What Are the Effects of Using Air Conditioning on the Range of New Energy Vehicles?
2 Answers
Using air conditioning in new energy vehicles affects range due to power management issues, overall weight, ambient temperature, and battery capacity. Below are detailed explanations of these effects: Power Management Issues: An efficient power management system can fully recover and utilize electrical energy, improving range performance. Overall Weight: Due to the inherent disadvantages of pure electric vehicles, their overall weight is higher than that of traditional fuel-powered vehicles, which affects range performance to some extent. Ambient Temperature: The activity of the battery pack is significantly affected by ambient temperature. In cold regions, the range of pure electric vehicles can drop considerably. Heating is achieved through resistive heating, which warms the air, while heat pump systems absorb heat from the air for heating. Therefore, compared to heat pump systems, PTC heating consumes more electricity and has a greater impact on range. Battery Pack Capacity: Battery pack capacity is a major factor affecting range performance. Driving a pure electric vehicle with the air conditioning on reduces the range. Therefore, it is necessary to reasonably reduce usage frequency during driving to enhance convenience.
I've been driving a new energy vehicle for several years and have noticed that using the air conditioning does significantly reduce the range. The air conditioning system mainly involves the compressor or heater working, which use electricity to cool or warm the car, diverting some of the battery's energy. In summer, using the AC can reduce the range by 10% to 30%. If you set the temperature very low or run the fan at maximum speed, the consumption is even higher. In winter, heating consumes more electricity because electric vehicles are less efficient at generating heat compared to gasoline cars that use waste heat from the engine. I remember once on a long trip with the AC on, the range dropped from 400 km to less than 300 km, almost leaving me stranded. So, it's best to avoid using the AC while driving at high speeds. Instead, pre-cool the car in the city first and then use the energy-saving mode. I usually monitor energy consumption with a mobile app, like checking the real-time electricity usage curve, to balance comfort and range.
