Winter EV operation

The Clarity Electric has a heat pump, but the Clarity Plug-In Hybrid uses a resistance heater when in EV Drive mode. When the ICE is running, the Clarity Plug-In Hybrid shuts off the resistance heater and uses the ICE to heat the cabin.

 

Thanks for the detailed summary. This is much needed data that can now be added to the collective wisdom.

One comment on your your heat pump theory. I can’t speak for the Canadian model but due to many posts and attached documents and diagrams it safely can be said that the American model does not have a heat pump. It has an AC and a resistance heater in the engine coolant flowing to the heater core. It is super fast to warm up and that may make it appear to be a heat pump but it is not.

I’m glad you had a 240 v outlet for parking outside in those Canadian winters. No doubt it made all the difference for you by keeping the battery warm and preconditioning without losing range. If you ever get a garage, please post back and tell us what difference it made.

Thanks again for sharing and convincing me not to move to Canada even though y’all are the nicest posters on the forum.

 

I'm not completely sure about that.
I have concerns that the electric element helps with heating the cabin even in HV mode with the engine coolant at operating temp.
Looking for a way to test.

 

@Viking79 wrote an extensive post about the Clarity heaters with images of the heating systems. Be sure to also read his full article, Electric Car Heaters: Honda Clarity.

 

I think the resistance heater supplements heat, even in HV mode.

I am learning not to trust what I read on the internet, especially about the Clarity.

I recently lost EV miles when driving in HV, when the temperature got cold, and the heater kicked up. It should have been using ICE heat, but it really seemed like the resistance heater came on. I drove from NY to WI in 50-60F weather, and lost the normal amount of EV range. I drove from WI to NY in 30F weather, and lost all my EV range (30 miles) in less than 200 miles.

Also, when I was running my zero EV range test, I kicked on the heater for the last couple miles, and the ICE went crazy - Seemed like it added significant load to the ICE. My explanation was that the resistance heater required more electricity from the system.

It would be nice to check this: Anybody know where the wires to the heater are? Maybe somebody can get an amperage measurement on those wires.

 

One way to check would be to pull the fuse for the heater and then redo your test and observe whether the EV range declined as quickly. Probably will need to wait until the weather cools again.

 

It sounds like your heater system is not operating properly. I've driven similar distances in much colder temperatures and not lost near that much EV range. Pulling the fuse seems like a good test for you.

 

I have also driven similar distances in much colder temperatures without losing EV range. My lost EV range happened at 77-80 mph.... too many variables for a road test.

I am not convinced there is that much difference in the Clarity's.

Where is this fuse?
What is the voltage?
Heater is 'supposed to be' about 3.5 KW, right?
Is it AC or DC?

 

I did not find that the heater had much effect on range loss in HV. I find that speed and hills seem to have more effect.

 

Anyone have the exact location of the heater fuse?

 

Atkinson and ClarityBill

This may help.

Thread courtesy of: @jorgie393

https://www.insideevsforum.com/community/index.php?threads/fuse-map-and-which-positions-are-switched-vs-always-on.3794/

or the attached .pdf

 

Put another way, I've found the heater has an incredibly large effect on EV range (in pure EV mode without using HV). On the same day (temps in the high 40s) driving with climate control on (temp set to 68 with fan on 2 bars) dropped my EV range considerably. With the heater on, I can get about 32-35 miles of range. With it off, I get 42-47 easily.

 

I agree. Heater use in EV really sucks down the battery, but I did not find the same degree of battery depletion in HV.