this post was submitted on 07 Jan 2025
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Is this really an article saying heat pumps are more efficient than resistive heaters? Yes, that is why heat pumps exist.
The biggest issue is the battery itself. If it gets cold enough you can have difficulty even charging an EV outdoors. I would be a lot more concerned with whether or not my battery is well insulated and heated. Heat pumps are great and should be the default, but unless you're going really far or have a very low range EV it's not a huge issue.
I know the resistive heater in my Volt can't compare to the heat put out by the ICE. Often in the winter we'll have to run the ICE to keep the cabin warm enough. It does have heated seats and wheel, but my wife is the type to set the heat to max until it gets too hot rather than just picking a temp and hitting auto to let the car manage it.
If the heat pump can put out more heat for less energy, that would be a boon. That might be the second biggest issue (next to range) that has my wife vetoing an all-electric car. She gets the next vehicle, but I want the one after that to be a full EV.
the ICE generates an insane amount of excess waste heat as a byproduct, so you have a virtually unlimited supply. The Volt is a PHEV so resistive heating was probably not considered super important.
There's no if about it, it is ~300% more efficient.
They are the same issue. Less energy used for heating = more range.
It's all well and good that heating efficiency means more range, but it has to also actually put out more heat to appease her. I could deal without the extra heat and rely more on the heated seats and wheel and maybe a 65 degree cabin, but she won't. That's why I was saying it's two issues.
They both output plenty of heat, even in the coldest of climates.
Well the resistive heater isn't enough for her here lol. But she's a perpetually cold person.
As I said before, that's a PHEV. It's probably insufficient because the engine serves as a heater for those kinds of situations. I've driven an EV with a resistive heater (Bolt) in 14 degree weather and it was more than sufficient.
I appreciate it.