In recent winter months various EV owners discovered that if their battery got too cold the charging station software would refuse to charge it. While many EV vehicles have a battery heating function the driver must remember to activate it prior to cold weather charging and while there is still sufficient voltage available.

If a scrap of nuclear waste were encapsulated in steel one would have a source of perpetual* heat, a hot marble. An antifreeze solution containing a hot marble and irrigated through channels throughout the battery pack via a small pump would keep the battery at a minimum temperature, suitable for charging even in the dead of winter. A heat sink might be used to mitigate excessive temps in really hot weather, perhaps there is already a system in use.

* the half-life of, say, Cs-137 is about 30 years
-- whatrock, Apr 30 2024

EV Battery Heater https://www.calient.../ev-battery-heaters
[a1, May 02 2024]

Or we could just spoof the sensors with an adapter that plugs in between the battery and the charger and gives a fake temperature reading?

Is there a legitimate safety reason chargers refuse to charge cold batteries or is it just a design fault in the chargers?
-- Skewed, Apr 30 2024


I'd use plutonium 238 if you really wanted to go that RTG, but ... what [Skewed] said.
-- a1, Apr 30 2024


Just did a search for //why won't cold batteries charge?// [a1] and got this back in the top hit.

//cold temperatures cause fluids to flow more slowly. So, the electrolytes in batteries slow and thicken in the cold .. can prevent the lithium ions from properly inserting// etc.

So it's a physical properties issue? a spoofer won't fix, they physically can't charge if they're too cold, rather than the charger won't charge them, there's no sensors (causing it) to spoof.
-- Skewed, Apr 30 2024


I assume this is at public chargers where they want to charge at maximum rates, because I don't see why a home charger couldn't just start at low power until the battery warms up.

At commercial chargers, you could offer a separate parking space with infra red heat lamps (or a box of chickens) to warm the underside of the car.
-- marklar, May 02 2024


Found the perfect thing (link).
-- a1, May 02 2024


Just not feelin it, sorry. [-]
-- Voice, May 02 2024



random, halfbakery