[Mobilcams]

Summer is coming here in Florida. Because of this I will be using remote start and if my mileage drops a bit to keep from getting into a 100+ degree car - mpg be damned for the first 15 miles of my 50 mile commute home lol. Guys we have an awesomely engineered car that’s smooth as silk. I know one thing, no one would have ever thought that a hybrid could be this smooth and quiet and this cheap even ten years ago. Luxury cars costing thousands more could not match the level of tech and engineering we have in these cars now. I love my insight and I’m not embarrassed to drive it at all. Lol. Enjoy your first world luxury that few in this world can afford and if you don’t get the mpg you want - learn to slow down and be grateful for the opportunity we have.

 

[insightfully]

Summer is coming here in Florida. Because of this I will be using remote start and if my mileage drops a bit to keep from getting into a 100+ degree car - mpg be damned for the first 15 miles of my 50 mile commute home lol. Guys we have an awesomely engineered car that’s smooth as silk. I know one thing, no one would have ever thought that a hybrid could be this smooth and quiet and this cheap even ten years ago. Luxury cars costing thousands more could not match the level of tech and engineering we have in these cars now. I love my insight and I’m not embarrassed to drive it at all. Lol. Enjoy your first world luxury that few in this world can afford and if you don’t get the mpg you want - learn to slow down and be grateful for the opportunity we have.

High temps are especially bad for the high voltage battery anyhow, so maintaining a comfortable cabin temperature will also help prolong your battery life and capacity.

 

[Moviemike]

Back when I was in high school in Las Vegas Nev., The AC everybody had was "4 40 air conditioning", also known a 4 windows down and 40 miles an hour.


Cars over heating was a major problem. New cars with AC challenged as well. The practical solution many came to was to keep the car moving and the air flowing. Hard to do when the traffic is backed up. Modern systems have made the problem go away, but the physics of heat transfer surely remain the same. Leaving the price to be paid for sitting in traffic with the AC on and 120 dry heat degrees outside to come in the form of lower mpg - more money spent on gasoline.


I like to get top mpg, but I also want to be comfortable when it comes to AC (usually 85 or higher) or heat. I just try to be smart about it and use either as needed, or in the gen 3 use it when the engine is on anyway for other purposes, and the car is moving on hot days for AC

 

[hasarad]

Back when I was in high school in Las Vegas Nev., The AC everybody had was "4 40 air conditioning", also known a 4 windows down and 40 miles an hour.


Cars over heating was a major problem. New cars with AC challenged as well. The practical solution many came to was to keep the car moving and the air flowing. Hard to do when the traffic is backed up. Modern systems have made the problem go away, but the physics of heat transfer surely remain the same. Leaving the price to be paid for sitting in traffic with the AC on and 120 dry heat degrees outside to come in the form of lower mpg - more money spent on gasoline.


I like to get top mpg, but I also want to be comfortable when it comes to AC (usually 85 or higher) or heat. I just try to be smart about it and use either as needed, or in the gen 3 use it when the engine is on anyway for other purposes, and the car is moving on hot days for AC

It was 70 here in Jersey today (and hotter in the car). I used the a/c the entire 50-mile trip home. The impact to my mpg on the trip is negligible - similar to my experience the end of last summer. As with the heat (a larger culprit), once the interior reaches the desired setting, maintaining it doesn't seem to be a big deal for the climate control. This makes me think the Insight is pretty well insulated.

 

[Moviemike]

It was 70 here in Jersey today (and hotter in the car). I used the a/c the entire 50-mile trip home. The impact to my mpg on the trip is negligible - similar to my experience the end of last summer. As with the heat (a larger culprit), once the interior reaches the desired setting, maintaining it doesn't seem to be a big deal for the climate control. This makes me think the Insight is pretty well insulated.

Our temperatures have moved to the upper 50's most days, with 63 as the high for the year so far. You must be right on about insulation. This morning it was 54 and cloudy. I park where the car can catch the morning sun. Today the only sun which would be useful would be infra-red. But boy!, the interior was nice and warm this morning.

Regarding AC. It rarely gets hot enough for AC here on the coast. However I do remember that in both my Civic and gen 2 AC use had surprisingly little impact on mpg. I also remember from the "dear ol days of Vegas High" the lugging effect on a car's engine each time the AC compressor would turn on.

 

[spiderpig]

So the heat wave is starting to cool off a bit and I was able to do some testing. I'm currently in a play with my wife at a local community theater that is about 4 miles away and several hills up. So during the heat wave I had the AC on with temp on low. I was averaging around 40 mpg on the way there and around 45 mpg on the way home (mostly downhill).

But yesterday the weather was actually bearable so I opened the windows and turned off the A/C. I was able get around 55 mpg on the way there (going uphill most of the way) and around 64 mpg on the way home (downhill).

