[aBioGuy]

Vehicular gas infrastructure is near 100 years of development and still has some edge cases.

EV charging infrastructure is at about 10 years.

[osigurdson]

In cold climates, EVs should absolutely include a propane tank to generate passenger heat and bring the battery into its proper operating range. Generating high entropy heat with low entropy electricity from a battery offends my sensibilities.

[audunw]

Most modern EVs have heat pumps. Not using heat pumps to generate heat - exploiting the larger than 100% efficiency you get in the process - offends my sensibilities.

If we have propane, and want to use it for energy/heating, it’d be better to burn it at some large central efficient generator (perhaps supplying waste heat as district heating for nearby homes), and use the electricity to power heat pumps.

[bilsbie]

It could just be a secondary battery with cold compatible chemistry with just enough energy to warm up the main battery.

[pxeboot]

> In cold climates, EVs should absolutely include a propane tank to generate passenger heat

I believe some EV buses are heated with propane or heating oil, so it would probably be feasible to add to personal vehicles as well.

[declan_roberts]

As someone that drives an EV in cold weather, a propane tank for heat would be a huge improvement.

[speedgoose]

Good EVs can heat up their battery pretty fast using only electricity.

I know someone who was using a diesel heater in its Mitsubishi I-miev, an old EV that had a terrible factory heating system. It did sound a lot less convenient than electric heating.

[johnwalkr]

Absolutely? Maybe adding a propane tank, the systems to use propane to heat the passenger compartment and battery safely, the complexity refuel it, the extra mass, the extra maintenance, being banned from some underground parking...

I get your sensibilities to be efficient but I think overall it's not efficient or a great idea to add propane and propane accessories to EVs.

[swader999]

Propane freezes at about - 38.

[ceejayoz]

The good news is we haven’t forgotten all the lessons learned, many of which will be applicable.

[bdcravens]

That's why I didn't get an EV until I bought my home.