Cold Weather Reveals Electric Cars Are Still Toys for the Wealthy

Original Article by Steven Titch

[Note:  This is an edited version of Steven Titch’s1 Feb 14th, 2019 article with the same title on https://morningconsult.com/opinions/cold-weather-reveals-electric-cars-still-toys-wealthy/  Edits were made by Dr. David Tofsted2 to better relate the article to New Mexico.]

Photo by Pixabay

You can add plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) to the list of items that last
week’s low temperatures left in the cold.

Amid hype that these expensive, battery-operated cars are the vanguard of a  fossil fuel-free age, their cold-weather shortcomings reinforce their image as a subsidized toy for the rich.

As temperatures plummeted into the -20s and -30s across the Midwest, Tesla owners discovered their car’s travel range had sharply decreased. And its interior would not warm up. Some owners weren’t even able to open the car door because its electric entry mechanism froze up.

These owners had spent between $80,000 and $140,000 for a vehicle that Continue reading “Cold Weather Reveals Electric Cars Are Still Toys for the Wealthy”