Home made air conditioning article
 

Compressors draw an awfull lot of power from engines. Here's a link to a site where a guy built a air conditioner for his electric vehicle. An plastic ice chest, 12 battery, Ice water, a pump, tubes, wires, 2 fans, and a heater core was all it took.

Really cool website and a great invention. So you can ride in comfort without running the compressor.

BTW, its 8 degrees F outside right now and I'm talking about air conditioning. Sheesh.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Port...eap-and-easy!/

Nice!

It's a shame that (a) it will last almost no time at all, (b) you have the extra weight to accelerate/decelerate and (c) it takes just as much energy to create the ice in the first place as it would to run the aircon in the car. I'm pretty sure that (generally) running aircon in a car is more efficient than driving with the windows down.

Cute little cooler.

Instructables is a great site.

I know that tiny camper people often use setups similar to this to stay cool.

Edmunds did some tests and the windows down, ac off was slightly better.

"The Mustang got 4.1 percent better mileage -- 30.7 mpg vs. 29.5 mpg -- with the windows down. The Land Rover got 1.6 percent better mileage with the windows down."

I just did some more research, and at lower speeds (40mph/64kph quoted) aircon is more expensive than having the windows down, but a higher speeds (45mph/72kph and above quoted) air conditioning is cheaper.

It depends on the vehicle. in most cases you are right, but it depends on how much drag the vehicle produces by having the windows down.

I think that if you crack the windows an inch like I do, and only on the driver's side, the difference between that and normal is sweet FA. Of course, I know it creates a little drag so I only allow myself the luxury of the cracked window when I am accelerating on a pulse, or if I'm feeling ostentatious.

And stopped at a traffic light I will often wind both windows down fully.

For the negative responses in the thread,

This is meant for an ELECTRIC vehicle built on a budget. That means lead acid batteries and a range under 60 kms. For that application it is a fabulous idea. They say on the page that in Texas heat on midday they get 1/2 hour out of it. That's most of your vehicles useful driving time.

Any air conditioning solution will add at least the same weight, and making ice cold on the electricity grid with a heat pump (that means fridge) is going to be more efficient then using electricity that has been passed through a battery (in an electric vehicle) and acquiring the associated losses to power a heat pump in your car. It will also enable you to use the ac without decreasing your range and prevent you from having to open the window and decrease range.

Heck yea it a fabulous idea! Consider my situation... '96 Metro, 1-1/2 hour commute in the July or August heat sitting stop and go traffic and it's over 98 degrees. If there's a traffic accident, my commute gets even longer. Not every day mind you, but when we experience a summer heat wave 3x per summer, where it's over 102 for 3-4 days straight, my commute is a warm one. During days like that, if given a choice I'd gladly reduce my mpg to 20 in exchange for some cool air in my face. I could just pull off to a store and get another bag of ice! The rest of the time the unit sits in the garage.

Adding A/C to my old metro would cost 30%-60% of it's value, and not raise it's resale value much more than 15%. Replacing the metro with another car just for A/C seems, I don't know, going the wrong direction. Not to mention the equipment would be hauled around during three seasons when I don't want or need it, yet there is is, ~60lbs of stuff, slightly reducing my FE and certainly reducing my already turtle-like acceleration.

thanks for the link, I am going to turn that into a spring project with my kid.