Myth: You can't run the A/C in an EV without killing your battery.
Myth Busted: Running the A/C in an EV in 90°F weather results in a range loss of only 5% on average.
There are many instances that would lead people to believe that running the A/C in an EV would significantly deplete the battery range. For starters, it is known that EV range is impacted by cold weather temperatures, so why wouldn't the same be true for hot weather temperatures?
In the winter time, there is a larger difference between a desirable temperature inside the car and outside. This requires more energy to balance the temperature inside your vehicle. However, in the summer time there is a much smaller difference between a desirable temperature inside the car and outside. So running the A/C in an EV is much less energy demanding than running the heat.
The required range intensity for cooling an EV can be further reduced through easy efforts such as utilizing sun shades, parking inside or in a shady spot, as well as cooling your EV while plugged in.
A battery analysis conducted on over 7,500 EVs found that running the A/C in 85°F (29°C) weather had little to no impact on the range. Even when the outdoor temperature rose to 90°F (32°C), the analysis indicated only a minimal average range loss of 5%. This analysis debunks the myth that you can't run the A/C in an EV without killing your battery.
For more information and a further look into A/C impacts on range by vehicle make and model visit: https://www.recurrentauto.com/research/what-a-c-does-to-your-range?
Source: Hough, Blake. What A/C does to your range. Summer survival guide for electric cars.
