Minnesota: With average annual temperatures in the mid-40s, would you like to drive a car that doesn't function well in that temperature range?

Chevy Volt: Does an Electric Car Suit Your Life? (Slideshow) - Driver's Seat - WSJ

The only real downer with the Volt and other electrics is the effect of cold weather on the battery’s endurance. During my test-drive period the temperature rarely got above 20 degrees Fahrenheit, and the battery range never went higher than 26 miles.

That is simply the way lithium ion batteries react to the cold, but I doubt most drivers appreciate just how poorly these batteries respond to winter weather. It doesn’t have to be very cold to cut the battery’s capacity. A crisp 40- to 50-degree morning will reduce your range significantly. So get ready to plan your trips more carefully than before.

Climate of the Twin Cities - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A significant impact on temperatures in the Twin Cities the past several years has been the urban heat island effect. Large amounts of concrete and asphalt, coupled with numerous tall buildings (which block wind) help to trap heat close to the surface, resulting in warmer temperates than that of the surrounding areas (even those to the south). For example, the average annual temperature of 45.4 at the Minneapolis St. Paul International airport is warmer than that of Rochester (43.4)[6] and Mankato (44.7)[7] which are both located farther to the south.