The HVAC Challenge for EVs

Given the difference in range between a pure electric car and a gas-powered vehicle, it’s absolutely critical that every EV component be as efficient as possible. Auto engineers work hard to ensure that power needed for non-propulsion tasks—such as heating and cooling the cabin, lighting and infotainment—do not unnecessarily drain precious energy from the battery pack.

“You want to be careful with how you use every single electron,” said Henning Lohse-Busch, research engineer at the Department of Energy’s Advanced Powertrain Research Facility at Argonne National Laboratory. Among the various potential draws on energy, heating the cabin requires more power than any other function. “If you want to jump straight to the big culprit, it’s the cabin heater,” said Lohse-Busch.