Is it the fan or a/c that reduces range

[Ruislip Resident]

Its established that heating and a/c will reduce range and this will be reflected in the GOM range when activated and deactivated.

However I have noticed that if I turn the fan on without a/c, the GOM range decreases. I'd expect this. If however I then select a/c in addition to the fan, the GOM range does not reduce by any more . I would have expected it to.

I've never actually specifically monitored the miles per kwh with just fan and then with fan and a/c on a flat road at the same speed to see if it changes.

 

[Jomarkh]

If I turn on the fan the range drops no matter what speed or whether heating is also up.
Don't forget it is just a GOM

 

[rpannell]

The fan uses very little power, although as you have noticed, the way the GOM is set up, it's the turning of the fan on that shows the decrease in range. Once the fan is on, using the heater uses the most power (as noticed by the extra current drawn), even though there is no additional reduction in the GOM range. Turning on A/C to cool the car will also use extra power but not as much as heating. As Jomarkh said - the GOM is just an estimate. The software does not take every detail into account when estimating the range.

 

[peterseddon]

Neither the fan nor the A/C use a lot of power, it's the resistive heating element that saps your range. It's rated at around 1 kW.

 

[drmcw]

I find it's my right foot that does it.

 

[Bodgerx]

The compressor consumes the most power in an AC unit, the fans much less so.

This car does not have a heat pump function in the AC system so when heating is used it uses a resistive heater element, which consumes a significant amount of energy.

 

[Lovemyev]

The blower fan motor is powered from the 12 volt system, the load it consumes is small.
The cooling or heating is supplied via the inverter / traction battery.
Cooling the car is generally less demanding on range, than heating the cabin.
It will depend on the level of heating you are requesting indirectly.
In the winter, if the car has been sitting on the drive with four inches of snow on the roof and you crank up the demand for heat to preheat / defrost the car, then the impact on the lost range on the GOM is going to be high.
But to be honest who is bothered !.
The facility of preheating the cabin before you start your trip is worth the loss in range .
It would be similar in a fossil car.
The car will consume more fuel when trying to warm the engine to provided heated water to the heater radiator.

 

[Gadget Geek]

The cooling or heating is supplied via the inverter / traction
The facility of preheating the cabin before you start your trip is worth the loss in range .

If the car is plugged in to the charger when you pre-heat, then you will have no loss of range as the charger supplies the power to the HVAC.

 

[peterseddon]

Quite frankly I never try to eek out the last mile /kWh from the car, I always drive in normal mode and never turn off the climate control which is set a 22. When you can charge at off peak rates meaning that it costs 2p a mile who cares, I'd sooner be comfortable. Yes I tend to drive a little slower on motorways, but find it relaxing to use MG Pilot and let the car take the strain.

 

[DBedford]

The answer is YES, using any of an EVs electrical appliances reduces range. How much, that is something we all find out in time!

 

[Bandanaman]

I find that neither the AC or the fan reduce the GOM range... what does reduce it quickly is the heater! Doesn't just affect the GOM either, its a real life reduction of 1m/kwh in range! noticed that over the last week where Ive been averaging 3.6m/kwh over the summer, now im down to 2.6m/kwh, only difference is the AC is out and the heater is on.

 

[Gadget Geek]

On my journey on Thursday, I switched on the HVAC and noticed it took 6 miles off my estimated range. I then adjusted the temperature up and down and turned the air conditioning on and off. The estimated range remained the same, so it looks like the software has been written to take off a certain amount of range when the HVAC button is pressed, regardless of settings.

 

[Tim Green]

On my Mk1, just turning on the HVAC system on (eg pressing left hand knob in) will reduce GOM by about 20 miles. If you drive a few miles and turn HVAC off again, the GOM returns to what it was reading originally, except the few miles. But when kept on, I reckon the HVAC reduces GOM by about 20 miles for each hour it is on.

 

[Jto]

You have to take into a count that turning on the car has to get to the settings you have put in. Once you got that setting the amount of power used to keep at this setting will be reduced as it will be coming on and off. You see the big drop when you first turn on because the car is not at the setting set.