mileage vs. A/C usage

What are people's experiences with the Prius with air conditioing? I've read that the gas engine needs to run for the A/C to work, so how much benefit do you see from having a hybrid in the South where the A/C is used much of the year? Normally if you're sitting in traffic the engine would shut down, but if it is needed to run the A/C do you end up with any fuel savings over a 'normal' car? I've been considering buying a hybrid, but I'm curious what to expect in mileage numbers in city driving with the A/C running (and in South Texas it would be running most of the year).

Thanks, Frank

Reply to
Spam Collector
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It does not need the ICE to run the A/C. The A/C runs very well off the battery, but occasionally, the ICE will kick in if the battery's charge runs down.

I live in the Phoenix area, and the A/C is needed regardless of time of day; it usually stays in the 90s all night. I've had the car since Thursday, and am getting mileage in the mid 40s. I'm starting to learn the gas-saving driving techniques, and have had some periods on the highway with mileage in the high 50s to mid 60s.

Reply to
Michelle Steiner

I live in Southern Maryland where it is muggy most of the summer.

I have used the "Auto AC" feature on my 2004 Prius almost all the time with resulting gas mileage of 45 to 47 MPG in what I call normal driving. Recently went on a 600 mile plus trip with the above setting and averages

52.8 MPG for the trip. I have taken the same trip in a 2003 Chevy Malibu and averaged only 26 MPG. Used AC and cruise control in both cars.

It was a pleasure to fill up only once for the trip. Ooppss, I meant twice. Hit the final dot on the gas gauge when I arrived back in my home town.

Reply to
Mike Reshetar

Depends on which Prius you're talking about.

On the 2001-2003 Prius, the AC/defroster was belt driven off of the gasoline engine. So, AC use in summer is fairly similar to heater use in winter ("waste" heat from the ICE to heat the cabin). The fan will continue to circulate the hot/cold air. When the temperature of the changes too much, the ICE will come back on to change the temperature again. (Just don't use MAX AC, and your system will cycle like this. MAX leaves the AC on all the time, so your engine runs all the time...) Mileage won't be as good as if you didn't need to use the climate control, but it's not outrageous, thanks to the cycling.

On the 2004 Prius, the AC/defroster is electric, run off of the hybrid battery pack. So, your engine doesn't need to run to power the AC. (Engine still needed for heat, however.) If the battery charge gets too low (about 2 bars on the gage), expect the ICE to come back on to recharge the hybrid battery if you're stuck in a long traffic jam.

Reply to
Michelle Vadeboncoeur

Go to this Web page to see the technical information on the 2004 Prius air conditioning system.

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GAN

Reply to
GAN

No doubt about it, our 04 Prius gets less mileage during the heat of summer than during the "cooler" southern months. The engine does not have to run for the a/c to work, it is a completely electric system, like that used in the back of recreational vehicles, so there is no mechanical linkage to the engine. It does put more draw on the batteries, though. The engine has to run more to supply more charge to the batteries.

Average fuel consumption:

Jan: 45.99 MPG Feb: Unable to determine Mar: 46.91 MPG Apr: 44.55 MPG May: 43.62 MPG Jun: 47.42 MPG Jul: 46.79 MPG

Keep in mind that you'll get better gas mileage with consistant driving, rather than stop and go driving in the city. As you can see, we seem to average about 43 to 47 MPG regardless of the air temperature.

KK

Reply to
Kevin Kirkeby

But on the upside, the A/C's motor is variable speed. It can run at just the right speed for the temperature you need, so it's using the battery more efficiently.

Reply to
Samuel Atlan

The page says it's running on CO2 It also states it is the world's first CO2 car A/C unit. It really does sound terrific, but what about service? I can imagine a mechanic will be literally stunned by half of Prius's features. So, high maintenance cost is inevitable? How high, can someone share their experience here? I feel like I'm OK with paying a bit extra for a vehicle that's easier on the environment, but thinking about maintenance costs scares me. Thanks!

Reply to
Dmitri

The Prius A/C is NOT a CO2 unit. The CO2 unit was designed for a FUEL CELL HYBRID vehicle.

"DENSO has developed and applied the world's first CO2 car air conditioning system using CO2 as refrigerant for Toyota's fuel cell hybrid vehicle launched last December. Through products like these, DENSO continues to lead the 21st century in the creation of comfortable vehicle environments."

GAN

Reply to
GAN

Reply to
melvin

Had my Prius for 2.5 years, and haven't spent a cent on maintenance.

Many cars are complicated enough that they should only be worked on by the dealer or trained specialists. Same with Televisions and computers, but people buy them anyway.

Daniel

Reply to
dbs__usenet

No oil changes? No tire rotations? No fluid replacements? Or were they all free?

Reply to
Michelle Steiner

I guess he's only talking about unscheduled maintenance.

Reply to
Mike Rosenberg

They were all free, included in the purchase price. I think they should do that for all thier cars.

Daniel

Reply to
dbs__usenet

No, all scheduled maint has been free. Have not needed unscheduled maint.

Daniel

Reply to
dbs__usenet

Oh, that's right, before the 2004 model, they provided free service for the first n services; I forget what n is.

Reply to
Michelle Steiner

n = 5

The 4th service was pretty extensive; glad that one was free!

Mike

Reply to
Michael Pardee

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