Originally Posted by
Alan K
Both extremes of temperature, cold and hot, are not friends of batteries.
I have heard from a relative in Minnesota a couple of years ago about significantly reduced miles they get in the winter.
Likewise, a friend who has relatives in the Middle East mentioned that in their summers when the temp hits 120 and higher, Tesla cants keep the occupants of car cool enough and range of fully charged battery goes way down. Some literally cook themselves.
one of the hallmarks of a charged battery is that all of the potential chemical reactions have taken place, and there's no longer a good way to use the power being shoved into the battery. This tends to produce heat and some excess gases, which increases the pressure in the battery. A good charger (or charge algorithm) will either cut off charge slightly prior to this, or monitor the voltage and temperature and adjust the charge rate accordingly. If the temperature is already high due to being in a hot environment, then that messes with the charge algorithm and might result in the battery not reaching full charge.
Having lived a few years in southwest Arizona, I learned that it's best to just not do stuff when it's so hot! Wait till things cool off! I used the bottle dynamo for night rides quite a bit back then.
Steve in Peoria (but formerly in Yuma)