I notice that if I use AC, the battery drains a lot faster. If i do not use AC, I see my battery stays at one bar from full on flat freeways or local streets. If I use AC, I see the battery goes down quickly to 2 bar from full just on local streets. So AC drains the battery quite a bit. Does ppl use their AC all the time or not? I think I've read somewhere that the cabin temperature affects the battery life and amt of pwr stored. It is better to keep the cabin cool to have a healthier battery. Is this true? I want to find out the relationship between cabin temperature and the battery, if any. thanks, -Charles
ambient temperature always affects any type of battery. Your 12V battery is in the trunk, so cabin temperature will affect it. as for the a/c, the a/c runs on electric power, not a belt like traditional cars. so the a/c will still run while the gas engine is off. Since it runs on electric, it will drain your hybrid battery (that's what it runs off). I run the car with the climate control on auto 24/7 (a/c on of course) because i live in arizona, and when its 110 degrees outside, no choice there. still getting 50ish mpg still, so not a big deal.
To answer your question on cabin temperature, yes the cooling for the HV batteries is through the vent by the right rear passenger seat. The cabin cooling air is drawn through the batteries and exhausted outside. So, in hot weather you need to keep the AC on and the temperature in the cabinet comfortable for both you and the batteries. Most people on here keep the AC on auto control with a reasonable temperature setpoint, 72 to 78, and are not seeing that big of a hit on mpg. The slight loss of mpg is small compared to the failure of the HV battery.
The vent by the right rear passenger seat is for ventilation of the HV battery and has nothing to do with cabin ventilation or recirculation. The cabin air is drawn through this vent, through the HV batteries and is then exhausted outside of the car. The cabin ventilation is handled by the air vents in the dashboard area.
Hi there, Please correct me if I'm wrong, but are you implying that if the cabin is relatively warm, it will negatively effect battery life? I live in Vancouver, BC and i rarely turn on A/C in my car. I just don't want to "have to" turn on A/C in order to cool down the batteries! Your input will be much appreciated.
My battery study should help explain the issue better: Prius Battery Photos Hills and mountains are your biggest risk followed by too much high speed, over 65 mph (104 km/h). Take a peek at my battery studies and let's chat about what I tried to describe. An engineer, speeling and gharmmar R' foreign subjects . . . much to the amusement of my wife. <GRINS> Bob Wilson
The above story is true on the Gen2 Prius. On the Gen3, the air outlet from the battery goes to the luggage space inside of the car. Ken@Japan
