The Nissan Leaf battery pack is unaffected by external temperature. NASA uses the same Lithium Ion technology in -176F (-80C) conditions. If you can go 100 miles in the summer, you will be able to go 100 miles in the winter.
As far as heating and cooling the passenger compartment goes, a 1000W space heater would easily keep the passenger compartment warm. The equivalent energy would cost about 4.2 miles of range for every hour you heat the car. A 5500 BTU air conditioner, which is about what you would need to cool a 100 square foot room in a house, would cost about a mile of range for every hour you cool the car.
Nissan turns new Leaf over to test drivers
The Nissan Leaf battery pack is unaffected by external temperature. NASA uses the same Lithium Ion technology in -176F (-80C) conditions. If you can go 100 miles in the summer, you will be able to go 100 miles in the winter.
As far as heating and cooling the passenger compartment goes, a 1000W space heater would easily keep the passenger compartment warm. The equivalent energy would cost about 4.2 miles of range for every hour you heat the car. A 5500 BTU air conditioner, which is about what you would need to cool a 100 square foot room in a house, would cost about a mile of range for every hour you cool the car.
(based on the advertised 24kWh battery pack)