[Smart13]

In one of the other threads it was mentioned that the cab heat during the C&D/preconditioning is based on the heat of the coolant/battery temp. My question is, is our heater coolant based or an electric heating element? I have always assumed it is electric only because I can flip the heater on 85 when the car is cold and the heat is instantly (few seconds) hot.

Am I completely wrong on this?

 

[trooplewis]

The heater is called a 'high-voltage PTC heater"
Not sure if that helps or not...

 

[chieftmc]

Apparently it's electric New PTC Heaters Control High Voltages in Hybrid and Electric Vehicles - ATZ online

High-Voltage Positive Temperature Coefficient (PTC) Heater
click here

 

[Smart13]

Thanks guys. That is what I thought. Got a little confused in the other thread when it sounded like the heater utilized the coolant system for the battery.

 

[trooplewis]

"In order to heat vehicle interiors and defrost windows of a compact car with hybrid or electric drive during the winter about five kilowatts of energy are required"

Seems like a lot...So in an hour of heating the car you would use up 5 of the 17 kWh's available?

Guess I'm going to buy a set of gloves and a new jacket.

 

[marc hanna]

That would only mean it consumes 5kwh at maximum output, which would not occur because even with the temp set on high, it would achieve the temp within a few minutes and then scale back to that which is necessary to maintain that temp.

 

[trooplewis]

OK, maybe I'll make that a cheaper set of gloves than the fur-lined ones I was planning on.

 

[marc hanna]

I would recommend the leather Ferrari racing gloves.

 

[trooplewis]

I don't want to wear gloves that are faster than my car is.

 

[marc hanna]

Why not? We put tires on that are rated for faster than we can drive

 

[emcconnell]

A lot of guess work going on with regards to how cabin might be warmed with excess heat during the pre-conditioning when using charge and depart.

the discussion regarding use of coolant to heat the cabin, would be during the pre-conditioning phase using the charge and depart setting..... a resistive heater warms the coolant, which circulates around the battery and then through a cabin heat exchanger, where if any heat is left over after warming the battery is available to the cabin.

Since a 120V EVSE can only give you 1.3kW and even a 240V EVSE can only give 2.6kW at 12 A, (or even 3.3kW if supported by the EVSE and the BMS is set accordingly) a 5kW element would need to steal from the HV system during the 30 minute pre-conditioning which would be counter productive to the range maximization intention going on at that time.

I suspect that the cabin heat uses both the coolant and a PTC in a cabin heat exchanger when driving, but only the coolant that has been heated to warm the battery when pre-conditioning is going on.

 

[Smart13]

I wondered if it was a combination of the two. Thanks for the info.