Tesla, your air conditioning is awesome!

[brucet999]

The AC in the MS has a variable speed motor on the compressor. Gasoline cars have a belt that goes to the compressor. No drippage? Low humidity maybe? Mine dumps so much water out on a humid day it's as if it's got a garden hose connected to it @_@

Do you notice a musty, almost mildew, odor out of the AC? Both of our Lexus (LS and RX) have had that problem and Lexus has been unable to correct it.

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I haven't been in an that kind of traffic jam with the Tesla... But I have plenty of experience in 100F+ temps during regular commuting. Here's what I notice:

If temps are in the upper 90s to about 110, you will notice a drop in rated range by 1-2 miles when you first get in the car and the AC ramps up to cool the cabin down (this happens over about 5-10 minutes, so the rated range drop is in addition to any driving you do. Same drop if you pre-cool from the app and are not plugged in. But once the cabin is cool, the AC doesn't really significantly impact range. Even in range mode it also maintains a nice cool cabin.

if temps are over 110, there is a step change and you notice a ~5 mile drop in rated range in addition to driven miles in the first 10-15 min. I'm pretty sure that's due to the battery now being cooled in addition to the cabin. But once things are cooled down, it's hard to tell how much range is lost due cooling -- fairly negligible.

We did a -150 mile day trip last summer. Outbound temps were low 100s in the morning. Afternoon temps while driving back were 110-112. Car was in range mode and was pre-cooled in the morning. We drove 5 over the limit. Used about ~160 rated miles total, which included abaout 30-45 minutes sitting in the car parked with the AC running...

I'd say your long traffic jam scenario won't be a major issue for range anxiety. But put it in range mode to be safe... That will limit the max power the AC system can use (and should still keep you plenty cool inside).

Could it be that lack of heat from an ICE in front of the cabin lessens the AC load as well?

 

[jerry33]

Do you notice a musty, almost mildew, odor out of the AC? Both of our Lexus (LS and RX) have had that problem and Lexus has been unable to correct it.

Not on my Model S. Note that this is generally caused by a plugged up drain. Once there it's often hard to get rid of. If the chemical treatment doesn't work, then replacing the condenser and carpeting is the usual next step. However, I'd guess most dealers won't do this.

Could it be that lack of heat from an ICE in front of the cabin lessens the AC load as well?

Yes, it certainly does. Without a hot engine, you're only dealing with the ambient heat and solar radiation. In general, your feet are much cooler.