So I have to take a road trip in an EV, and it’s winter. So I’m going to have to use the AC. I know in my old ICE car I could have the AC off and the fan would blow hot air just from the engine. With my EV it seems to be the same, even with the AC button off the vents are blowing hot air. Is that hot air just heat vented from the battery? Or is it still using battery power for the compressor to heat the air.

  • EaglesPDXBEnglish
    0·
    10 months ago

    The fact that EVs use a few different systems (or a combination of them) really shows how early in the transition we are- manufacturers haven’t really settled on one “best practice” yet.

    Not a matter of “best practice” but where is the waste heat in Winter. Very little in EV’s so they will always be resistive heater 90% of the time. Waste heat assist runs about 10%. Those numbers are not going to change much. If anything the amount a heat pump can provide will likely go down as EV efficiency goes up and there is less waste heat.