• Mycatiskai@lemmy.ca
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    7 days ago

    I was driving to the burrito store in town yesterday in -8° conditions. I noticed to keep the car at 17° the heater was using 50km of range. My normal 100% charge gives me 360 km of charge but in winter mode where the battery heater is on my max range goes closer to 300km at 100%.

    This isn’t really a problem since I only drive to work and back which is 3km each way.

    • SorteKanin@feddit.dk
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      7 days ago

      I don’t think that’s due to the heater at all. It’s just that in the cold, the battery is not as efficient and the car is displaying that to you by showing a lower kilometer gauge. Of course using the heater affects your range but not by 50km or anywhere near that.

      It’s just to do with temperature as far as I understand (though I may be wrong).

      • Mycatiskai@lemmy.ca
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        7 days ago

        The 50 km for the in cabin heater is because when I have the temp set in the cabin to 18.5 degrees and fan speed 3, the range said 300km, when I turned it off the range went to 350km so the car is saying I will lose around 50 km of range if I keep the heater on the whole 300km trip.

        • SorteKanin@feddit.dk
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          7 days ago

          Huh okay that seems like a lot. I only lose about 10km or so when I have the heat turned on. Perhaps my car has a heat pump and yours doesn’t? Not sure if that might be the explanation.

      • Victor@lemmy.world
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        7 days ago

        You’re both correct.

        The climate system and especially the fans can use a lot of energy. My Volvo EX40 has an extended range mode that specifically only mentions reduced climate control capacity when enabled.

        But during very cold temperatures you can probably expect up to 30% reduction in range depending on battery and make/model etc. Not only due to climate control but probably including it.