Is it harmful to keep the air conditioning on while charging a new energy vehicle?
3 Answers
Yes, it is harmful. It is recommended not to turn on the air conditioning while charging a new energy vehicle. More information about electric vehicle charging is as follows: 1. Impact on voltage: Generally, new energy electric vehicles operate with relatively stable voltage and current during charging. However, using high-power appliances like air conditioning requires higher voltage, which can cause unstable current and affect charging efficiency. 2. Impact on charging: During the charging process, the battery capacity of the new energy vehicle's power battery pack is fixed. Using the air conditioning continuously consumes power, which will extend the overall charging time.
I've been driving a new energy vehicle for several years and often turn on the air conditioning while charging, either while waiting for friends or resting. From my experience, it's generally safe because the vehicle's design inherently supports simultaneous operations. The air conditioning system and charging circuits are separate and won't interfere with each other to cause issues. However, running the AC during hot summer days consumes some battery power, slowing down the charging speed—for example, what would normally take 30 minutes to fully charge might take an extra 10 minutes. Prolonged use like this may slightly affect battery health, as the AC increases the battery's thermal load, making it work harder. I recommend doing this only when necessary, such as briefly turning it on when it's extremely cold or hot, or prioritizing parking in the shade to charge before using the AC. Remember to set temperature control limits via the vehicle's system to avoid running the AC at full power.
As a daily commuter with an electric vehicle, I often turn on the air conditioning while charging at the station, and everything works fine. The car's engineering is smart—the AC power consumption is either directly supported by the grid or supplied by a small battery, without drawing from the main battery's charging current. It's okay if charging slows down a bit in summer, but I found that using eco-mode to lower the AC temperature has an even smaller impact. Once, I tried charging for half an hour with the AC on in 40-degree heat, and the car showed no warnings—it charged just fine before I left. I recommend regularly checking the battery status via the app to ensure the system is functioning properly, so occasional simultaneous use poses no risk.
