Impact of A/C on EV range

Here's an interesting paper I found entitled "Impact of Vehicle Air-Conditioning on Fuel Economy, Tailpipe Emissions, and Electric Vehicle Range" - including some data from the EV1

Enjoy

http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy00osti/28960.pdf

Wow! 40% reduction in EV range. :shock:

I would imagine that the Leaf has a multiple stage compressor, advanced glazing, etc. Hopefully we'll be a lot better off. I'm glad I can park in the shade!

Well, as I already said elsewhere...I'm going to flout the law and tint up. I've gotten away with it for 7 years in my one Focus, so having to pay for redoing the fronts every so often, if I do happen to get pulled up and have to temporarily remove them for the fix-it ticket, won't be a bad trade-off.

mwalsh said:

Wow! 40% reduction in EV range. :shock:

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I think the Leaf would be in the "small sedan" category mentioned in the text, with about 15% range reduction at 1kW A/C load. The other take-away for me was to switch to recirculation mode as soon as the cabin air is cooler than the outside air, further reducing the A/C hit.

DeaneG said:

The other take-away for me was to switch to recirculation mode as soon as the cabin air is cooler than the outside air, further reducing the A/C hit.

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I never find that quite as satisfying though. But I suppose I could get used to it.

Tucson will be a real test for the AC and mileage reduction. Yesterday it was 107 and today 103. I'll make sure I cool down while still plugged in at home. Then if there is a charging station available where I go shopping, I might plug in there just to be able to cool off the LEAF via iPhone controls, 5 minutes before I return to the car. Last summer I took an electronic thermometer with me in the car on a hot day. I had to park in the sun, but put my sunshade up in the front window. When I returned two hours later, the inside of my car was 145 degrees!!!! It is the worse part of our hot summers. I'm going to 'splurge' and cool down the LEAF before getting in it on a hot day.

Based on my experience of other electric cars like the Mitsubishi i-MiEV and the REVA, a 15-20% reduction in range for air conditioning is about right.

mwalsh said:

Well, as I already said elsewhere...I'm going to flout the law and tint up. I've gotten away with it for 7 years in my one Focus, so having to pay for redoing the fronts every so often, if I do happen to get pulled up and have to temporarily remove them for the fix-it ticket, won't be a bad trade-off.

Click to expand...

I think someone referenced this elsewhere on the forum:
http://www.v-kool-usa.com/automotive_01
When applied to the windows of your car, V-KOOL forms a virtually transparent, protective barrier against the sun’s heat. Independent testing shows that V-KOOL actually screens out 96% of scorching infra-red radiation and 99% of harmful ultraviolet light, the radiation that causes skin and eye damage. That’s the equivalent of a sunscreen lotion with an SPF (Sun Protection Factor) of 200. The results are like sunshine without the heat.

By comparison, tinted, non-reflective window treatments filter out at most 15% of the sun’s infra-red heat. Tinted windows also detract from the appearance of your car. And they pose a safety danger by reducing visibility, especially at night, making it feel as though you’re driving with sunglasses on. V-KOOL, on the other hand, is virtually transparent, so it doesn’t significantly affect your ability to see, and it maintains the integrity of your car’s design.

Is there a GOOD v-kool place in Orange Co., CA?

There are actually some clear films you can apply to your windshield (where legal) ... Llumar makes one, but there are others. I don't know if V-KOOL can be applied that way or not.

DeaneG said:

I think the Leaf would be in the "small sedan" category mentioned in the text, with about 15% range reduction at 1kW A/C load. The other take-away for me was to switch to recirculation mode as soon as the cabin air is cooler than the outside air, further reducing the A/C hit.

Click to expand...

You wouldn't say that if you worked next to a sewage refinery plant like me.

Still, I prefer the vent, I just constantly forget to turn it back on after I'm far enough away from said sewage factory. Getting old, what!