I received some newsletter from Blink because they have my email address, and in an article about maximizing range in the summer, their tip #4 was as follows: "4. And leave it plugged in. When it’s plugged in, EVs benefit from thermal management systems that regulate battery temperature. The battery will be kept cool as long as it’s plugged in. But remember, if you’re using public charging stations, good EV etiquette is to unplug so that others can charge. It will also help you avoided any occupancy fees charged at that location." I have not seen this recommended before (leaving it plugged in when not in use) and I was wondering if anyone knows anything about this. The article was primarily about the impact of heat on range so the tips were directed to keeping the car and battery cool in hot weather.
I don't recall anyone has found that the Kona will actively cool itself while parked, plugged in or not.
You can set the cabin climate control to operate on a schedule if it's plugged in, so you can pre-cool the car using utility power and save a little bit of battery that way... but that doesn't seem to be what that tip is talking about. While the Kona's battery is liquid cooled, I don't know that it's actively cooled (e.g. the water isn't chilled). I think it just circulates from the battery to a radiator for cooling, which won't help much to reduce battery temperature in the summer while it's just sitting there parked. This may be a valid strategy for the battery heater though, keeping the battery at a better operational temp in winter months. Of course this notification is from Blink, not Hyundai, so it might be making some assumptions that don't apply to the Kona Electric.
I used to live in Las Vegas (now Roswell, NM). I lived through two hot summers in Las Vegas. Three observations: - leaving it plugged in does nothing! - however the battery IS ACTIVELY cooled! - if you pre-cool the car turning on the AC (I always used bluelink) it will also cool the battery! This was mostly without being plugged in but it also works if it's plugged in. I verified this with an OBD2 dongle monitoring the battery temperature.
