It’s time for another feel-good story about an electric vehicle that exploded! In Denmark, an EV owner was frustrated with the fact that it’s now cold outside, since the battery in his car won’t hold a charge once the temperatures drop. He used a novel approach to try to keep the battery warm, using a toaster. It was a really great idea, right up until the car exploded.
We’re actually kidding. This was not a good idea at all.
Police say the man ran an extension cord from his home to where his electric car was parked in a carport. He then set up a toaster directly underneath the battery to keep it warm. KABOOM! The vehicle exploded, and it damaged the carport and a nearby home. Does anyone know if comprehensive auto insurance covers toaster-induced explosions in a residential area?
Electric vehicle batteries are notoriously fussy when it comes to the optimal temperature range in which they will function. That optimal range is between 68- and 104 degrees Fahrenheit. If it gets above 104 degrees, the engine starts to seize up. If it gets below 68, the battery starts losing its charge at a much faster rate.
Since it’s now December in Denmark, nighttime lows are in the low 30s. That zaps the charge on an EV in no time at all, rendering it an incredibly expensive paperweight that forces you to ride the bus to work.
After issuing the EV owner a fine, police issued a public statement in which they “strongly discourage” people from trying to keep their electric batteries warm with a toaster. Needless to say, EV manufacturers and politicians who want to mandate these expensive toys are not going out of their way to tell the public about these shortcomings. Meanwhile, the rest of us who didn’t skip science class in school and who actually know how things work, get to laugh at every one of these stories.
