These may be of interest:
How much current does the A/C compressor draw? - GreenHybrid
Prius Air Conditioning System [PDF]
Electric Inverter A/C System for TOYOTA PRIUS Hybrid Vehicle [PDF]
The third link shows that the Prius' electric A/C compressor uses 19% less fuel compared to the engine driven compressor of an older Prius version.
Since the Prius' A/C system uses higher voltage, the compressor itself is 40% smaller and 53% lighter than a conventional electrically driven compressor.
The Prius' system is electric to allow the use of A/C while in stealth (engine off) mode, so I wonder if this will be adopted in more cars as gas-saving engine start-stop systems become more popular? I guess that the major obstacle is the power needed. Running the A/C @ max at a 90-second red light may drain your battery enough to leave you stranded.
High voltage systems, where are you?
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e·co·mod·ding: the art of turning vehicles into what they should be
What matters is
where you're going, not
how fast.
"... we humans tend to screw up everything that's good enough as it is...or everything that we're attracted to, we love to go and defile it." - Chris Cornell
[Old] Piwoslaw's Peugeot 307sw modding thread