“Heating at 21 degrees, instantly uses no less than 80% of the air conditioning battery”. 80%? Really? Let’s sort the truth from the lie about the electric car range this winter.
Imagine going on an adventure in the snowy regions of Norway, behind the wheel of an electric Hyundai Kona. This he has done right Reporter of Turbo, on the M6, driven by curiosity. His goal? Testing the limits of an electric car’s range in freezing cold, with the heater on full blast.
What emerged seemed alarming at first glance: “ Heated to 21 degrees, immediately the air conditioning uses no less than 80% of the battery, so almost all the energy is devoted to heating the passenger compartment, as a result of which autonomy melts like snow in the sun. ” This statement has provoked strong reactions, let’s take a closer look at the facts.
Already, this percentage of 80%, which is displayed on the meter, seems astronomical, but it is important to understand the context. This measurement was taken in a very specific case, during descent where energy consumption for propulsion was minimal. It is an instant measure. So, is it true that heating and cooling drains an electric car battery? The answer is reassuring.
Heat pump system
It’s true, cold does affect consumption. But, it is not as destructive as people say.
The technology of Heat pump, increasingly widespread in electric cars, is changing the situation. Also equipped with a Kona heat pump. It allows efficient heating and cooling without drawing heavily on the battery. These systems are designed to maximize range even in very cold weather.
The efficiency of a heat pump is such that it can significantly reduce the amount of energy required to maintain a comfortable temperature. In terms of consumption, we are far from the image of greedy heating that initially arose.
Heat pumps allow Reducing heating energy consumption by 3 to 4 times compared to conventional resistance. Thus, this system finds its place in electric cars where autonomy is an important factor and where the heat of the passenger compartment can obviously influence it.
How much does a heat pump use in cold weather?
Let’s take a concrete example. At -10°C, a heat pump may require only 2 to 3 kWh to keep the interior warm, compared to 0.75 to 1.5 kWh at 0°C. Far from the specified 80%, right?
To illustrate further, consider the case of a Tesla Model 3 with an 80 kWh battery. If the heater on a Tesla Model 3 consumes an average of 1.36 kWh in freezing cold (-8 degrees in this example), this means that in theory you can stay warm for about 59 hours on a full charge. It’s like spending two and a half days in your car, warming up, without moving!
This little calculation shows us that electric cars, far from being cold, are perfectly capable of dealing with the Nordic cold, especially if they are equipped with a heat pump.
This tour in the electric Hyundai Kona therefore shows less of a weakness of electric cars than a lack of understanding of their performance and benefits. It is really a shame that such mistakes are still shown on TV. This casts a chill over the image of electric cars, sowing doubt where none is needed.
