NEWS FROM CHICAGO: EVS SUCK IN THE COLD! I FLEW THERE TO SEE WHAT IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING

EV Channels Review

This video investigates the recent surge of negative EV news originating from Chicago, particularly concerning cold weather performance and charging infrastructure failures. The hosts, Kyle and Merchy, acknowledge that while some reporting may be exaggerated, genuine issues did arise. Key problems identified include increased energy consumption due to cabin and battery heating, reduced usable battery capacity in extreme cold, and slow or non-existent charging for cold batteries. The video highlights that a significant contributing factor was the over-reliance on public DC fast charging, especially by rideshare drivers in urban areas lacking home charging. Infrastructure reliability, particularly with Electrify America and BTC Power chargers, was also a major concern, with multiple stations reported as offline. While Tesla's Supercharger network showed better resilience, it wasn't entirely immune to issues. The hosts offer practical advice for EV owners in cold climates, emphasizing home charging, preconditioning batteries, and utilizing Level 2 chargers when possible. They conclude that the Chicago situation was a perfect storm of strained infrastructure, uneducated users, and extreme weather, exacerbated by the influx of rental EVs for rideshare services.