am I the only one that think the location of the charging vent (below the rear seats) is a bad idea when the car is sitting in the sun? It can easily get over 50C in there and that's what the battery is supposed to be cooled with while being charged? Something doesn't add up for me here.
Well in theory when the car is on, then the A/C is running and cooler air can be used to cool the battery. But yeah while parked? I'm not sure 3.3kW is doing much in terms of heating up the battery (and it's only for 2.5 hours). Given that it's a PHEV, I'm sure there's a logic in the software that will limit battery use in high temperature and rely on the engine more to balance life. Toyota does warranty it for 8 years/160,000km (10 years/240,000km for 2020 and newer hybrids)
Yeah, when driving, AC keeps the cabin comfortable but when parked and charging for 2.5 hours, I'm not sure those vents do any good in the middle of summer...
I understand. Granted my summers aren't as hot as where you are (presumably). Hopefully someone in a warmer climate or someone who charges their car outside can assist. I do use sunshades when I'm parked outside in an attempt to regulate interior temperatures.
I'll get a shade for mine too. I have one for our Tesla but that's mainly because the roof being of glass, the inside does get really hot.
Tesla uses active cooling/heating done by the same components (heatpump, radiator, chiller and condenser) whether it's charging or using the battery, which are under the frunk. If you're interested, this YouTube videos explains how the octovalve and different components work together to cool/heat the cabin and drivetrain.
