EV in a salty climate
Discussion
I'm considering an EV but live on a peninsula in Devon with sea salt blowing from all sides. All the local cars seem to get crusty far sooner than any car I've seen exposed to winter salt even when I lived in the west of Scotland.
Would an EV's electric be more vulnerable in this setting? If not, which EV are best galvanised and resistant to rust?
Thanks
Would an EV's electric be more vulnerable in this setting? If not, which EV are best galvanised and resistant to rust?
Thanks
Unless you live in a lighthouse, I can't see it being a problem for any halfway decent car, EV or ICE
One advantage of living near the coast in Devon and Cornwall is you'll get a lot less salt from the roads, and it's the undersides that tend to rot first
One advantage of living near the coast in Devon and Cornwall is you'll get a lot less salt from the roads, and it's the undersides that tend to rot first
Edited by clockworks on Friday 2nd May 18:00
Good question and I really dont know what the answer is. But I would mention that most EV makers use every tactic in the book to reduce the weight of the car. As many plastic panels as possible to fully covering the underbody to trick aero, there shouldnt be a lot that is exposed to the air.
Now, what about the stuff under the plastic covers? No idea. I would hope that this is well protected, but no idea. Also, I am sure that a few EV's use aluminium so it shouldnt cause issues. But hey, Range Rover used the same thing on panels and doors and still managed to get them to rust badly due to mixing metals!
Been to San Francisco many times and while its close to the ocean / bay, its not quite salt laden air. But I havent seen a rusty Tesla (because they have been around the longest) yet. There are some reports of early ones getting rust bubbles on the exterior panels, but this can be easily sorted. Fixed in later models though.
Now, what about the stuff under the plastic covers? No idea. I would hope that this is well protected, but no idea. Also, I am sure that a few EV's use aluminium so it shouldnt cause issues. But hey, Range Rover used the same thing on panels and doors and still managed to get them to rust badly due to mixing metals!
Been to San Francisco many times and while its close to the ocean / bay, its not quite salt laden air. But I havent seen a rusty Tesla (because they have been around the longest) yet. There are some reports of early ones getting rust bubbles on the exterior panels, but this can be easily sorted. Fixed in later models though.
The parents have an EV and the other side of the road from their house is the sea. This does typically cause ventilated sills sooner than average but the HV electrics are very well sealed and I have no concerns. I'd recommend washing the underside regularly and maybe spending a bit getting it treated with anti-corrosion wax every few years if it's a concern.
RobbyJ said:
MG EV's and MG's are very prone to rust apparently. Don't know about the Tesla Model 3/Y but my old Model S had a lot of rust in out of sight places and some galvanic corrosion.
Tesla's fair very well. Extensive use of aluminium and plastic keeps rust at bay. They stand up extremely well. Only issue that I would see is the paint. It was notoriously thin for a while and on some of the metal panels, rust can appear (lower ones), but this is an easy fix. Other than that, they do seem to stand up pretty well.off_again said:
Tesla's fair very well. Extensive use of aluminium and plastic keeps rust at bay. They stand up extremely well. Only issue that I would see is the paint. It was notoriously thin for a while and on some of the metal panels, rust can appear (lower ones), but this is an easy fix. Other than that, they do seem to stand up pretty well.
Mine didn't, the suspension front and back was a rust fest. When I removed the frunk so many mechanical bits were covered in rust, as were a number of components in the front grille area. Granted this was a 2016 Model S.Living really close to the sea, I used to get some issues with the brakes on a diesel car.
I've heard of some issues with EV brakes, because they don't get used much.
A salt atmosphere might make this worse?
Some places give all cars a hard time.
It's not just the salt, but also the warm damp winters being ideal for corrosion.
I've heard of some issues with EV brakes, because they don't get used much.
A salt atmosphere might make this worse?
Some places give all cars a hard time.
It's not just the salt, but also the warm damp winters being ideal for corrosion.
Gassing Station | EV and Alternative Fuels | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff