With average temperatures this week hovering around the minus-twenty mark (closer to minus-forty with windchill), owners of electric cars may notice another hindrance to their commute, besides all the ice and construction.
It's estimated that electric-car drivers may see their range fall by as much as half in weather like this. The batteries that power all-electric cars like the Nissan Leaf or Tesla Model S simply cannot hold as much energy when it gets this cold outside. That could present major problems for the owners of the nearly 25,000 electric cars on Quebec's roads.
Martin Archambault from the Quebec Association for Electric Vehicles (AVÉQ) told the Journal de Montreal that cars could see a drop in range of "40% to 45%" once the temperature nears -25C. "But let's say it only happens a few days a year," he added.
However, even with a drop in range, many drivers of electric cars will likely take solace that their car will always start the first time they try, no matter the weather. That's a major advantage over those travelling by gas-powered cars this time of year.