# Did Anyone Think of This..?



## 12vman (Feb 17, 2004)

I was driving home tonight, Enjoying my heater because it was pretty cool and damp outside and I was working in it all afternoon..

Then it dawned on me.. I asked myself.. "What if I was in an electric automobile.. What would keep my butt warm?" "How would I keep the ice and snow off of the windshield?"

Has this isssue been discussed before? I ain't seen it anywhere.. :shrug:


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## Fire-Man (Apr 30, 2005)

12vman said:


> I was driving home tonight, Enjoying my heater because it was pretty cool and damp outside and I was working in it all afternoon..
> 
> Then it dawned on me.. I asked myself.. "What if I was in an electric automobile.. What would keep my butt warm?" "How would I keep the ice and snow off of the windshield?"
> 
> Has this isssue been discussed before? I ain't seen it anywhere.. :shrug:



Hey 12vman-------you use the electric car in the warmer months of the year------or you better build you a wood fired heater in the back of electric car to keep you warm-------LOL. Randy


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## 12vman (Feb 17, 2004)

I remember the Volkswagon days..  

LOL.. Us Northern folks need to know these things..


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## Explorer (Dec 2, 2003)

A few years ago, an electric car was tested in Phoenix for several months during the summer and it had air conditioning. Why not a air heat pump?


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## hunter63 (Jan 4, 2005)

I guess I would have never thought of it either,. Electric heater? Would think it would cut down the range.
Those VW gas heaters were something else, huh? Did work though.


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## mightybooboo (Feb 10, 2004)

EV-1's had all the normal creature comforts of any other car out there.I dont know how they heated though,wonder if it came off the batteries waste heat?

Ok,looked it up,it used a heat pump for heating and AC.

Ive read the A/C would freeze you out of the car,it was VERY good.

Ive mentioned it before (maybe once or Twice...  ),but the 1996 EV-1 was a showcase of technology.
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General Motors used many advanced technologies including:

* Aluminum frame
* Dent resistant side-panels
* Anti-lock brakes
* Traction control
* Heat pump (Heater/AC)
* Keyless entry / keyless ignition
* Special one-way thermal glass to allow for better insulation
* Regenerative braking
* Self-repairing tires
* Very low drag coefficient - Cd~0.19, CdA~0.36 mÂ² (3.95 ftÂ²)
* Super light alloy mag wheels
* Low-rolling resistance tires

Most of these technologies were included to improve the overall efficiency of the EV1.

The first generation EV1s used lead-acid batteries in 1996 (as model year 1997) and a second generation batch with nickel metal hydride batteries in 1999. Some of the Gen 1 EV1's were refurbished and upgraded to Panasonic Lead Acid batteries.

The Gen 1 cars got 55 to 75 miles (90 to 120 km) per charge with the Delco-manufactured lead-acid batteries, 75 to 100 miles (120 to 160 km) with the Gen 2 Panasonic lead-acid batteries, and 75 to 150 miles (120 to 240 km) per charge with Gen 2 Ovonic nickel-metal hydride batteries. Recharging took as much as eight hours for a full charge (although one could get an 80% charge in two to three hours).[9] The battery pack consisted of 26 12-volt lead-acid batteries holding 67.4 MJ (18.7 kWh) of energy or 26 13.2-volt nickel-metal hydride batteries which held 95.1 MJ (26.4 kWh) of energy.

A modified EV1 prototype set a land speed record for production electric vehicles of 183 mph (295 km/h) in 1994.

Had to include that so we can [strongbad 

BooBoo :gromit:


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## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

Good question

One way would be drive it very hard and have a fan blowing over the controller . . . !!

As a defroster tho that idea might be kinda peepore


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## Guy_Incognito (Jul 4, 2006)

Some of the higher-voltage EV's just use a traditional electric fan heater. For EV conversions, you can get an electric core that replaces your normal heater core.

Seems wasteful, but an extra 1 kWh (or whatever) used by the electric heater doesn't really matter when you consider the large power consumption of the motor.


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

I'd think a small propane heater would be more practical, but there's waste heat in any machine to be found.


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## MrPG (Oct 9, 2005)

I have seen windshield wipers that have a small heating element built into the blade. When you turn it on, heat is transferred into the blade, melting away snow and ice.


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## SolarGary (Sep 8, 2005)

hunter63 said:


> Those VW gas heaters were something else, huh? Did work though.



I had one of those in a VW bus years ago. It was like a small furnace, and (if I am recalling right) you did not have to have the engine running at all to have heat. It was one of the few things that actually worked well on my VW bus 


Gary


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