EV drivers struggle to keep batteries charged amid winter freeze

The winter freeze is impacting residents across Chicagoland, but some EV drivers are facing an additional handful of problems as they deal with long lines at charging stations and reduced battery life. A station with 20 Tesla Superchargers, off West Touhy Avenue in Skokie, was full almost all day on Monday, with drivers waiting nearby for spots to open up. Some drivers dealing with the long lines said they were concerned about becoming stranded if their batteries ran out while they waited. One Tesla driver said he was grateful just to find a station after he drained his car battery searching for an open spot. “I saw my battery was getting low 20 to 25%. Went to the gas station there was a long line,” Tesla driver Wes France said. France said he then drove to the station at the fashion outlet station in Rosemont, but it wasn’t in service. “By that time my battery drained down to 5%, which is faster than normal,” France said. France eventually had to load his car onto a tow truck to get it to a charger. “Long story short here I am. We had to tow it out this way,” France said. The sub-zero temperatures are taking a toll on the EV batteries, leaving drivers frustrated. Darryl Johnson, an Uber driver, said he waited hours just to get to a charger, only to wait even longer while it charged. But the frustrations continued even after he left after he found his battery draining faster than normal. “It’s horrible it takes two hours the wait an hour it takes two hours to charge, then the charge leaves really quickly, so now you’re back at the charger twice a day,” Johnson said. According to the Associated Press, a 2019 study of five EVs by AAA found that cold temperatures can temporarily reduce EV range by more than 40% when drivers use interior heaters. The AAA study found that in 20-degree weather, the average driving range fell by 12% when the car’s heater was not used and the range fell by 41% when it was used. Several cars had to be towed at a charging station in Rolling Meadows on Sunday night after batteries died while drivers were waiting for open spots. “I think I had 30% when I went to bed and parked at 8/9 p.m..” Eddie Zipperstein, the owner of Richards Body Shop, said. “When I woke up it’s at 16%, so this cold definitely sucks the power out of the batteries faster.” Zipperstein’s body shop on West Lawrence Avenue is a certified Tesla service center, and he said there are a few steps a Tesla owner can take to try and avoid a breakdown. “If you can park in a garage, clearly, it’s better to keep the car warm. It makes a huge difference when you’re going to charge, let the navigation know you’re going to a charger so the car can pre-condition the battery to accept a charge a lot faster that way,” Zipperstein said. Zipperstein also suggested drivers charge up before their batteries get below 30%. Drivers dealing with the headaches said they hope the company can do something to improve battery life in the brutal cold. “I think it’s a matter of time. They definitely have to work on it because I’m out of this Tesla after today. I’m not going to ride it again,” Johnson said. According to the Secretary of State’s office, only about 12,000 people in Illinois owned electric vehicles five years ago, but that number has since climbed to over 90,000.