We don't get one of course, but the question always nags at me as to how much of an improvement it would be if we did have one. Well, someone in Germany was able to do the test - they had two VW ID.3, one with a heat pump, one without. And then did a road trip. Short answer - yes there is a difference. Is it enough to make it worth the extra cost? That's a harder question.
I currently have a 2018 40kwh Leaf S which has no heat pump. First of all it's winter so dress for it. Then use the steering wheel and seat heaters to take the cold edge off. At the outside temperatures where heat pumps are most effective you can get by without additional heat using this method. I give in and use the resistance heater when it's so cold that my face feels frozen or the windows start to fog up. At those temps the car is likely going to turn on the resistance heater even if equipped with a heat pump. The GOM will drop around 15% the instant it's turned on. Keeping the car toasty warm all winter will mean more charge/discharge cycles which is going to age the battery pack faster. I prefer to chill out and preserve the pack.
Good video, both my Leafs had heat pumps as well as both my Konas. Living in a cool wet environment it saves me ~ 1.5 to 2 kWh. With the Leafs it was more a necessity because of the small pack capacities, but with Kona it is obviously less critical. The benefit reduces also when the temperature gets to freezing or slightly below, fortunately the ambient temperature here is (for the most part) heat pump friendly.
I was on a longish drive the other day, and realized that one other factor is just sunshine. If you are in the pitch dark, it is just colder, and you need more heat. With the sun pouring in, the cabin was noticeably warmer. I know that some dislike sunroofs because of the potential for leaks. But they do a good job of helping to let sunshine warm the cabin.
"Across the 20 models, there’s an average range loss of 18.5% compared to their WLTP range ratings. The most faithful to the original was Hyundai KONA — it was the EV that came closest to its own stated WLTP range. The KONA had a deviation of only 9% compared to its WLTP range. Quite interesting is that KONA is also the car with the longest actual range in the lowest price range bracket. Besides that, it has a respectable charging speed." https://cleantechnica.com/2020/03/23/the-norwegian-automobile-federation-tests-20-favored-evs-in-norwegian-winter-conditions/
