march2023 - 35

GUE ST EDITORIA L
vehicles are as reliable as their predecessors and
deliver the range required to get the job done.
Modine has found its EVantage Thermal
Management System can provide the needed
control to ensure colder weather doesn't put the
freeze on a fleet's operations. The system can integrate
into any chassis design and combines stateof-the-art,
proprietary Modine heat exchanger
technology with tailored smart electronic
products. With the included master thermal
controller and Modine-developed
firmware, the compact system has been
proven to regulate battery temperature
while minimizing power draw.
Keeping fleets on
the road all winter
Commercial electric vehicles should
include a BTMS designed to regulate
battery temperature to maximize range
and minimize charging time. A BTMS
will do its job even in winter, but there
are a few important things fleet managers
and drivers can do to help optimize
efficiency and uptime in cold weather.
While frigid temperatures may
reduce vehicle range by up to 40%,
nearly two-thirds of cold-weather range
reduction can be attributed to conventional
cabin heating. Drivers can easily
mitigate this by using comfort functions
with less power draw, like heated
seats and steering when possible, and
turning those functions off while not
in the vehicle. Similarly, connecting
to charging infrastructure whenever
possible, especially in cold conditions,
significantly benefits commercial EVs.
When plugged in, a BTMS can maintain
the battery pack's temperature to avoid
extremes. Storage condition is another
stress factor impacting battery capacity
and working lifetime. Vehicles stored in
a heated or insulated space will require
less time to warm to optimal temperature
when service begins. To that end,
indoor storage helps prevent battery
degradation due to continued exposure
to extreme temperatures.
As the seasons change
The southern parts of the U.S. usually
warm up before the Midwest and the
Northeast, which means that roadfairing
commercial vehicles can experience
a wide range of ambient operating
temperatures in relatively quick
succession. Just as a BTMS works to
maintain optimal battery temperature
in cold weather, it provides the cooling
function in warm weather and as the
battery self-heats during operating and
charging cycles. The switch between
cooling and heating, as well as the intensity
of each, are managed automatically
by the system. In this regard, the burden
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March 2023 | FleetMaintenance.com
35
of seasonal changeover and maintenance tasks
is actually lower for EVs.
While seasonal, temperature-related maintenance
looks different for EVs than their internal
combustion engine predecessors, fleets should pay
attention to each vehicle's diagnostic and maintenance
software, including thermal management
systems. Commercial EVs should include tools
that help fleet owners perform the regular and
preventive maintenance steps necessary to keep
their vehicles running or troubleshoot problems
quickly. Through proactive monitoring, the right
software, and following maintenance schedules,
fleet owners have the tools to keep EVs running
year-round; that's not all that different from the
world of diesel and gasoline engines.
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march2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of march2023
