C5ALIVE Forum

C5 Help => Tried & Tested : Share your good,or bad, experiences => Topic started by: peckishere on 27, November, 2011 - 18:33:48

Title: Battery Performance in Cold Weather
Post by: peckishere on 27, November, 2011 - 18:33:48
Hi all


I have recently just got a new pod to replace my knackered one because my old one was not showing motor load or battery level and as a result of it not showing battery level I killed a battery at this years brooklands vintage cycle event  :'(. on the bright side my new pod shows both motor and battery level 100% perfectly so I wont kill anymore batteries

I Would like to know what other people here have experienced when driving their C5s in cold weather. This evening I attempted to go out for a quick spin however I noticed it didn't have much 'oomph' and about 5 minutes away from where I live (c5 5 minutes not car minutes) it just started to slow down and the battery level indicator started declining to the point where it started bleeping at me, so I turned around and went home.

The battery had been left for about 2 weeks fully charged in a conservatory (I think this is what caused it to run out so soon as we have had cold nights where I live) but I was wondering what people have experienced in cold weather?

Title: Re: Battery Performance in Cold Weather
Post by: Karl on 28, November, 2011 - 09:19:05
You do get quite a drop in battery performance when the frost is on the ground. We held a Crawley run once in January (Ray will probably remember it !) and the batteries were giving about half the range we were used to in the summer months.
Title: Re: Battery Performance in Cold Weather
Post by: thedesigntailor on 05, December, 2011 - 23:34:15
I'm experiencing the same Peckishere - still there's nothing like an ice cold blast of air to wake you up on the way to work eh?

Would a battery cosy give better range do you think? I'll ask my mum to get the knitting needles out!
Title: Re: Battery Performance in Cold Weather
Post by: coverman on 06, December, 2011 - 10:12:38
A battery cover should be acid resistant, fire retardent, breathable, thermally insulating.
Title: Re: Battery Performance in Cold Weather
Post by: thedesigntailor on 06, December, 2011 - 13:15:16
Do you make them Coverman?
Title: Re: Battery Performance in Cold Weather
Post by: peckishere on 06, December, 2011 - 15:33:24
Quote from: coverman on  06, December, 2011  - 10:12:38
A battery cover should be acid resistant, fire retardent, breathable, thermally insulating.

Could you reccomend a material for this application?
Title: Re: Battery Performance in Cold Weather
Post by: coverman on 07, December, 2011 - 10:28:39
It would be a tough call to find a fabric with all those qualities.
Title: Re: Battery Performance in Cold Weather
Post by: kamilb1998 on 12, December, 2011 - 21:35:27
I've also noticed a drop in range recently. On a nice warm-ish day I could get 13-14 miles out of mine and that's with the motor on pretty much constantly. Now, in the cold, I seem to be getting around 6-7 miles out of it.
Title: Re: Battery Performance in Cold Weather
Post by: Karl on 13, December, 2011 - 16:01:02
Quote from: kamilb1998 on  12, December, 2011  - 21:35:27
I've also noticed a drop in range recently. On a nice warm-ish day I could get 13-14 miles out of mine and that's with the motor on pretty much constantly. Now, in the cold, I seem to be getting around 6-7 miles out of it.

..that seems to fit in with what we've previously experienced  ;)