Are heat pumps new?
Surprisingly, the technology to operate heat pumps was invented in the 1850s. However, it took policy changes, climate initiatives, and a focus on cutting costs to raise their popularity.
Heat pumps in EVs are more energy efficient than standard HVAC options. This is because they use heat that already exists: they don’t create heat.
How heat pumps work
Heat pumps move heat from one area to another. They operate similar to air conditioners, except they work in both directions: whereas air conditioners only pull heat from inside the car’s cabin, heat pumps pull it from inside in the summer and from outside in the winter.
One point to remember is that “heat” in this context includes heat we humans can’t detect. For example, -35 ˚C outdoors still contains heatwhen the air outside is at -35 °C, it still contains heat.
Heat pumps have limits on their efficiency, though. If the temperature drops too low, they will use more power than usual to operate, which they. They will need to pull that power from your EV’s battery.
What components make up a heat pump? We’ll introduce them here.
Refrigerant
Like your air conditioner and refrigerator, a heat pump contains a refrigerant. This substance typically has a boiling point of -25 ˚C °C and goes through repeated evaporation and condensation cycles to transfer heat.
Heat exchanger
A heat exchanger both collects and dispels heated air. Because the exchanger operates in both directions (outside to inside, inside to outside), a heat pump takes the place of both an A/C and a heater.
Evaporator
The refrigerant carries the warm air to the evaporator, where the air’s heat causes the refrigerant to boil and evaporate.
Compressor
The gas continues on its journey into the compressor, which compresses the gas. This increases the pressure and boiling point of the refrigerant.
Condenser
This part releases the collected heat, and the gas is condensed into its original liquid form, ready to repeat the process all over again.
A heat pump, like a fridge or a/cA/C, is a closed loop. This cycle repeats itself every few seconds, keeping your surroundings comfortable.
A word for DIYers
Although it can be tempting to DIY problems from time to time, we highly recommend not attempting to DIY any part of a heat pump. First, you need to know how to shut off the high-voltage current in an EV. Second, you don’t want to come into contact with the refrigerant: handling it requires specialized training.
How to get a heat pump for your EV
Some EVs include a heat pump in their standard models. HoweverFor most models, however, you will probably still need to pay extra right now for one if you’re ordering your EV new. If you already own an EV, Ttalk to your nearest NexDrive auto technician about installing one on your current EVhaving a heat pump installed.
Making use of your EV’s energy efficiency
Heat pumps support more efficient battery usage because they collect heat instead of creating it. Only in very cold temperatures is their efficiency reduced, because it takes more work to extract the heat from really truly frigid air.
But under normal winter conditions, when the colder weather is already giving your battery a workout, your battery will appreciate the reduced workload. Pre-condition your EV at home while it’s still plugged in, and you can leave your house with a warm car and a full battery.
And have a little chuckle at your neighbours who are stuck scraping away at their gas-powered vehicle.
If you’re considering a heat pump, have questions about them, or are considering installing one, visit your nearest NexDrive service centre to speak with one of our friendly experts.