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Will the 4xe be unusable in hot weather?!

GT2529

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I am curious if the 4xe will run the AC while parked to cool the batteries. My Chevy Volt does this without being plugged in. It's recommended to have at least a half charge in weather above 95 degrees when parked and not plugged in for the Volt.
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Having batteries located in the interior could be problematic. Most EVs have batteries located outside the vehicle where a 131 degree temp would be rare, even in AZ. It was only 69 degrees today where I live and the inside of my Tesla was 103 when I left work at 5:00 pm. Without inside cooling a car interior can easily reach 140 degrees during the summer when temps are in the 90s.
 

GT2529

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With any lithium battery, any ambient temp above 95 degrees will cause damage to it - whether it's an iPhone, or an EV battery. It's not good to leave an EV parked in heat for long periods in any circumstance, un-plugged. When driving, the car's AC will kick in to cool the battery.

For the 4xE, I plan to always make sure it's plugged in at home when it's hotter than 95 F out, and when out in town or on a trip, make sure to park in the shade at least, and since the battery is inside, have the windows cracked open if it's really hot out - or when out camping, open the top up and park in the shade.

It's something to be aware of, in a unique way to care for your plug in hybrid, but it is manageable. I think after driving it, the coolant will have kept the battery pretty cool, so it would take some time parked in the sun with the windows rolled up to get the battery to the point where it won't start at all and needs to be pre-conditioned. It's also kind of insulated being under the seat, I'm guessing, so unless you opened the seats up to expose the battery to the heat inside while it's parked with the windows up, then I think it will be okay.

The worst thing to do is just leave it parked in the heat for long periods, though. Driving and using it, and plugging it in regularly are important.
 

ITGuy

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With any lithium battery, any ambient temp above 95 degrees will cause damage to it - whether it's an iPhone, or an EV battery. It's not good to leave an EV parked in heat for long periods in any circumstance, un-plugged. When driving, the car's AC will kick in to cool the battery.

For the 4xE, I plan to always make sure it's plugged in at home when it's hotter than 95 F out, and when out in town or on a trip, make sure to park in the shade at least, and since the battery is inside, have the windows cracked open if it's really hot out - or when out camping, open the top up and park in the shade.

It's something to be aware of, in a unique way to care for your plug in hybrid, but it is manageable. I think after driving it, the coolant will have kept the battery pretty cool, so it would take some time parked in the sun with the windows rolled up to get the battery to the point where it won't start at all and needs to be pre-conditioned. It's also kind of insulated being under the seat, I'm guessing, so unless you opened the seats up to expose the battery to the heat inside while it's parked with the windows up, then I think it will be okay.

The worst thing to do is just leave it parked in the heat for long periods, though. Driving and using it, and plugging it in regularly are important.
How is this really “green” when you have to expend electricity to keep an unmanned vehicle from self destructing... Here in California we regularly have rolling blackouts for Unforeseen circumstances like when it’s hot in the summer or when it’s windy.

I can see it now, it got too hot so Edison did a blackout and because there was no electricity the battery was damaged, what a mess.
 

GT2529

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From my experience with the Volt, the AC only turns on for maybe 20 min in very hot weather, then it will stop. It’s not continuous.

yeah, it’s unfortunate that it has the energy dependency of needing AC to condition the battery, but the alternative of gas production is definitely not green, as well as all the AC required to cool all the gas stations and trucks transporting gas. EVs aren’t perfect but it’s getting better, as renewable energy becomes a larger source of power on the grid. My dream is to have a solar installed to charge my cars, and there is no dependency on the grid.
 

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While I will agree it is admirable to not want to be dependant on the grid in reality the grid makes renewables more efficient. Take my case for example. I have a Volt and solar, we also have a 2018 JL, but since we are talking about electricity let's stick to the Volt. When gone during the day my array feeds power back into the grid which is absorbed by my neighbors and if there isn't enough load, then the energy moves back upstream to the local distribution system.

I investigated installing a battery storage system last year when we built the house, but at this point, it is still pretty spendy and the return on investment would be over a decade. My local utility does not penalize me for feeding back into the grid and we are not forced into a time of use rate scheme at this time. They offer "time of use," which we used prior to getting a solar array, but now that we have solar I went back to the standard tariff. So currently all the kilowatts the array produces during the day are credited to me for evening and night usage. Eventually, all utilities will go to a time of use (TOU) standard and not give you an option and at that point, battery storage on site would make more sense for me. Many folks in California are already in that boat so I could see installing storage presently. In the meantime, I'm holding off waiting for prices to drop and battery chemistries to improve. Those new lithium-ion phosphate batteries have a much longer cycle life and who knows when solid-state batteries will really hit the mass market. It is all a numbers game, same with the 4xe.
 

four low

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Being able to generate " fuel" for your house, and vehicle is fantastic. We can't refine gas or diesel at home, so this is a great option
 

GT2529

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While I will agree it is admirable to not want to be dependant on the grid in reality the grid makes renewables more efficient. Take my case for example. I have a Volt and solar, we also have a 2018 JL, but since we are talking about electricity let's stick to the Volt. When gone during the day my array feeds power back into the grid which is absorbed by my neighbors and if there isn't enough load, then the energy moves back upstream to the local distribution system.

