Types of heating systems in EVs
Over the course of EV development, three types of heating systems have come into play.
Resistive heating
To explain resistive heating, it’s best to return to the days of the incandescent lightbulb.
When you look at an incandescent lightbulb, you can see the conductors and the electricity flowing through them. When it was time to replace the bulb, they always came with instructions like this one: “CAUTION: lightbulb hot.”
Passing electricity through a conductor produces heat. This is called resistive heating. Early models of EVs used it, and some modern ones still do.
Effect on EV battery: A resistive heating system takes more energy from your battery than the other two systems.
Positive temperature coefficient heating
This heating system is similar to resistive heating. However, the positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heating system can increase and decrease the amount of electricity flowing through the system to meet temperature needs.
Effect on EV battery: A PTC heating system uses less energy than a restive heating system, but more than a heat pump.
Heat pump
A heat pump is the latest development in heating technology for EVs. But it doesn’t yet come standard in most vehicles, you will likely need to request one when you order your vehicle. A heat pump is also more expensive to install than a PTC system.
Effect on EV battery: Although a heat pump still uses energy from your high-voltage battery, it uses significantly less than the other two options.
What can go wrong
Any component of the heating system can break down, so we’ll cover the main problems here.
EV in the wrong mode
Some EVs have what’s called “ECO mode,” which shuts down certain components to reduce battery load. Before you check for other problems, ensure you have this mode switched off.
Software problem
Because EVs rely more heavily on software than gas-powered vehicles, a software glitch can affect the heating. Check that you have the latest software upgrades. If that doesn’t help, search quickly online to see if the latest upgrade could be the root cause of this issue.
Blower broken
Regardless of your EV’s heating system, the heat it produces must be transferred to the cabin. This is done via one or more blowers. If a blower breaks, your heater may still be producing heat: it’s just not reaching you.
Blower motor resistor malfunctioning
This part controls the speed of the blower. It allows electricity through or restricts its flow so the blower operates at the right speed to keep you toasty warm in the cabin.
A broken blower motor resistor may lead to confusion, though. Although it can malfunction completely, in which case you won’t feel any air, it may also begin to fail at certain speeds first. In other words, you may hear the fan running or feel warm air through the vents on some settings and not on others. If you notice this irregularity, a broken blower motor resistor is likely the culprit.
Sensor not working
Because your EV relies on a sensor to track cabin temperature, any issues with it can cause it to misread your temperature. For example, if it thinks your cabin is warm enough to act as a mirage for Florida, it won’t turn on the heat.
Getting help with your broken heating system
Much of the heating system, no matter which type, draws from the high-voltage battery in your EV. This is why we highly recommend you do not try to repair it yourself. Furthermore, the automotive experts at your nearest NexDrive service centre are specially trained to repair problems in EVs. Contact one today for more information or to book an appointment.