Thank you! So far, so good - it’s great fun driving a tiny car after years of tanks and I’m still getting used to it. It doesn’t go as fast as my old car but that doesn’t bother me. The only things I miss are huge bootspace and heated seats and frankly one can live without those.
My wife and son would disagree with you on the point of heated seats.
Absolutely.
Heated seats (& steering wheel) are, IMO, almost essential in an EV as they are often all you need to keep warm, but they don’t take power directly from the traction battery. The main heating does, which effects range.
Using the old school resistive heating in my van is terrible for range (which is bad enough already with a 24kWh battery…!), but the heat pump in the newer LEAF isn’t so bad, & that has the heated seats & volant too.
On the plus side if your EV is plugged in you can defrost it & preheat with no range penalty before you even get in it
I’ve got to admit that I always thought a heated steering wheel was a bit of a gimmick but, on a cold morning, I absolutely love it. I’ve been a fan of heated seats since my first SAAB, which is longer ago than I’m willing to say.
I must admit to being a bit ambivalent towards my first heated seats and steering wheel. What I do find is incredibly useful is the ability to use my phone app to pre warm the car on a cold winter’s day or cool the car on a hot summers day 10 minutes before going out to drive it.
A stout pair of sporty looking driving gloves
The only car I’ve ever owned with heated seats was a SAAB and I never used them because I didn’t like the sensation. I have never felt the need for a heated steering wheel either but I have been converted to having heated grips and heated gloves when motorcycling in the winter.
Nor did I until I had one, thought they were a ridiculous idea. Now I love it.
I only ever use the heated seats on low - on high they are unpleasant.
I don’t see how any resistive heating element in an EV does not ultimately draw from the main battery even if the immediate source of power is the 12V system - because the 12V system is charged from the high voltage pack.
Those EVs which have a heat pump do not draw (as much) power from the high voltage battery for cabin heating, and heat pumps are becoming much more common on EVs because they help with battery thermal management.
Clearly, they do so, as I said…
I other words, I can put on the seats etc. without seeing a drop in range but, yes, I am very aware that the 12V battery will get topped up from the traction battery. However, the demand is pretty low in comparison to a resistive or even heat pumped cab heating system.
Not necessarily, some have completely separate lkw voltage to high voltage systems I believe, its why you can suffer a flat 12v battery whilst the circa 400v pack are fully charged.
Are you implying that for some models the 12V is only charged when you charge the whole vehicle?. That’s sounds mad.
When I’m outside near the house I often hear a clunk from one vehicle or another as the 12V has called for charge. There’s a specific charge light that flashes too.
My goodness, heated seats , never had anything like that, what’s next, heated underpants?
@David_Spardo
You can get heated puffy gilets, a colleague of mine from near the equator has one on all the time. In July /August last year in NZ and Australia I tried out electric underblankets and absolutely loved them.
I did buy a couple of heated body warmers a couple of years ago, mainly for Fran’s benefit, but after trying them we never seemed to think of them again.
I reckon you lot must have water in your veins.
It does doesnt it, it was in response to Billy’s question. There have been cases where EV’s are stranded in the case of a tesla with only electric locks a flat 12v battery is a PIA as it could be sitting there with 64kw of 400v battery but unable to unlock or move. Kia niro’s had a problem with vampire drain on the 12v battery with a fully charged high voltage battery so it does seem mad and the only reason is to make sure for safety the systems are separate. Certainly not a expert just what I pick up from owners.
Thanks goodness Nissan were sensible then. I have heard of issues with ‘starting’ on Leafs & E-NV200s due to 12V batteries that were failing, but that would be a problem (actually, a bigger problem) with ICE vehicles. My 2018 LEAF is on it’s original 12V battery (fate well & truly tempted now…).
I presume their 12 volt batteries are more like leisure batteries than the starter batteries used in ICE cars.
AFAIAA, yes.