So this week I'm testing the milage to work doing background versus highways. This morning I did all backroads, no AC, open windows and got 66.8 mpg on the way in. Was kind of fun drive since I drove through the Valley Forge National Park. We'll see how the drive home fairs, hopefully around the same.

So is there a A/C setting that doesn't kill the MPG as much since I will need it at some points if we have more heatwaves.

 

[hasarad]

So the heat wave is starting to cool off a bit and I was able to do some testing. I'm currently in a play with my wife at a local community theater that is about 4 miles away and several hills up. So during the heat wave I had the AC on with temp on low. I was averaging around 40 mpg on the way there and around 45 mpg on the way home (mostly downhill).

But yesterday the weather was actually bearable so I opened the windows and turned off the A/C. I was able get around 55 mpg on the way there (going uphill most of the way) and around 64 mpg on the way home (downhill).

So this week I'm testing the milage to work doing background versus highways. This morning I did all backroads, no AC, open windows and got 66.8 mpg on the way in. Was kind of fun drive since I drove through the Valley Forge National Park. We'll see how the drive home fairs, hopefully around the same.

So is there a A/C setting that doesn't kill the MPG as much since I will need it at some points if we have more heatwaves.

It depends on the duration of your drive. Once the A/C gets the temps down, it doesn't need to work much to keep them there. Using recirculate definitely helps.

 

[insightfully]

So is there a A/C setting that doesn't kill the MPG as much since I will need it at some points if we have more heatwaves.

A/C impact should be <5 mpg. Depending on your driving speed, driving with the windows open may hurt mpg more than A/C use.

Can you share or track the car and/or ambient temperatures for each run? To protect the HV battery, EV kicks in less when the cabin temperature is too warm. Wondering if on your first trip (high temp, short drive) the cabin didn't have enough time to cool down so EV engaged minimally. If you pre-cool the car using remote start before high temp/short drive, would your results improve? - https://www.gen3insight.com/forum/2...e-not-engaging-battery-temperature-limit.html

 

[Jc_vt]

I think the comparison depends largely on car speed. Driving the same local route, around 40-45 mph, I found using A/C dropped mpg more than having windows open.

A/C impact should be <5 mpg. Depending on your driving speed, driving with the windows open may hurt mpg more than A/C use.

Can you share or track the car and/or ambient temperatures for each run? To protect the HV battery, EV kicks in less when the cabin temperature is too warm. Wondering if on your first trip (high temp, short drive) the cabin didn't have enough time to cool down so EV engaged minimally. If you pre-cool the car using remote start before high temp/short drive, would your results improve? - https://www.gen3insight.com/forum/2...e-not-engaging-battery-temperature-limit.html

 

[spiderpig]

Haven't really used the remote start to cool down car, but will try. Since were in a heat wave here would like to try to maximize the MPG and use A/C at the same time.

So to make the test fair, I drove back home in 93 degrees with windows open, no A/C, Econ Mode since it was all back roads - got a 71.6 mpg. So she likes backroads alright.

Tomorrow will test half back roads and half highway to see how she does.

A/C impact should be <5 mpg. Depending on your driving speed, driving with the windows open may hurt mpg more than A/C use.

Can you share or track the car and/or ambient temperatures for each run? To protect the HV battery, EV kicks in less when the cabin temperature is too warm. Wondering if on your first trip (high temp, short drive) the cabin didn't have enough time to cool down so EV engaged minimally. If you pre-cool the car using remote start before high temp/short drive, would your results improve? - https://www.gen3insight.com/forum/2...e-not-engaging-battery-temperature-limit.html

 

[Wifey'sInsight]

Generally speaking, most cars will start to see a/c benefits at 60+, over windows being down. Due to the nature of our Electric air conditioning, highway speeds would be least affected due to the amount of ICE runtime compared to a much more efficient 45mph route without A/C use.

My suggestion for maximizing efficiency would be to try to time your highway segment towards the beginning of your commute, run the a/c while on the highway, and once off the highway, I'd crack the windows (to slow how fast the cool air escapes), until you felt the need to roll the windows down more to cool off.

 

[Moviemike]

.....(to slow how fast the cool air escapes),.......

Interesting thought, and new information. How / why does this work? vs leaving windows closed till need to cool off?

 

[Wifey'sInsight]

Interesting thought, and new information. How / why does this work? vs leaving windows closed till need to cool off?

Air circulation, while not technically cool air, improves evaporation of sweat from skin, making you feel cooler. I can't stand "still" air. I find that I can generally go for a while with windows cracked vs, air turned off and windows rolled up completely. I guess in theory, you could switch a/c off, and use the vehicles fans for the same effect.

