Auto EV Announces Low Power Air Conditioners

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
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