The Volt will turn on the AC to cool the battery pack as required, even if not plugged in, provided the battery pack has sufficient charge. Shade or a car cover is a good idea but it is best to leave the Volt plugged in. When cooling the battery pack the Volt can run the just the fan or the fan and the AC. The cooling cycle lasts ~10 to 15 minutes, perhaps every two hours. Starting the morning with a cool battery pack it will take some hours (perhaps 8 hours or longer) for the battery pack to warm to where the Volt's temperature management system (TMS) will automatically cool the battery pack. Even when plugged in at 120V and the default 8 amp setting the Volt will be able to replenish the battery pack at almost 1kW charging rate; actively cooling the battery via the AC for 15 minutes typically at a rate of 3kW or 4 kW so ~1kWh to cool the battery per cooling cycle. By the time the battery pack has been actively cooled two or three times (probably less) it will be after the warmest hours of the day so no additional cooling will be required that day.

 

Excellent! Thanks a lot for your very informative answer, I will plug it in and leave it as such then.

 

Is it better to try to cool something that's being heated by the sun, or to cool the same thing thats under shade?

 

It is obviously easier (takes less energy) to cool a car not sitting in direct sunlight behaving like a greenhouse.

 

Charge it at night, park it in the shade during the day?

Buy a car cover? Tree sap and leaves aren't that great either.

But, I dont know the scenario you're asking about, if it's sitting at home or at work during the day.
If its at work you're agonizing over, is the amount of range you'll gain charging at 120V needed/worth it, to have her sitting in the hot sun? Do you need to charge during the day or can you just charge through the evening and night?

 

The way I read the Op's entry they are concerned with two things:

1) The concern that the Volt will only cool the battery pack when the Volt is plugged in (not true as long as the battery pack has sufficient charge.)

2) Then they asked whether using Level 1 charging is adequate to enable the Volt to cool the battery pack (see #1), is Level 2 charging superior to Level 1 charging in this application because Level 2 charging is able to charge the Volt faster than the 13 hours required for Level 1 charging at 12 amps (Level 1 charging, even at 120V and 8 amps, is perfectly adequate to keep the battery topped up in the event that the Volt needs to cool the battery pack.)

 

What is best for my volt, to be out in sun with 100 degree temperature (no shade) while being charged slowly from a normal outlet or in the shade (under a tree) with no charging.

The volt supposedly will run the HVAC to cool batteries if needed while charging, but will it do that while being charged from a normal 12V outlet, one that takes 13 hours for a full charge?

We're expecting a heat wave here in a few days and want to do what's best for the car battery.

Thank you

Charge it at night, park it in the shade during the day?

Buy a car cover? Tree sap and leaves aren't that great either.

But, I dont know the scenario you're asking about, if it's sitting at home or at work during the day.
If its at work you're agonizing over, is the amount of range you'll gain charging at 120V needed/worth it, to have her sitting in the hot sun? Do you need to charge during the day or can you just charge through the evening and night?

Thank you for your answer. My car will be at home but outside next week when the heat wave is expected to come for about 4 days then back to 70's weather. Based on the advice already given by another forum member above I'm just gonna keep it plugged in the whole time while in the sun (can't keep it plugged in under shade, nearest tree is too far from outlet) this way the battery is full and can cool itself as needed. I will just keep the windows down a bit to let air come in so the inside of car doesn't melt. We always get a nice breeze in the afternoon so that should help with the inside plus of course I have a windshield cover.

 

When it is 110 F here in Texas I set the Volt to start charging after 7 PM using the build in time of day electricity rate system.

If the day is cooler I just double plug to over ride.

Lots of options in the setting

 

Even when the outside air temperature reaches 110F the Volt's battery pack will not get that warm unless the Volt is charging or being driven. Charging is most efficient at the upper end of the acceptable temperature range for the battery pack (not sure if this is 90F, 95F or other temperature.) In my experience with my 2017 Volt when the Volt is charging the Volt will actively cool the battery pack down once charging has been completed (takes ~ 15 minutes.)

 

Agreed. So my preference for the OP situation is to park under the shade without plugging. Sun is bad for so many stuff on the car that it is better to park under the shade. Battery will stay cool for long enough to pass the midday heat. I don't keep battery at full for this case, it is worse for the longevity when it combines with heat.

