charger works sometimes

[tonymil]

For example, is the remote cooling/heating thing REALLY that useful? I mean, you save at most 1/2 mile in range for the 30 seconds it takes to condition the car from ambient to 70 degrees and you're a little warmer or colder for those 30 seconds too. Big deal. Even people with some sensitivty to temperature extremes can handle that and the range loss is not significant. But the companies try to make you feel absolutely need that feature, when in fact it's kind of pointless.

I agree that the remote cooling isn't a big deal, the car cools quickly and the a/c doesn't gobble up battery charge so I've never used the remote to run the a/c. But I have feeling that the heater will be a different story. I think it will take a long time to heat up the cabin and will drain a lot of charge. I think the ability to have the car warm up for 10 to 15 minutes before I leave work will be a big deal, both in terms of comfort and battery charge.

 

[jray3]

I'll also agree that remote heating is the most valuable feature, energy-wise. The air conditioning compressor, being a heat pump is about three times more efficient than the electric resistance heater. I used the remote to preheat the car just about EVery morning I drove the car this winter, and having the windows defrosted plus a warm cabin on a freezing morning is verry nice. HowEVer, the heater pulls more amps than our chargers provide, so if it weren't for the timeout feature on the remote climate controls, the car could accumulate a significant deficit before even beginning a trip!

 

[JoeS]

... the heater pulls more amps than our chargers provide, so if it weren't for the timeout feature on the remote climate controls, the car could accumulate a significant deficit before even beginning a trip!

jray3, is that at Level 1 or also at Level 2?

 

[Don]

. . . . and does the EVSE kick back in and supply whatever current is used pre-conditioning the car, even after charging has ended? Inquiring minds want to know. I can't imagine the heating system draws 3Kw (the output of a Level 2 charger) but then I suppose anything is possible. I have a 3Kw electric fireplace in my house which would drive you out of something as small as our car in just a minute or two

I'd like to learn lots more about the A/C system too. I'm assuming the compressor has a 330 volt DC motor? . . . . or is it an A/C unit supplied by an inverter running off the traction pack? Anybody know how much current it draws (and at what voltage) when the compressor is running? Are there any schematics for the car available publicly anywhere?

Thanks!

Don

 

[Don]

Seek and ye shall find!

http://www.sae.org/events/aars/presentations/2010/W2.pdf

Indeed, the heating system can draw as much as 5 Kw . . . . and the A/C system isn't too far behind at about 4.5 Kw max. They approximate the heating and cooling performance of the ICE version of the car, which (to me) is quite remarkable. It looks like if either system were operated continuously in the 'MAX' mode, they would cut more than 30% off the theoretical range of the car. The heated seat is looking better and better to me, come winter . . . . luckily, we seldom see freezing temps down here, but then we 'pay' for that all summer :shock:

The A/C compressor has a high voltage DC rare earth magnet motor. Both the heating and A/C systems are under development to make them smaller, lighter and more energy efficient for future models - That coupled with better batteries is going to make this quite the car in another year or two!

Don

 

[tonymil]

Don, that a really amazing find. Kudos. Unfortunately, it confirms my fears about using the heater, it consumes almost half the range, even without max mode. Albany has its share of below freezing weather and a few single digit days. So I think the question I'll have to grapple with is the best mix of heated seat and heater. Maybe run the heater when plugged in, then unplug and put the heated seat on and the heater fan on a very low setting. I can't imagine driving to work with just the seat heater on during the very cold mornings.

It's going to be an interesting experiment.

 

[moneythat]

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for all the advice. Turns out, after testing the last 2 days, things are working fine. I use the remote to control how many hours the charger should charger.

I guess I had problems at first beuz I was playing around with the remote and didn't set it correctly and the car never charged.

tri

Hi,

Just got my miev about a week already.

I plug in the level 1 charger (cord) and sometimes it charges overnight sometimes it doesn't

I plug it into the outlet box that's been "extended" from another box. Not sure if that's the problem.

Anyone can help?

Thanks,

Tri

 

[JoeS]

Tri, thanks so much for the follow-up and glad all is working well with you. Hope you're enjoying your iMiEV.