Preconditioning the cabin
Warming or cooling the car before you get in, for free comfort and a range benefit.
You'll learn
- Explain preconditioning the cabin at engineering level
- Read the numbers that define the behaviour
- Apply the idea to a real vehicle
Overview
Preconditioning the cabin while the car is still plugged in shifts the energy cost from the battery to the wall, arriving to a comfortable cabin without spending range on it.
In depth
- Schedule preconditioning to finish right as you plan to leave
- Precondition while still connected to a charger whenever possible
- Use scheduled departure times in the app for consistent comfort
- Expect a small energy draw if preconditioning continues after unplugging
A battery benefit too
Cabin preconditioning on cold mornings is frequently bundled with battery preconditioning, since both use the same heat pump and warming the battery early improves both range and charging speed.
Key takeaways
Remember this
- Preconditioning on shore power avoids drawing from the battery at all.
- Scheduled departure times make preconditioning practical to use daily.
- Cabin and battery preconditioning are often triggered together.
Mark this lesson complete
Confirm you've read through and we'll count it toward your progress.
Was this lesson helpful?
Rate this lesson