possibly “range anxiety” is a concern. Before we purchased our Tesla, we researched locations of superchargers between Cass Lake and Minneapolis and found we would have no reason to be concerned.

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Today, there are Tesla superchargers in Baxter, Little Falls, Clear Water, Monticello and throughout the Twin Cities, plus in Fargo, Duluth, Bemidji and Grand Forks. Regardless of the location, Tesla superchargers are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Most of our trips to the Twin Cities are nonstop from our home to our son’s home. But on January 20, with a car interior temperature of 72 degrees, and a cold -24 degrees outdoor temp, the battery understandably drained more quickly. We stopped in Little Falls for a 20-minute charge.

Our son’s garage is equipped with a 240-volt electric outlet, so we plugged in when we arrived and our car fully recharged overnight. We were able to see our grandson off to college and our round-trip “fuel” cost was $16.

For the two and a half years we have owned the EV, we have not spent $5,500 for gasoline to power the equivalent number of miles driven. Instead, we have spent $1,100 on electricity. I tend to keep my cars for 10 years and plan to do the same with my Tesla.

Over those 10 years, I will not have to spend $22,000 for gasoline. That makes me smile.

Also, because Tesla requires no scheduled service, we will save additional time and money over the life of the car. Electric motors have no oil or antifreeze to change. The car’s regenerative brakes use electric motors to capture the car’s moving energy and use the energy to recharge the battery.

As a result, the car’s brake pads experience much less wear and will last hundreds of thousands of miles. It is almost hard to believe, but my only job is to wash my car, add windshield fluid, and replace the tires when needed.

Charging overnight at home means no trips to the gas station, and so far, we have not had to take our car in for any recalls. To date, out of four million Teslas on the road, less than 40,000 have required actual in-shop fixes.

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All our “recalls” have been fixed by over-the-air software updates, including the recent February 2 recall notice. These software updates occur overnight.

Tesla’s all-wheel drive has better traction and performance in snow and on ice than any 4x4 vehicle we have owned, including my Ford F150, which is a great truck. But the instant warmth, reliability, convenience and lower operating costs of the Tesla are compelling. The Tesla is my preferred Minnesota winter vehicle.

All electric vehicles are not equal. Tesla has a seven-year lead in design and engineering refinements to make driving in 24 below-zero weather completely reliable and comfortable.

I enjoy driving my Tesla — it’s a fun car to drive, and I feel I am doing a small part to help our environment.

If you want to learn more about EV trends in Minnesota and nationwide, check out fresh-energy.org.

Beltrami Electric, Otter Tail Power and Citizens Climate Lobby are presenting information to help the community learn about the benefits of electrifying your life from 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 21, in the Beltrami Electric Community Room. “Empower Your Home: Learn, Earn, and Share in Energy Efficiency!”

Ronald Erickson is a member of the Citizens' Climate Lobby organization. For more information, visit CitizensClimateLobby.org.

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