Range with A/C

[EMC]

If this a duplicate I apologize. Question: what is the range with a/c at a steady 60-65 mph?

I have driven the Bolt twice on test drives. I like the car but want to gain more information before buying.

My only reservation is the narrowness of the seats. That will not be a deal killer.

Any range information is appreciated.

 

[oilerlord]

If this a duplicate I apologize. Question: what is the range with a/c at a steady 60-65 mph?

I have driven the Bolt twice on test drives. I like the car but want to gain more information before buying.

My only reservation is the narrowness of the seats. That will not be a deal killer.

Any range information is appreciated.

Hey! Welcome to the forum. The topic has been discussed, but I'm happy to help.

Most EV's have a real-time consumption meter. The Bolt is no exception. The easiest way to figure out range in terms of the power consumption the HVAC uses is turn on the heater or AC and watch the meter.

The Bolt has a 60 kWh battery. Range is based on miles per kWh. So given the size of the battery; if you're able to achieve 4 miles per kWh - you'll be able to drive the Bolt 240 miles. How much energy the AC depends on ambient cabin temperature, and the temperature setting you select. I'd suggest taking a Bolt out on another test drive, turning on the AC, and see how it affects the miles/kWh number for yourself.

FYI, here is an excerpt from an article I read this morning:

"Car and Driver magazine then published a detailed review of the Bolt in its October 2016 issue in which a road test showed the car could drive a surprising 190 miles with cruise control set to 75 mph and climate controls set to 72 degrees."

190 miles @ 75 mph, with climate controls set to 72 degrees. We don't know is if that was using the heater, or just using the A/C. However, at 75 mph, 190 miles of range with climate control set to 72 degrees is typical, and in-line with what I've read from other owners.

http://www.hybridcars.com/2017-chevy-bolt-ev-is-less-of-a-drag-than-originally-believed/

 

[Zoomit]

Depending on ambient temperature (and winds and a host of other factors), likely 225-250+ miles for constant speed driving between 60-65 mph. That assumes use of the full 60kWh battery capacity. Realistic planning should assume less use than that given your risk tolerance and various uncertainties.

 

[elpwr]

Agree with zoomit's estimation. I'm seeing about 4mi/KWh at 62-64 mph on relatively level roads with minimal wind and 80-90 degree temps (with a/c). With the 60kwh capacity that would give 240 miles. At speeds above 65, and especially above 70, the consumption goes up quite a bit.

 

[TimBolt]

I recently drove from Long Island to PA, a distance of 220 miles. Since this was my first 200+ trip I drove at around 60 mph on the way to PA, and only used the a/c when it became warmer a little later in the day. The last 50 miles or so were done on secondary roads at about 40-45 mph.

The trip miles per kilowatt-hour showed 4.5, and I had 50 miles of range left according to the range meter.

The trip back was done at 60-65, with a/c on all the time, outside temps around 80, and I had almost identical results, although I did crawl across Staten Island in heavy traffic between the Goethels and Verrazano bridges, which probably helped with the overall range.

I agree with a previous reply that driving at 70+ will probably reduce range to around 200, but there are many variables on any trip such as terrain, weather, and traffic that will affect range, so there's no magic formula for an exact range estimate.

Around town here on Long Island my range is typically 250-275 miles, with a mix of local and highway driving.
I've been pleasantly surprised by the actual range I'm getting, although I'm sure winter range will be lower.

By the way, on my PA trip I charged overnight at a free level-2 J1772 at Millersville University, so my total energy cost for the 450 mile round-trip was about $10, as that's about what a full charge costs using my home charger.

So far I'm very happy with the Bolt's range and performance, and I had no issues with seat discomfort on a five hour drive without a break.

 

[Anonymous]

I recently drove from Los Angeles to Las Vegas and back with the key trip being from the last DCFC on Interstate 15 in Victorville until Las Vegas, about 185 miles, although I stretched it to another DCFC in northwest Las Vegas 200 miles.

I kept the air conditioning set to 70 degrees the whole trip and outside temps reached 109!

I also kept the lights on to simulate night driving!

I had no problem reaching my destination, so long as I did not attempt to drive in the "fast" lane for extended periods of time. It is all about driving speed and "flow of traffic" when long distances are being attempted in my experience and not the use of a/c!

In my experience, the energy loss due to a/c is much less than it will be due to cabin heating if you are in a cold climate. Being in California, I use the seat and steering wheel heaters in lieu of cabin heating as much as possible!

 

[nautilus]

Another data point to add is that when I turn the A/C on, the range estimation drops by about 10 miles when charge is full.

 

[Anonymous]

Are you talking about the Mileage Gauge?

 

[EMC]

Thanks for the information. At 60-65 I could make the trip non stop to my daughter's(200 miles).

We have an iMiev and use it for local driving around town. i got it used at a very good price. Over the last 2 years we have learned a lot about EV's. One thing is we will never go back to ICE. I knew there would be rapid change as new cars would be introduced. I saw all the constant change with the pc in the 80's and early 90's. I did not want to buy a car that would be obsolete in a year or so. The present generation of cars and what is up coming would be a purchase without any regrets.

For me what is important is the energy use per mile, Kwh/mile(based on speed and or condition). Easy enough to multiply the energy use versus the battery capacity for range.

With the imiev's 16 Kwh battery I have range envy and not range anxiety.

Now to get more Bolts on the dealer's lots. In our part of Texas we just started getting them about 2 weeks ago. Very limited selection.

Thanks again for the great information.









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[boltage]

I saw 17-18 kW with the cruise control at 65mph on a flat road without AC or heat on. This would consume 60 kWh in 216-229 miles.

Presumably, using AC or heat would make it worse. Obviously, roads are not necessarily flat, and wind could help or hurt.

 

[Zoomit]

Most don't realize how much wind affects range. A 10mph headwind can easily reduce range from 230 to 200 miles. 10mph is not a lot and obviously very common.

 

[EMC]

http://insideevs.com/chevrolet-bolt-beats-tesla-model-s-become-consumer-reports-range-champion/ Interesting that they got 250 miles out of a full battery at a constant 65 mph with no a/c or heat. Very useful information for me. It seems that a/c drops range by approx 10% or so. Still 60-65 mph with a/c works for us. Nice thing about EV's you can slow down and extend the range.

 

[joe]

It seems like when you turn the AC on or off, the range estimate decreases/increases by a different amount depending on the state of charge. Usually it is 12% but when the battery is lower, it can be 8%. Also, it always seems to proceed in two stages: first immediately dropping by half of the final amount and then then other half about half a second later, but that could be a UI thing and not a methodological thing.

 

[roundpeg]

I find watching the energy consumption for accessories is the best way to make this determination. With summer coming on (with a vengeance) in SoCal, AC on (set to 71°) most of the time, I am seeing about 4-5% of my overall energy consumption going to accessories. So that's maybe a ten mile hit to range. I set the fan to two or three bars. BTW the fan takes some juice too. Try pushing it up with the car stopped, and you'll see your "idle" consumption go from one to two Kw.

The heater is far more energy consumptive, 10-15%, even in our mild winters here.