 

GM says that if you can plug it in, you should plug it in, unless you're storing the vehicle for a long period of time. I am almost 100% certain that the battery temperature management system does not run unless the car is either powered on or plugged in. My Volt has been parked outside in scorching temps before, and there is no increase in kW used while I'm inside at work. Plus, the AC comes on immediately after turning the Volt on to cool the battery even if it wasn't on before (yes, the climate control is off).

My suggestion would be to park in the sun, with the car plugged in, but set the charging mode to departure-based, so the battery isn't actually charging during the heat of the day, but the thermal management system can operate on wall power.

 

Also the Charger (the real one ) has a cooling loop to add to the head under the hood. AC to DC converter.
so after driving home in MM mode on a very hot day 105F + and trying to charge in the sun.
You will get to see the A/C and cooling fans at HIGH speed.

Doing this one day caused the ONLY time ( in 8 years ) I had an ERROR flag that needed dealer re-programming to reset.

(Codes- pointed more to Voltage isolation and a mix of low cooling switch - ) but all tanks full and isolation test was fine
And no repeat of error codes --- So Volt must just like being charged by moon light

 

From the GM website Service Information on the Gen 2 volt.

The energy storage system cooling system uses a 12 V hybrid/EV battery pack coolant pump, a refrigerant/coolant heat exchanger(chiller) and the electric A/C compressor motor control module assembly to cool down the high voltage hybrid/EV battery. Thereis also a high voltage heater inside the hybrid/EV battery to heat the coolant entering the hybrid/EV battery when needed.The hybrid/EV powertrain control module 2 monitors thehybrid/EV battery coolant temperature, hybrid/EV battery cell temperature, refrigerant temperature, refrigerant pressure,and Coolant Level Sensor. The hybrid/EV powertrain control module 2 determines how much hybrid/EV battery cooling or heatingis required and turns on the hybrid/EV battery pack coolant pump. Depending on what is required, it will operate the radiatorfans and request the A/C Compressor Module to turn on the high voltageA/C compressor, or turn on the high voltage hybrid/EV battery pack heater. The hybrid/EV battery pack cooling system couldbe activated when the vehicle is operating, during charging, or when the vehicle is OFF and maintaining the hybrid/EV batterypack temperature

 

I'm given to understand that the Volt will NOT engage heating or cooling efforts while turned off and unplugged, regardless of SOC. Are you sure that it will? If so, during what states of charge?

 

I have read so many different conflicting things about it but it appears based on the above that the battery pack should be cooled even if unplugged as long as there’s sufficient battery charge. I certainly hope that’s true, because my car is sitting out in the sun right now at 100 degrees and I can’t plug it in.


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I went out and ran it. (After a week sitting there I don’t think it remote starts without doing that). But when I did it showed zero miles, but 1.1 kw gone since it was fully charged. It was fully charged when I parked it. I’m thinking that 1.1 kw was from the ac running for thermal protection while unplugged?


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Note that some OnStar services are disabled after a length of time. Remote Start via OnStar app may continue to work, but you may not be able to use the app to open the door. The "time after which some OnStar services are disabled" seems to have expanded from 5 to 10 days over the years (it’s unclear if it remains 5 days for some model years, and 10 days for newer models, or if it is now 10 days for all models for that issue):

The 2012-2016 Volt owner manual says: "Some OnStar services are disabled after five days. OnStar cannot perform Remote Door Unlock or Stolen Vehicle Assistance after the vehicle has been off continuously for five days. After five days, OnStar can contact Roadside Assistance and a locksmith to help gain access to the vehicle."

The 2017-2019 Volt owner manual says: "OnStar cannot perform Remote Door Unlock or Stolen Vehicle Assistance after the vehicle has been off continuously for 10 days without an ignition cycle. If the vehicle has not been started for 10 days, OnStar can contact Roadside Assistance or a locksmith to help gain access to the vehicle."

If you are at the car with fob in hand, you should be able to open the door via fob... and, this makes me wonder, could you use the app for a Remote Start after 10 days, have that count as "an ignition cycle," and then use the app for a Remote Door Unlock?

But, of course, if the reason you need to use the app is because you locked your fob inside the car when you parked it those many days ago, then you also can’t use the app for a Remote Start ("Conditions in which a remote start may not occur include: The RKE transmitter is in the vehicle...").

 

A week sitting should not limit remote start; limit is 2X remote start via key fob or app, then you must start the Volt manually. If you extend the first remote start (wait 30 seconds after the first remote start operation and initiate remote start a second time) this counts as the second remote start and the Volt will run for a total of 20 minutes instead of the normal 10 minutes.