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How Much Damage from Parking in the Sun?

Discussion in 'Prime Technical Discussion' started by DC Prime, Jun 7, 2020.

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  1. DC Prime

    DC Prime New Member

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    I understand that high heat is bad for the Prime battery. Especially if you leave a high charge or are trying to charge it.

    We live in the city and do not have a garage or car port (nor can we build one due to city regulations). We have a parking pad, but it's in the sun from around 11am-5pm in the summer. Summers in DC are hot, so temp in the car would easily get over 100 on a sunny day. We also don't drive it that often, so it sits there most of the time.

    How much does a situation like this affect the battery, in specific terms? Within 1 year, for example, battery capacity will likely drop by what percentage? Or, how many years will 1 year of this sun likey take off of battery life?
     
    #1 DC Prime, Jun 7, 2020
  2. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    I don't think anyone knows the specific metric you are asking, not even Toyota, I would think. There are so many variables to give a precise prediction. That being said, as Toyota warns and many of PC experts concurs, heat is archenemy for the traction battery. Leaving a fully charged traction battery under the sun would not be a healthy thing to do especially repeatedly. I suggest using as much of charge scheduling to charge at night before you plan to drive and minimize leaving the car fully charged under the sun.
     
    #2 Salamander_King, Jun 7, 2020
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  3. schja01

    schja01 One of very few in Chicagoland

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    According to Google (the source of all information) generally accepted maximum temperature for lithium ion battery storage is 122° F.
     
    #3 schja01, Jun 7, 2020
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  4. john1701a

    john1701a Prius Guru

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    50°C (122°F) is the temperature Tesla must preheat their battery-pack to before SuperCharging is possible.

    Most people are totally unaware of that requirement. They don't think of the electricity it takes to achieve that warming either.
     
    #4 john1701a, Jun 7, 2020
  5. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

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    What colour is the car? Blizzard Pearl has been especially vulnerable. Regular waxing should help, hopefully.

    Any kind of awning possible? Seems an onerous situation; I'd be looking to move if possible.
     
    #5 Mendel Leisk, Jun 7, 2020
  6. DC Prime

    DC Prime New Member

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    Hmm... Ok. Maybe an exact figure isn't possible. But a sense of the order of magnitude of the damage? Am I likely to notice the difference over a short period of time? Or is degradation faster than normal, but not noticable for many years?

    Any personal experiences from those in a similar situation?
     
    #6 DC Prime, Jun 7, 2020
  7. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    Nobody can say for sure.
    But the components of the car are generally designed to withstand a "normal" range of heat and cold.

    Gotta ask: Given your situation, why did you decide to get a "plug in" hybrid.....when it seems that you will almost never be able to plug it in ??
     
    #7 sam spade 2, Jun 7, 2020
  8. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    I plug in at work and at home. At work it is unprotected and on the south side of a building, so I deal with sun and heat :cool:.

    I've had our 2019 Prime for over a year now (bought April 2019) and have not seen any range degradation;).

    I place a sun shade on the front windshield and I have each piece of glass tinted (70% on the front windshield, 50% on the front windows and 15% on the back windows and hatch) and have vent visors on the front windows to allow venting of the cabin:).

    I average 5.2-5.6 miles / kWh out here, where we have already seen multiple days over 100 F:sick:.

    This is over 22k miles and I'll still do the same manner of charging (y).
     
    #8 Raytheeagle, Jun 7, 2020
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  9. DC Prime

    DC Prime New Member

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    We have no problems charging. The parking pad is right behind the house, so access to an outlet isn't an issue. Plus, being in an urban area, the majority of our trips are within a few miles of home, so most are all electric. We also have a full house solar system. So, the plug-in part was a no brainer for us.
     
    #9 DC Prime, Jun 7, 2020
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  10. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

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    Consider a car canopy structure?
     
    #10 Mendel Leisk, Jun 7, 2020
  11. DC Prime

    DC Prime New Member

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    Thanks! Really helpful to know. We have sun shades (from the prius chat store!). Haven't tinted the windows, though or put in vent visors. Given we only use the car occasionally, I was afraid we'd end up cracking the windows, forget, and the have a mess to deal with when it storms (even with the visors). Do you have trouble with rain getting in even with the visors?
     
    #11 DC Prime, Jun 7, 2020
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  12. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

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    Other sun issue (besides paint and battery): headlight fogging, and the rubber gaskets (particularly sunroofs) failing.
     
    #12 Mendel Leisk, Jun 7, 2020
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  13. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    Nope;).

    Just crack the windows so it isn't below the vent visor and you'll be fine:):

    DC13E651-254C-4787-B063-88C83DF365A4.jpeg DCF76FF0-281B-4AA7-B870-FE92F2D86AB5.jpeg 65282547-1F25-49DC-A471-4047155F4247.jpeg 1B582DA7-B2B6-4BBB-BA66-5952743CE352.jpeg

    Those mods should help you get even more electric driving in(y).
     
    #13 Raytheeagle, Jun 7, 2020
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  14. DC Prime

    DC Prime New Member

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    We're exploring options for a pergola-type structure (no solid roof, but could still provide some shade). But, city restrictions are pretty strict and options are limited- nothing with a solid roof for sure; pergola spacing has to be pretty wide, so not sure how much it would help. Even if we found something the city would accept, I want to weigh the cost of that vs the cost of the damage/eventual repairs that would be needed if we don't. Hence wanting to know how significant the deterioration might be.
     
    #14 DC Prime, Jun 7, 2020
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  15. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

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    #15 Mendel Leisk, Jun 7, 2020
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  16. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    I used several head light restoration kits on our old 2010 with good results ;).

    The Wipe New kit worked the best and lasted the longest:).

    If needed, that's what I'd do to our Prime(y).
     
    #16 Raytheeagle, Jun 7, 2020
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  17. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    UNLESS......you live where there are seasonal swarms of insects. :eek:
    Just a few spiders can be a significant problem.
     
    #17 sam spade 2, Jun 7, 2020
  18. DC Prime

    DC Prime New Member

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    Hmm... Excellent point. There are some spiders in the garden. Even worse, though, might be the mosquitoes... You have me second guessing the open window plan...
     
    #18 DC Prime, Jun 7, 2020
  19. DC Prime

    DC Prime New Member

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    Good to know. Fortunately, the nose of the car faces the fence. By the time the sun is angled towards the headlights, the car is in the shade of the fence.
     
    #19 DC Prime, Jun 7, 2020
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  20. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Definitely the tint (the one that can reduce heat, not just darken the windows) and a sunshade for the windshield can help with heat reduction and wear and tear from UV for the interior.

    Avoid leaving it fully charged under the sun. You can use the remote A/C function to cool the car before you leave to help alleviate some of the heat.
     
    #20 Tideland Prius, Jun 8, 2020
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