EV owners in Norway having their own ways to endure winters

THE cold weather that has struck Chicago and several places in the United States has had some impact on the residents, especially Tesla EV owners.

Several media outlets have reported that a large number of Tesla electric cars were stranded at several fast DC charging stations. Some owners have complained that their cars are difficult to charge, and the charging time is much longer than usual. So, are electric cars not suitable for use in cold weather?

The answer may lie with the people of Norway, one of the countries with the highest EV adoption rates in the world. Norway is also one of the coldest countries, yet incidents involving electric car owners there are rare.

According to The New York Times, EV drivers in Norway have been accustomed to the practice of preheating their cars before starting their journey in freezing weather.

Furthermore, according to Lars Godbolt, an advisor to the Norwegian Electric Vehicle Association, the improved charging infrastructure in recent years has also contributed to shorter waiting times.

However, it is important to note that the majority of residents in Norway live in single-family homes, where 90 percent of EV owners have charging facilities at their own homes.

Another factor to consider is that residents of Norway typically spend only 30 minutes on average commuting from home to work, compared to an hour or more for residents of the United States.

This suggests that the suitability of electric cars in cold weather is not solely determined by the technology itself, but also by factors such as infrastructure and daily commuting patterns.