Stuck in your EV in the snow?

**Glenn E. Meyer** · 11-20-2022, 10:56 AM

Living in Erie County, I have contemplated the storm through my front window. We weren't in the worst. However, I'm reading stories of folks stuck in the snow and spending a couple of days in the fire house or the homes of strangers. I recall the same going on in the blizzard of 77. Now, in my Forester I have snow survival gear - blankets, food, water, shovels, etc. but I don't want to do that. Almost did that in 77 (another story). Most folks who got stuck should have turned around from the lake effect belt but decided 'they could make it'. Duh.

I recall folks saying to run your car once an hour to warm up the cabin.

So how are all the gee whiz EVs going to handle being buried or stuck in the snow for a day or two. If you drain your electrons, they are running an extension cord to you, as compared to a gas can.

It's bright sunny now and my wife is complaining we are out of chocolate.

PS - they closed the thruways and the truckers then decided to wander around the city streets in the burbs with 77 inches of snow. Didn't go well.

**Guerrero** · 11-20-2022, 11:16 AM

I have thought a couple times that a business opportunity exists for someone to drive around in an "emergency charging truck."

What you just said is what keeps me from seriously looking at EV's (you can't really carry a bucket of charge from the nearest station to your EV). Add to the fact that EV's do much worse in cold weather, and that I'd have to redo the power lines that run to my 100+ year old house, and it's a "no-go" for me.

**whomever** · 11-20-2022, 11:23 AM

Electric or gas, there is no substitute for a sleeping bag.

We used to live in WY. Maybe once a year or so someone would die from getting stuck on the interstate. In a bad blizzard, it might be a couple of days before a plow came. Maybe 10% were from monoxide (running the engine for heat after snow covered enough of the car). The rest decided to 'walk to the nearest farmhouse' which in much of WY isn't smart if you aren't dressed for it and don't know where the nearest house might be.

I don't recall anyone dying who stayed with the car. I bet some of them were miserable, but IIRC no one died/lost appendages to frostbite/etc.

We still live and travel in the Rockies. Winter means sleeping bags, a cheap stove something like the one below, and a coupla days of food. This not only means that you can survive if you actually get stuck, but that you can proactively pull over and give the plows a few hours to do their thing when things are bad. You just crawl in the bag and doze, drama free.

https://www.amazon.com/AOTU-Portable.../dp/B07NJYV3NP

To put it in P-F context, if I had to choose whether to take a gun or a sleeping bag for winter travel, I'd take the sleeping bag.

**Glenn E. Meyer** · 11-20-2022, 12:57 PM

In the 77 Blizzard, some folks got stuck on the QE expressway, between Buffalo and Toronto. The Canadian army went out in Centurion tanks, if true they ran over some buried cars to the detriment of the occupants. Who knows. The NG in Buffalo, after the storm flew with helicopters into some JEEP dealers and hot wired the Jeeps to get 4WD to get to old folks stuck in their homes. Not so many 4WD vehicles in those days.

I bailed out of the lab when it started (otherwise I would have been stuck with the monkeys, decided whom eats whom). As I drove along the creek, I didn't stop for lights or signs (never get started again in my old rear WD Pontiac). I passed a massive downed power line from the Niagara power generators. It was flopping around and when it hit the ground, it made a giant pink explosion and flew into the air. People (IQ test) were standing around watching it.

**GJM** · 11-20-2022, 01:08 PM

https://www.kbb.com/car-news/traffic...-electric-car/

**Hambo** · 11-20-2022, 01:40 PM

If you have an EV that can power your house, you could power a serious glamping setup on the side of the road. You just need to carry an outfitter tent, electric space heater, George Foreman grill, TV, Starlink antenna, satellite dish, cot, sleeping bag, food...