 

[spiderpig]

Whats the strategy for when it's too warm? It's going to be in the 90's here the next couple days and want to be as effiencent as possible. Should I keep things off and use windows at first until the battery has some charge in it? Is there an ideal A/C setting to try?

 

[hasarad]

Whats the strategy for when it's too warm? It's going to be in the 90's here the next couple days and want to be as effiencent as possible. Should I keep things off and use windows at first until the battery has some charge in it? Is there an ideal A/C setting to try?

Once the climate control gets the temps down to the desired level, it doesn't require much energy to keep it there. I'd say, lower the windows to get the heat out, roll them up and then crank the a/c. Park in the shade whenever possible.

 

[spiderpig]

Will try it tomorrow. Taking the kids to see the Marvel exhibit at the Franklin Institute. It'll be around 40 miles each way so we'll see how the milage does. My current trip computer since last fill up is at 57 mpg so far and trying to keep it that way...but darn heat wave is coming in.

Once the climate control gets the temps down to the desired level, it doesn't require much energy to keep it there. I'd say, lower the windows to get the heat out, roll them up and then crank the a/c. Park in the shade whenever possible.

 

[insightfully]

Whats the strategy for when it's too warm? It's going to be in the 90's here the next couple days and want to be as effiencent as possible. Should I keep things off and use windows at first until the battery has some charge in it? Is there an ideal A/C setting to try?

With exterior temps in the 90s, interior temp will climb well above the 95F max/ideal temp for HV battery operation. You're more likely to get the "battery temperature at limit" message at these high temps, which prevents the car from engaging EV on its own and/or prevents you from engaging EV yourself. Your level of battery charge won't matter if the system prevents you from using it due to high temps. - https://www.gen3insight.com/forum/2...e-not-engaging-battery-temperature-limit.html

While it sounds counterintuitive for fuel efficiency, it will pay off to do a combination of passive (windows down) and active (remote start) cooling before or at the very start of your drive. You'll see the car kick into EV mode more often, the faster you can get the cabin temperature below 95F. Once the cabin is cooler, the A/C is electrically driven and doesn't consume a massive amount of energy, as hasarad mentioned. Whatever temp you maintain below 95F that is comfortable for you, will be effective for the battery and fuel efficiency as well...

 

[andrew28]

Whats the strategy for when it's too warm? It's going to be in the 90's here the next couple days and want to be as effiencent as possible. Should I keep things off and use windows at first until the battery has some charge in it? Is there an ideal A/C setting to try?

Set AC to 72F or above on recirculate.

 

[Mobilcams]

Once the climate control gets the temps down to the desired level, it doesn't require much energy to keep it there. I'd say, lower the windows to get the heat out, roll them up and then crank the a/c. Park in the shade whenever possible.

Make sure you use recirculate! I live in Florida so I know about the heat/humidity haha.. I can tell you for sure that drawing fresh air from outside DOES drop your MPG. Also when you first start out, just like heating a cold cabin, it is going to take a lot of energy to cool off the inside as well. If it is a really sunny day - you will also note a drop in MPGs.. It's just the nature of being comfortable.

I would NOT suggest trading off using the climate control however. You want to keep your batteries comfortable as well!

 

[Mobilcams]

With exterior temps in the 90s, interior temp will climb well above the 95F max/ideal temp for HV battery operation. You're more likely to get the "battery temperature at limit" message at these high temps, which prevents the car from engaging EV on its own and/or prevents you from engaging EV yourself. Your level of battery charge won't matter if the system prevents you from using it due to high temps. - https://www.gen3insight.com/forum/2...e-not-engaging-battery-temperature-limit.html

While it sounds counterintuitive for fuel efficiency, it will pay off to do a combination of passive (windows down) and active (remote start) cooling before or at the very start of your drive. You'll see the car kick into EV mode more often, the faster you can get the cabin temperature below 95F. Once the cabin is cooler, the A/C is electrically driven and doesn't consume a massive amount of energy, as hasarad mentioned. Whatever temp you maintain below 95F that is comfortable for you, will be effective for the battery and fuel efficiency as well...

I love your insights into things =P, but I am going to respectfully deny what you have posted here. I live where it is hot hot - and I have not one time had an issue with high battery temps, etc. The other day I got into my car and the interior temp was over 115 (it was 95 outside) and no issues were observed. I have also tried the strategy of cooling the car off before I get in, this uses up the battery and causes the engine to kick in before the car is cooled down - and while it is nice to get into a car that's cooled off - it's a feature I have only used a few times because it DOES impact MPG negatively.

The best strategy I have found is to roll all the windows down for the first 5 minutes of driving then turn on the AC (recirculate mode or auto). This gets rid of the hot air, gives the engine a chance to warm up while driving (not wasting gas just idling with remote start) and also gets the best bump up in MPG.