Manufacturers have sold electric vehicles (EVs) with heat pump packages for years, but it wasn’t until Tesla released the Model Y that heat pumps gained popularity.
As a standard feature on the Model Y, Tesla’s advanced heat pump technology kept the cabin warm while managing the EV’s entire thermal ecosystem. These heat pumps led to a 10% to 15% increase in the cold-weather range compared to resistive heaters, making heat pumps a serious game-changer for EV efficiency.
Unlike traditional cars, EVs don’t produce enough excess heat to help run the electric car’s heating and cooling system. This leaves the EV vulnerable to the cold weather, forcing it to draw power from the battery just to operate the fan heater. All that extra demand on the battery can cause the EV’s all-electric range (AER) to drop significantly.
With a heat pump, however, the EV can efficiently keep the cabin warm with less strain on the battery. The heat pump functions like a refrigerator and uses outside air to heat the interior.
Here’s a brief guide on how the refrigeration cycle of an EV’s heat pump works:
The cycle continuously repeats to keep the cabin warm without straining the EV battery.
When it comes to EVs, energy efficiency is a top priority, and a heater pump is key for EVs to function efficiently in cold conditions.
Cold weather reduces an EV’s range by around 25% compared to mild weather conditions. Short trips with frequent stops in cold weather can further reduce this range by up to 50%.
With a heater pump, the electric car uses less battery power to keep the cabin warm, resulting in less range reduction.
If you’re still on the fence about getting a heat pump for your EV, here are some benefits to consider:
Unlike resistive heaters, heat pumps have little effect on an EV’s range. A heat pump draws hot air from outside the car and compresses it to warm up the cabin. It doesn’t have to heat any wires. Instead, it functions much like a refrigerator in reverse.
According to a study conducted by Move Electric, EVs with resistive heaters were 33.6% below their typical AER in cold weather. Meanwhile, EVs with heat pumps were only 25.4% below their average AER.
Having a heat pump means you can efficiently and comfortably precondition your cabin before you even step foot in your vehicle. Using the infotainment system or the smartphone app, you can set the departure time and adjust the temperature in your EV.
You can do this while keeping your EV plugged in, allowing you to leave with a warm car and a fully charged battery.
While several factors can affect your EV’s charging time, ambient temperature can either increase or decrease your charging time. EV batteries typically charge faster when the ambient temperature is 60℉ to 95℉.
In some EVs, the battery should also be at a specific temperature for rapid charging to work.
Unfortunately, not all EVs come equipped with a heat pump. Manufacturers typically offer a heat pump as an optional upgrade that you’ll have to pay extra for, such as the Hyundai Ioniq 5.
However, this doesn’t mean you can’t find EVs with heat pumps as a standard feature. Automakers such as Tesla, Porsche, and BMW sell EVs equipped with heat pumps that don’t require any additional payment.
It’s best to opt for a heat pump option when you first purchase your EV. Installing a new heat pump in an old EV can be difficult, but there are some professionals who can retrofit it for you.
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