More cold weather questions

[Clifford Ryer]

I have a NIro ev with the cold weather package (heat pump and battery heater). So it is finally getting cold here on the Oregon Coast, mid twenties to mid thirties. I typically charge to 80% and usually would get about 220 miles of range. With the advent of cold weather, that range has dropped to about 180 miles. Obviously, I have been using the heater (heat pump) to stay comfortable in the cabin. Is the mileage drop I am seeing solely due to the heat pump, or is the battery heater also using watts? I don’t see much of a predicted range increase When I turn off the climate control. Does anybody know under what circumstances the battery heater kicks in? Is there a specific battery temp or outside temp that triggers the battery heater? I have the car in winter mode. One of the reasons I bought the NIro was to have the battery management system and heat pump, to mitigate the effect of cold temperatures on driving range. Starting to wonder what will happen in I get into truly cold weather, like in the teens or single digits.

 

[Paul K]

Your range drop is due to ........... everything! You lose some from the battery not working as well in cold temps, some because cold air is more dense and takes more energy to push through, and some from the heat pump. Just wait until the temp drops to the point where heat pumps become inefficient and the resistance heater kicks in. Your total range loss will be about 40% down from your best range in the summer.

My experience with a Nissan Leaf is that in the temperature ranges above freezing the heated steering wheel and seats are enough that you can do without additional heating. Below freezing and your face and feet start to get uncomfortably cold. It's winter. You're dressed warm right? So make most use of the steering wheel and seat heaters as you can. My best range with a 2018 Leaf S with a 40kwh pack is around 300km in the summer. Minus 16deg C using the heater and it's around 180km. Fortunately in my area level 3 charging is finally getting off the ground so there's less worry about getting stranded or having to use my old ICE car.
Hope this helps.

 

[TheHellYouSay]

Is there a specific battery temp or outside temp that triggers the battery heater? I have the car in winter mode. One of the reasons I bought the NIro was to have the battery management system and heat pump, to mitigate the effect of cold temperatures on driving range.

I would love to know the answer to this question as well. It's gotten down into the 20's (F) here in WA and I'm also driving in Winter Mode now. One of the screens I've been using on the main console is called Electricity Use. It shows you how many kWh is being used to drive vs. climate vs. electric gizmos (radio) vs. battery maint. I've never seen the car divert any energy to Battery Maint, but I suspect that if it got really cold like into the teens, I'd see some power diverted to that last category too.

 

[molund]

I've never seen the car divert any energy to Battery Maint, but I suspect that if it got really cold like into the teens, I'd see some power diverted to that last category too.

Same here. With temperatures around -1 Celsius in Vancouver Canada, I’ve never seen any allocated to battery maintenance. Winter mode is turned on.


Sent from my iPhone using Inside EVs

 

[niro525]

I have a fuzzy recollection of reading about the battery heater. The battery heater is supposed to come on at -30C as I recall. I don't know if that's outside or battery temp
It is temperature dependent. If I remember the source I will link it.