Rav4 EV's HVAC - Defrost

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twbaker

New member
Joined
Feb 27, 2014
Messages
3
Location
Portland, OR
Looking at purchasing a Rav4 EV and was curious about the energy efficiency of the HVAC system. Particularly as it relates to defrosting the windows as I can deal with having a cool cabin.

I currently own a 2011 Nissan Leaf and using the HVAC is just miserable. I avoid it at all costs. The most frustrating thing is that you aren't able to just blow outside air inside the car without the heater/ac coming on.

Do you have the ability to just turn on the fan in the Rav4 EV without turning on the heater/ac? This usually is enough to do the trick for getting the windows defrosted. If you've got experience/feedback on this that'd be great. Curious how this has impacted the range on your trips.
 
My short answer is it really does not matter whether you use the fan or A/C or heater.

I find that using the A/C, even for long drives on the freeway, has very little impact on driving range. Now if you are in a situation where you need every bit of electricity to get to your location, then of course turn off the fan and the A/C.

I rarely concern myself with range because I have so much and the places to charge are everywhere. If I can drive 75-80 on the freeway, then I do. The acceleration is a bit scary and it is easy to just drive, and look at the dash and see "84" or even higher. The car is so stable and quiet at speed.
 
Yes, no problem running the fan without the heat and AC. You can set the temp to "LO" and the AC to off, then run the fan all you want. I think you can also turn off "AUTO" and "AC" and run the fan, but I'm not 100% sure about that one.
 
If you press the Defrost button, it will force the A/C on just like most ICE cars. However, you can probably use the air direction button to get floor + windshield combined with the "A/C Off" setting.
 
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