Electric cars may need all the help they can get to economize the consumption of electricity and thankfully, Auto EV Japan has come up with a low power consuming air conditioners for electric cars. Standard car air-conditioning systems typically use a gas coolant to provide the heat and cold used to modify the air that is blown into the passenger compartment. This requires a power-hungry compressor and a vaporization chamber, adding both size and energy requirements to the system.

In the case of the Girasole, the two-seater that Auto EV began selling in September of 2007, a regular air conditioner can steal away half of the 120km the electric car would otherwise be able to travel on a full charge. But the new air conditioner consumes half as much power so even with the cooler running the Girasole can travel around 100km.

The new system is based on a Peltier device, a plate-shaped semiconductor device that cools down on one side and heats up on the other when subjected to an electric current. The device is fitted into the car’s air-blowing unit and hooked up to a dedicated radiator and to piping that circulates water. Electricity to the Peltier device is supplied from a lithium ion battery fitted under the car.

Auto EV Japan plans to market the new air conditioner for the Girasole starting this summer, priced at about 200,000 yen (US$2,020).

(Source) Trading Markets