>were more efficient in (relatively) colder environments
this is definitely false;
While almost everything (electronics/mechanics/hydraulics/pressure vessels) hates the heat, the operation temperature for Li-Ion cells is not too low, either. In very layman terms: the chemistry is not effective at lower temperatures.
As an experiment: have a two year phone and leave it at -20C, it might shut down on its own even at higher charge (voltage) as the battery cannot provide the needed current.
It's explained in the article. Batteries work by means of chemical reactions, which go faster at higher temperatures.
Vehicle batteries are designed for the same sorts of temperatures that humans like, say 10 to 30 °C.
In cold weather, energy has to be taken from the batteries to heat them up so that they work better. More energy is taken to heat the cabin of the vehicle for the occupants' comfort. This reduces the energy left in the battery for moving the vehicle.
Thank you! Is it safe to say you want the wires transmitting the power to be cold, ideally, but the battery itself not necessarily so? (Thinking about the electric grid, etc here as well.)
Indeed, pretty much any conductor (that carries high current) would be more efficient (lower resistance) at lower temperatures. So the losses in the cables would be lower. However, that's a tiny part compared to the temperature needed for the battery chemistry to be efficient on its own.
I would guess at some temperatures, chilly wind acts to cool any motors, well motors that move and prouce heat from their actions...But at some lower temperatures, stuff physically just slows down movement. I think the article states why here...
> ...Cold temperatures slow down the chemical reactions in battery cells, which saps range and increases charging times.
I ride a motorcycle and carry my phone in a pocket that's outside the thermal lining. I absolutely see the difference in how much it discharges when it's ~5ºC vs above 15ºC. And I'm thinking of the trip to my parents' house, so same duration, speed, and phone station locations.
this is definitely false; While almost everything (electronics/mechanics/hydraulics/pressure vessels) hates the heat, the operation temperature for Li-Ion cells is not too low, either. In very layman terms: the chemistry is not effective at lower temperatures.
As an experiment: have a two year phone and leave it at -20C, it might shut down on its own even at higher charge (voltage) as the battery cannot provide the needed current.