Improve the electric vehicle range by using the climate control setting in economy mode at hot climatic conditions

Electric vehicles (EVs) have surged in popularity in recent years due to their environmental benefits. The influence of range on air conditioning (AC) power consumption is a critical concern for electric vehicle (EV) owners, particularly in warmer climates. Overcoming obstacles such as a limited vehicle range is necessary for the increased use of electric-powered automobiles. Cabin heating and cooling demand for climate control consumes more energy from the main battery and has been revealed to significantly reduce vehicle range. During peak cooling or heating, the overall power consumption of the AC system takes almost 50% of the energy used for traction. The average reduction in driving range caused by air conditioning (heating and cooling) approximates 33%. The energy usage of an electric vehicle can be considerably decreased by switching the climate control setting to economy mode. The AC system will operate more effectively, enabling the vehicle to save energy and extend its range. In hot areas, the air conditioning unit can rapidly deplete the battery, therefore, adopting economy mode can mitigate this problem. There are other ways to increase the range of an electric vehicle in hot weather besides utilizing economy mode on the climate control setting. Effective strategies for minimizing energy and maximizing driving range include parking the car in a shaded spot, and pre-cooling the interior while the car is still plugged in to a charger. The current study uses a variety of economy mode strategies for optimizing HVAC power consumption in hot climate conditions, which significantly increases the EV vehicle's overall range without compromising cabin comfort. An experimental test was carried out with the EV vehicle at higher ambient conditions following the implementation of several econ mode strategies, and the results demonstrated the significant benefit in range without affecting the cabin comfort.