I investigated installing a battery storage system last year when we built the house, but at this point, it is still pretty spendy and the return on investment would be over a decade. My local utility does not penalize me for feeding back into the grid and we are not forced into a time of use rate scheme at this time. They offer "time of use," which we used prior to getting a solar array, but now that we have solar I went back to the standard tariff. So currently all the kilowatts the array produces during the day are credited to me for evening and night usage. Eventually, all utilities will go to a time of use (TOU) standard and not give you an option and at that point, battery storage on site would make more sense for me. Many folks in California are already in that boat so I could see installing storage presently. In the meantime, I'm holding off waiting for prices to drop and battery chemistries to improve. Those new lithium-ion phosphate batteries have a much longer cycle life and who knows when solid-state batteries will really hit the mass market. It is all a numbers game, same with the 4xe.
Thanks, for offering your experience with solar - that is good to know. I agree, I’m holding out on a full EV until battery technology improves. Solid state seems to be around the corner. The 4xe is the best option right now for me, for my adventure needs, and I’ll use my Volt for daily commuting and everyday stuff, I can get another 6-8 years out of my Volt, and that point the 4xe will be paid off, so hopefully by then battery tech has improved significantly.
 

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Thanks, for offering your experience with solar - that is good to know. I agree, I’m holding out on a full EV until battery technology improves. Solid state seems to be around the corner. The 4xe is the best option right now for me, for my adventure needs, and I’ll use my Volt for daily commuting and everyday stuff, I can get another 6-8 years out of my Volt, and that point the 4xe will be paid off, so hopefully by then battery tech has improved significantly.
Just read an article about a company called NDB (Nano Diamond Battery). They are working on batteries made from nuclear waste and nanodiamonds that can supposedly supply power for thousands of years. They plan to have simple batteries that can be made in common sizes (AA, AAA, etc), and then large cells for things like EV's, airplanes, and space exploration. They went through a proof of concept. The diamonds are supposed to block the radiation, making them safe for use. Interesting idea, if it works. Never have to charge your phone, etc.
 

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Just read an article about a company called NDB (Nano Diamond Battery). They are working on batteries made from nuclear waste and nanodiamonds that can supposedly supply power for thousands of years. They plan to have simple batteries that can be made in common sizes (AA, AAA, etc), and then large cells for things like EV's, airplanes, and space exploration. They went through a proof of concept. The diamonds are supposed to block the radiation, making them safe for use. Interesting idea, if it works. Never have to charge your phone, etc.
Do you have a link for that article? Sounds interesting if it wasn't published 4/1.
 

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While I will agree it is admirable to not want to be dependant on the grid in reality the grid makes renewables more efficient. Take my case for example. I have a Volt and solar, we also have a 2018 JL, but since we are talking about electricity let's stick to the Volt. When gone during the day my array feeds power back into the grid which is absorbed by my neighbors and if there isn't enough load, then the energy moves back upstream to the local distribution system.

I investigated installing a battery storage system last year when we built the house, but at this point, it is still pretty spendy and the return on investment would be over a decade. My local utility does not penalize me for feeding back into the grid and we are not forced into a time of use rate scheme at this time. They offer "time of use," which we used prior to getting a solar array, but now that we have solar I went back to the standard tariff. So currently all the kilowatts the array produces during the day are credited to me for evening and night usage. Eventually, all utilities will go to a time of use (TOU) standard and not give you an option and at that point, battery storage on site would make more sense for me. Many folks in California are already in that boat so I could see installing storage presently. In the meantime, I'm holding off waiting for prices to drop and battery chemistries to improve. Those new lithium-ion phosphate batteries have a much longer cycle life and who knows when solid-state batteries will really hit the mass market. It is all a numbers game, same with the 4xe.
I have been in the EV world since 2015. My wife bought a Leaf the same time we installed solar( I am in the industry and did it myself). We never paid a dime to charge her car when we were in that house due to credits we produced during the day. Fast forward to 2018 and I built a house and made it off grid be installing batteries. I installed 4- 15.5kwh lithium batteries on a 3000sqft house. Now I will be charging her car and my 4xE on the same charger and still not giving the power company anything.
 

Geesmill

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I have been in the EV world since 2015. My wife bought a Leaf the same time we installed solar( I am in the industry and did it myself). We never paid a dime to charge her car when we were in that house due to credits we produced during the day. Fast forward to 2018 and I built a house and made it off grid be installing batteries. I installed 4- 15.5kwh lithium batteries on a 3000sqft house. Now I will be charging her car and my 4xE on the same charger and still not giving the power company anything.
That is awesome, were you going to have to pay for a line extension or something? I'm just trying to figure how going off grid makes sense, unless you have no choice, or an expansion line extension. I've always thought being tied to the grid makes more sense unless you have no choice, ie. providing renewables to the grid and not having to invest in batteries, unless necessary.
 

Jamie Brown

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That is awesome, were you going to have to pay for a line extension or something? I'm just trying to figure how going off grid makes sense, unless you have no choice, or an expansion line extension. I've always thought being tied to the grid makes more sense unless you have no choice, ie. providing renewables to the grid and not having to invest in batteries, unless necessary.
For a lot of people it doesn't make sense to go off grid. For me it was a no brainer. I am in the solar industry so I have special pricing and was building a new house so I put it into my mortgage. Normal price for what I built would have been around 175k, I paid 90k.
 

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I think it will be fine. Jeep test drove it in Moab during the summer. That's pretty hot.
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