Can I Turn on the Air Conditioning While Charging a New Energy Vehicle?
2 Answers
It is best not to turn on the air conditioning, as this will increase power consumption and slow down the charging speed. In electric vehicles, the compressor for air conditioning cooling is driven by the motor, so using the air conditioning consumes electricity. The cooling principle of car air conditioning is as follows: 1. Compressor: In gasoline cars, when cooling is needed, the AC button must be pressed, which engages the compressor clutch. At this time, the engine drives the compressor to operate, allowing the compressor to continuously compress the refrigerant and deliver it to the evaporator. 2. Evaporator: The refrigerant expands and absorbs heat inside the evaporator, cooling the evaporator. The cooled evaporator then cools the air blown by the blower, allowing the air conditioning vents to blow cold air.
I've been driving an electric car for three years, and turning on the AC while charging is a common practice. The vehicle was designed with this need in mind—the power battery allocates a portion of its energy to the AC system without affecting the main charging process. Last time, when I had to wait in line at a charging station for two hours, the AC literally saved my life. However, it's worth noting that using the AC can extend charging time by 15%-20%, especially with heat pump AC systems, which consume more power. Heating in winter consumes more electricity than cooling in summer, so it's best to set it to eco mode. It's advisable not to use the AC when the battery level is below 20% to avoid unexpected power loss due to dual energy consumption.
