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Bolt range penalty with heavy air conditioning use in hot climates?

24K views 42 replies 29 participants last post by  p7wang 
#1 ·
Hello all.

Just joined the forum. I am this close to buying a new 2020 Bolt EV, which would be my first EV.

I typically do 50 miles or fewer each day, so the published range of 259 will be more than enough for me in most scenarios. However, I live in South Florida where for more than 6-8 months of the year 90+ temps necessitate keeping the air conditioning on full blast (especially if my wife is in the car).

So I've got two questions for any Bolt-owning Floridians (or those from other hot climates) who would care to weigh in:

1. I realize there are many variables at play when discussing range, but roughly speaking about how much of an impact does heavy AC use have on your Bolt's range? Are we talking like 10%-20%, or significantly more than that?

2. Is the Bolt's air conditioning able to keep the cabin cool in persistently hot climates? (My current ICE car isn't very icy-- it can barely keep the car comfortable in the height of summer, and makes a ton of noise doing it.)

Thanks to all. Looking forward to spending more time here in the weeks and months to come.

Joe
 
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#3 ·
during the hot summer in St Petersburg last summer, if i recall correctly the usage screen attributed up to 20% to climate settings. For cooling the battery and max A/C use in temp’s in the upper 90’s.
Keep in mind, this data would mostly be from short trips. so it is probably a worst case of A/C use. hot car, crank a/c, drive 5 miles, stop, repeat.

I don’t have enough data to back that up consistently, but that is what i recall, it was showing 20% energy use for climate on max A/C and 95+ temps.
and it gets the cabin cold, no issues there.
 
#5 ·
I agree with zzzing. A/C use is much less significant. I live in Virginia so it is not like Florida. Also, keep in mind that you will get instant "full blast" cooling because the compressor is run by an electric motor. In an ICE vehicle one has to get some road speed to get the compressor going "full blast".
 
#7 ·
I've had my Bolt for two Arizona summers with many days of 100+ temps. I agree with the previous comments but, as micantony stated, very short trips will result in terrible efficiency. In my small town I drive 3 miles to work and 5 miles round-trip to the grocery store. I'll pre-cool the car, drive to the store, leave it "ON" while shopping (very nice option!) then drive home. Typical efficiency in this scenario is less than 3 mi/kWh. So don't freak out if you see this on your Guess-O-Meter. It'll return to a more normal reading as soon as you take a longer drive.
 
#8 ·
The AC at Max draws less than a kW, and 750 watts on average. The problem with this system is the humidity sensor, which often mixes heat and AC to dry out the cabin air. The heater can pull 7500 watts in humid weather.

 
#9 ·
yeah, I learned to stop using the auto setting, because in 90 degree heat, the heater kicked on one time on me. I was like "huh"??‍♂??
not sure if it was the humidity sensor or just the system trying too hard to keep a specific temp, but i learned my lesson quickly that the system is odd.
 
#14 ·
If you are driving locally just set the climate controls to whatever feels good. You are still using way less energy than an ICE. The only time I watch climate power draw is on a trip. If I need more range, to make it to the next DC fast charger, the Heat/AC goes off...fan or seat heaters only. Otherwise relax.
 
#15 ·
Do not do the short trips with pre cooling. On the open highway, at 75 mph, in New Mexico, I hardly noticed the impact of the AC. Would recommend the Bolt in all hot climates. Just got back from Costa Rica, where the Bolt would have gotten over 300 miles on a charge, with AC running all the time. Speeds average 30 to 48 mph in that country. Saw all the ICE waste, and was thinking how wonderful it would be to have my Bolt there...
 
#18 ·
I'm about 50 miles south of Tampa so of course, I run the AC those 8 months of the year. My typical drive is about half 60 MPH state roads and half 35-50 MPH town roads. Hardly any highway. The AC consistently draws between 9 and 11% under those conditions in the FL summer. It's a little bit of a hit on range but it has no problem keeping up with the constant 92-96F temps during those 8 months.

Mike
 
#23 ·
Just to confirm prior comments: In the AZ summer with temps between 100 and 110 and very low humidity, we find that the cool down time is fairy quick and about 25% of the electricity used is attributed to the "climate setting" . That 25% is the worst case, hi temps and short trips.

