How do heaters work in all electric vehicles?

[VFR800]

Do they utilize the battery cooling system or is it glowing wire between two posts type affair, like what ya granny had!!! 😉

[unofix]

3 minutes ago, VFR800 said:

or is it glowing wire between two posts type affair, like what ya granny had!!

Yes, it is indeed 'resistive heating' so it helps to run the battery flat a bit quicker.

[alexp999]

It depends, a lot of cheaper cars use resistive heaters. (Like the portable fan heaters you can get for home).

It's much better when they are fitted with heat pumps (sometimes it is an optional extra) as it's much more efficient and can be used both ways to act as A/C.

IMO it should be mandatory for them to use heat pumps. They already have most of what's needed by fitting an A/C system.

[TomsFocus]

I often forget most people have gas heating at home.  Glowing wires is still the norm for those us with all electric properties!  

Worth noting that it's probably more effective to use a heated seat or steering wheel in an EV than it is to blow hot air out of multiple vents around the cabin.

[mjt]

2 hours ago, alexp999 said:

They already have most of what's needed by fitting an A/C system.

In theory a heat pump should be a no-brainer for an EV but it's not as simple as reversing the flow of refrigerant. For a heater you'd need an evaporator at the front and a condenser in the cabin with some means of switching the pipe connections. It'd probably be easier to just fit a separate system with it's own pump.

[alexp999]

1 minute ago, mjt said:

In theory a heat pump should be a no-brainer for an EV but it's not as simple as reversing the flow of refrigerant. For a heater you'd need an evaporator at the front and a condenser in the cabin with some means of switching the pipe connections. It'd probably be easier to just fit a separate system with it's own pump.

They manage a single system with in home air to air heat pumps that can worth in both directions. Should just be able to downscale for the car.

[StephenFord]

5 hours ago, TomsFocus said:

Worth noting that it's probably more effective to use a heated seat or steering wheel in an EV than it is to blow hot air out of multiple vents around the cabin.

If only they could develop some kind of system that could use the waste energy from the propulsion engine into cabin heat, with a fully fledged control system on heating power & temperature... oh... wait a minute... LOL

[iantt]

25 minutes ago, StephenFord said:

If only they could develop some kind of system that could use the waste energy from the propulsion engine into cabin heat, with a fully fledged control system on heating power & temperature... oh... wait a minute... LOL

Yeah, that's the electric car for you. 

Any waste heat is indeed sent to the cabin to warm up the electric car. Your so knowledgeable about electric cars already. 🤣🤣

Only downside is the anoying way the cabin warms up while I'm having my breakfast. Then no scrapping of windows when icy and shivering while the car takes 10 miles to warm up. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[iantt]

6 hours ago, TomsFocus said:

 

Worth noting that it's probably more effective to use a heated seat or steering wheel in an EV than it is to blow hot air out of multiple vents around the cabin.

Or use those as well as normal heater. Toasty warm. 

[iantt]

7 hours ago, VFR800 said:

Do they utilize the battery cooling system or is it glowing wire between two posts type affair, like what ya granny had!!! 😉

Both. From cold the PTC heater ( glowing wire)instantly warms the cabin up , then as you drive the  excess heat generated from motor, battery,modules is piped into the cabin heater system also. The PTC heater then reduces with the waste heat in the cooling system keeping the cabin to temp. Therefore the electricity required is reduced significantly on your journey if cold outside. 

From cold in winter  the range reduces by 10 miles initially then as you drive that reduces to 3 miles reduction. Winter temps hasn't really taken much of a hit on my consumption figures as I thought it might. There are electric vehicles less efficient than mine that are not good in winter( stelantis group cars don't do well)

[alexp999]

A lot of winter range seems to be affected by how much it needs to heat the batteries.