EV comparing ICE for cost per mile
The Colder It Gets, the Greater the Savings When Driving an Electric Car
Published: 29-Jan-2014
It’s now a well-known phenomena that as it gets colder outside, the performance of an electric car drops; according to FleetCarma, an average of 29% at 0°F (-18° C), 20 % at 32° F (0° C).
Now, in fairness to EVs, cold temperatures also impact ICE-age automobiles and trucks, as well, but not to the same extent. At 0° F, the fuel efficiency of the gasoline engine drops 19%. Logically, it would seem that the colder it gets the more it’ll cost you to drive an electric car compared to its gasoline competitor; but apparently that’s not the case.
How can that be?
It all ‘freezes’ down to cost per mile, as demonstrated by FleetCarma’s infograph below. At a moderate 73°F (23°C), it costs 2.6¢ per mile to drive an electric car and 15¢ a mile for a gasoline engine automobile. In other words, the EV driver is saving 12.4¢ per mile over his ICE-age car-driving neighbor. Now watch what happens when a Polar Vortex sweeps in.
The outside temperature plummets to 0°F. The per mile cost rises to 3.8¢ for the EV operator and 14.8¢ for the gas car owner, a difference now of 14.8¢.
In short, the colder it gets, the greater the cost savings for the EV driver over the ICE owner.
