Chevy is launching a new feature for smartphone owners who want to maintain their cool– Active Phone Cooling. The feature will be available in Chevy vehicles, including the 2016 Impala and Malibu with wireless charging.
When a smartphone is overheated, it depletes the phone’s battery life and slows processing speeds. Smartphone batteries in cars in hot weather can be damaged when heat builds up inside.
When Chevy engineers tested smartphone wireless charging, they noticed some smartphones would stop charging or shut off after only a few minutes in high temperatures inside a car.
Most smartphones have built-in thermal protection to protect battery life that turns off the phone until it is cool enough, which is inconvenient for drivers who use their smartphones for streaming music, navigation or phone calls.
Active Phone Cooling has an air vent connected directly to the car’s air conditioning directed toward the charging bin for wireless charging. It blows cool air to help lower the phone’s temperature. Active Phone Cooling operates only when the HVAC system is turned on by the driver.
Chevrolet claims, no other automotive manufacturer offers a similar solution for in-vehicle smartphone cooling.
Active Phone Cooling will also be available in the 2016 Chevrolet Volt and Cruze equipped with available wireless charging. Chevy for the 2016 model year will be offering Android Auto and Apple CarPlay systems that integrate smartphones.