Lately I've gotten a dash board message when I shut off the car asking me if I want to allow it to Use AC while Charging? I assume that it's because the battery is already hot, and that the battery will get hotter while charging. So naturally, I have no problem with the car using it's systems to manage the battery charging process. I assume it will cost more in electricity, and I also assume that if I said no, the car would need to delay charging, but I don't know how that works. It's only the third or 4th time I've gotten that message request. The first time the screen shut off before I figured out how to input my yes. But it's getting into summer time, so I expect it more often. Is there a way to set it as default? How does the car deal with the heat it if the AC isn't set to Yes? How does this system work overall?
The use AC message pops up when the traction pack reaches 100 F . The AC works a lot like pre conditioning. A/C doesn't run for very long, at least Ive never noticed it run for more than 10 minutes or so.. If you really want to get an idea about how it works sit in the car while it charges and enjoy the A/C while it runs. Keep in mind, any tricks you can think up to help keep the traction pack cooler in summer and warmer during winter freezes will help. shade if you can find it. open windows if you dare, etc...
...open the hatch wide (or at all)? Just wonder: opening anything would make AC pointless waste, wouldn't it?
If you shut off the car and see the warning asking to use AC while charging, and did not hit YES, and If the battery is too hot when you plug in for charging, the car will simply wait until it cools down on its own at ambient temperature. But, unless you are parked under the sun and started charging immediately after shutting down, in most cases battery will be cooler by the time you charge. Even if you plan to charge right away and hit "YES" on the warning, I am not sure how effective the AC cooling cabin is to cool down the battery. But that too delays the charging, so either way you will end up longer charge time. The default is NO on the warning, and it only gives you a very short period to change the answer to "YES". I never bothered to change to YES on mine. For ~5 years I owned PP, I saw the warning maybe 3 times, and I was home and not going to charge the battery until later that night. By then the battery would be cooled anyway.
I really think the poster meant opening the windows while parked in the sun so the interior does not get too hot, heating the battery pack. Not during AC operation while charging.
Yeah, I find it odd they went with air vents within the cabin to cool down the battery, which ends up having the opposite effect on a hot sunny summer day.
