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Hybrids and A/C

Created August 27, 2006, at 12:26 am by Anonymous

I live in an area that is very hot 6 or more months a year and one cannot afford to do without A/C in a closed car for more than 5 minutes. Do A/Cs in hybrid models operate when the car is in all electric mode?

Anonymous

5 years ago

In the Ford Escape Hybrid the A/C has 3 different settings -- regular, recirculated, and max. The A/C does not operate in EV mode, but if you set it to "max", it keeps the gas engine on and the A/C operating.

Anonymous

5 years ago

I have an Escape and the current solution is not completely satisfactory in really hot weather. In order to get full hybrid benefit on fuel economy, you need to use the "recirculation" setting. When the engine shuts off at a stop or when driving under 40 mph in EV mode, the fan continues to recirculate air over the AC cooling coils. This is not bad for a typical stoplight after the car is cooled down. But in really protracted stop-and-go driving, it gets uncomfortable.

Keep in mind that you are never in electric mode for very long while moving. That's not much of a problem. It is the very long stops or crawls that will cause you to switch the engine (and therefore the AC) on.

Anonymous

5 years ago

I do not know of a new hybrid car of today which stops cooling in EV or stop mode.

Honda hybrids did this 2005 and earlier, but not the current Generation II models.

Anonymous

5 years ago

I've had by Camry hybrid for 5 weeks. The A/C works in electric mode.

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