The last time I took out the EV, it was raining. I do not just mean a light drizzle; I was driving through a torrential rainstorm in Oklahoma City. The car’s performance in the rain was amazing. I never felt as if I couldn’t handle the steering, or that I would lose control of the vehicle. I even deliberately gave the EV some extra gas to see if it ever would ever wobble or feel loose, it never did.
In Norman on 24th Ave, which is well-known for being a high flood zone, I drove in the right lane to see if the car would begin to hydroplane. Once again, this car handled the challenge of high flood waters like a champ! This car is rather heavy, weighing 3,563 lbs., so I really was not too surprised that it handled the rain so well, but I was sure glad to see it.
One thing I did notice about driving in the rain was that it did have an impact on battery usage, or “range.” As I would enter and leave areas of heavy rain, the miles seemed to drain faster when the car was in a downpour. This is understandable, considering the tires are having to displace surface water as opposed to just rolling on dry roads.
When considering purchasing an EV, my first thought is always going to be about the safety of the car for my family. Everyone wants to have safe and reliable transportation for their families. After this experience, I would feel comfortable putting my family in the car and driving through a storm with heavy rain and high winds.
If you are considering purchasing an EV in the future, please reach out to Daniel at Daniel.Lofland@okcoop.org and he would be happy to provide you with any additional information.