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Every few months we see the same story floating on social networks that electric cars are more likely to die and get stuck during a traffic jam. Which suggests they’re dangerous, they don’t have heaters or they’ll run out of battery in about three hours. So are electric vehicles a danger in traffic jams? Absolutely not.
Earlier this year, there was a massive 48-mile traffic jam on I-95 in Virginia on a cold, snowy day, and we instantly saw EV scaremongering reach an all-time high. Stating that if all of those were electric vehicles, the situation would have been a “catastrophe.”
A reader sent us these charts making the rounds on Facebook in response to one of our recent EV articles. In reality, when electric cars aren’t moving, they use very little energy, last for days, and can keep you safe and warm (or cool) during a prolonged traffic jam.
the rumors
The biggest scam the world has ever seen? Has anyone thought of this?
If all cars were electric… and they were stuck in a traffic jam for three hours… dead batteries! And that?
Not to mention that there is virtually no heating in an electric vehicle. JUST SAY? pic.twitter.com/GGdKWII5zZ
– Tony (@ItallionTony) May 29, 2021
“If all cars were electric…and stuck in a traffic jam for three hours…dead batteries! And that? “
I don’t even know where to start with this. And while someone with a very low battery would be in a less than ideal situation while stuck in traffic, normal gasoline-powered cars can also run out of gas. Obviously, it will be a little easier to find a jerry can and add gas quickly, but it’s a problem for both types of vehicles.
Also, newer electric vehicles, like the Ford F-150 Lightning, feature two-way charging and can share their huge battery with other electric vehicles in an emergency. The battery inside the Ford Lightning can even power your home. It’s not the only one with this feature, and more are on the way.
And as for saying that an EV will only last about 3 hours before the battery dies, I’ll have to disagree vehemently. That is purely false. In fact, with hardly any air conditioning or heating, an EV can sit in traffic for more than several days.
“Not to mention there is virtually no heating in an electric vehicle. JUST SAYING?”
Wrong!
The electric vehicle facts
While it is true that electric vehicles lose some battery performance due to cold, most modern electric vehicles have heat pumps and refrigeration systems to keep the battery at optimal operating temperatures. This means that the weather won’t affect the battery as much as you think or as badly as some online reviews would have you believe.
In addition, electric vehicles do not consume a battery when they are not in motion, apart from some energy-efficient electrical components inside, such as the dashboard and headlights.
On the other hand, gasoline vehicles are incredibly inefficient, and whether you’re driving or idling, the engine is always running. According to the EPA, gas vehicles use less than 30% of the fuel to keep the engine running, with the rest being wasted to produce inefficiencies in combustion, heat, exhaust, or transmission. Essentially, sitting idle in an EV is no worse than sitting in an ICE vehicle and could be better.
So, contrary to “popular” belief, electric vehicles do have heaters. They are just different from what you would find in a normal car. In a gasoline car or truck, you can quickly heat up the cabin with the heat produced by a running engine. Or, the vehicle uses a cooling system and fans for air conditioning.
With EVs, manufacturers use electronic heating elements to heat the cabin, not to mention things like heated seats and heated steering wheels. Those draw power from the massive battery, keep you warm, and can last much longer than just three hours. Newer electric vehicles from Tesla and Ford actually use the heat pump to heat the cabin, which is much more efficient than the heating elements or resistors in older electric vehicles.
Your typical Tesla heated seat uses around 60 watts per seat and is controlled by the on-board computer which consumes around 250 watts. As long as you don’t use extra systems like Wi-Fi to watch Netflix on the infotainment screen, the car could keep your seats warm for almost a week.
How do electric vehicles get stuck in the traffic fee?
Back to the original question. Are electric vehicles a danger in traffic jams? No, they are not. During that huge traffic jam on I-95 earlier this year, several electric vehicles were stuck for countless hours and none of them had any problems.
A report of DriveTesla mentioned how the owner felt safer thanks to being in an EV. Owner Dan Kanninen was stuck for over 14 hours, staying warm and had enough battery to easily get to a nearby charging station after the ordeal was over. This is what he had to say:
“While other drivers were burning gas running their engines to stay warm, my EV was intelligently directing power solely to temperature regulation; I didn’t have to burn fuel inefficiently to power my entire engine to keep us safe.” While other drivers worried about their dwindling gas reserves, my EV intuitively monitored my power supply, giving me peace of mind that other drivers didn’t have.Throughout my entire experience in the I-95 quagmire, I knew exactly how much power my EV was using, how much power was left in its battery, and how far I could drive.”
Another Tesla Model Y owner was reportedly stuck for longer. That EV had 74% battery left at the start of the traffic jam, sat for 16 hours with Tesla’s “camp mode” enabled to keep warm, took a nap, and came home with 61% battery remaining. During the entire 16-hour traffic jam, the EV only consumed 13% of the battery.
At the end of the day, no one wants to be stranded on the side of the road with a low battery or empty fuel tank. We also don’t want to sit in hours-long traffic jams wondering if we’re going to run out of power on a hot summer day or cold winter night.
If you’re considering buying an EV and worried about getting stuck in a massive traffic jam, don’t. As long as you have enough battery or fuel, most traffic jams aren’t long enough to be a concern. The situation is not as bad as some make it seem and it is no worse than if you were driving a gasoline vehicle.
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