Loring
 
#24 ·
Hello all.

Just joined the forum. I am this close to buying a new 2020 Bolt EV, which would be my first EV.

I typically do 50 miles or fewer each day, so the published range of 259 will be more than enough for me in most scenarios. However, I live in South Florida where for more than 6-8 months of the year 90+ temps necessitate keeping the air conditioning on full blast (especially if my wife is in the car).

So I've got two questions for any Bolt-owning Floridians (or those from other hot climates) who would care to weigh in:

1. I realize there are many variables at play when discussing range, but roughly speaking about how much of an impact does heavy AC use have on your Bolt's range? Are we talking like 10%-20%, or significantly more than that?

2. Is the Bolt's air conditioning able to keep the cabin cool in persistently hot climates? (My current ICE car isn't very icy-- it can barely keep the car comfortable in the height of summer, and makes a ton of noise doing it.)

Thanks to all. Looking forward to spending more time here in the weeks and months to come.

Joe
AS with ANY vehicle in South Florida, get the windows tinted first thing!
 
#25 ·
Welcome to the forum! I hope you buy the Bolt, you won't regret it. It is SO COOL being able to drive just about anywhere and not use gasoline or oil. Just drive by and wave! Warm climates are perfect for BEVs. It's the cold climes that suck battery range. So you have no worries. As an example, I live in northern California. Summer temperatures in the 90s, winter temps in the 40s. In summer, 235+ miles on full charge. In winter, it can go as low as 175 miles. In the freezing states, that can go as low as 150.

My only complaint isn't about the car, it's the lack of charging infrastructure in certain areas where we like to travel. We have cousins who live in the north east corner of the state. In order to visit them, we drive to Reno and charge up at a DCFC. Normally, you'd charge up to 80%, since the charge rate really slows after that, but I would have to force it to charge to 100%, which takes twice as long and costs extra. But the stint from Reno to Modoc is 208 miles. I have to drive below 65mph and not use the heater or ac. I have a similar problem when driving to Fort Bragg on the coast. No DCFC anywhere on highway 20 between Williams and the coast. Not even a DCFC in Fort Bragg! But everywhere else, it's easy to find a DCFC.
 
#26 · (Edited)
I think that all air conditioners cool the rooms well. You just need to look at the complete set of the air conditioner carefully. I had a case in my life I once bought a defective air conditioner and I found out that it was defective a week later. In my air conditioner has stopped working climate control. I called the store where I bought this air conditioner and demanded to make a refund, but they sent me to put it mildly. It's good that socool got into my situation and fixed my climate control at the lowest prices. I learned a lesson for a lifetime that when you buy something, you must carefully consider the purchase.
 
#27 ·
I think that all air conditioners cool the rooms well. You just need to look at the complete set of the air conditioner carefully.
The last posting on this topic was TWO YEARS AGO....plus your response makes no sense for a vehicle.
 
#30 ·
Regardless, I'll give my take: AC usage (like heater usage) is a static energy draw. Sure, the energy consumption might go up or down a bit over the course of a drive, but it's relatively constant. That means that AC use's impact on range will vary based on driving speed.

At 75 mph constant driving, even on 100+ F days, AC is likely to have less than a 4-5% impact on range. Reduce the average driving speed to 45 mph in those same conditions, and AC usage could reduce your range by 10% or more.

The same goes with heater use in winter. Most of the people who are seeing a 40% to 50% reduction in winter range are driving at slower speeds.
 
#31 ·
We usually leave the system on Auto and the temp set at 71 and pre-condition in heat or cold if we think about it in time.

When the temps are above 90, if the stop is just a quick in-and-out, less than fifteen minutes, I leave the car on and lock the doors. The Bolt is sitting silently keeping cool. The Mercedes couple pulls into the next parking spot, the female commands the male to stay with the car and leave the ICE running and the helicopter-noisy cooling fan roaring while she buys the groceries. One can see the heat waves coming off the engine compartment.

jack vines
 
#32 ·
Yup. We're a bit limited with our pup during summer, so it's nice to just be able to lock the doors and leave the car on with the AC running. If it's longer than a few minutes, I still check occasionally, but the Bolt EV will stay on with AC running for an hour without any intervention.
 
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