How do they do heat and air?

 

Without getting knee-deep in the technical end of it......just a quick look at just one vehicle......the GM Tahoe/Denali Hybrid uses an electric compressor to move refrigerant for HVAC rather than a belt driven compressor, in the "auto shut off mode" or in the "electric only mode" you can still be very comfortable.

The steering and brakes are also electrically boosted rather than vacuum or hydraulically boosted with an engine driven pump.

 

I had an Electric S10, and it used a "heat pump" same idea as the one that heats and cools our house. At very low temperatures it had a back-up diesel fired heater, but no one I knew who had these vehicles ever used it because most (of the 50 or so in private ownership) were in Oregon, California, and Florida.

The condensor and evaporator (back of the engine bay in the photo) reverse their roles so to speak depending on whether you are heating or cooling.

 

When we get to the point of having a TOTAL electric vehicle, it will have an electric heating element. A/C is produced by an electric compressor/heat pump as already stated.

 

Jeff, when all the hype about the Chevy volt started, that was my question too....
I though 40 miles without having to run an engine. So, the only way I see that working is using some sort of electric heat, which is very inefficient. My guess would be running electric heat/defrost would bring that range to less than half.

The car sounds great if you live in SoCal or Texas or Florida, but up here????

 

Yeah, I don't think electric heat woould cut it too well in these northern latitudes. I thought maybe a propane heater similar to a motor home. Heck 20lbs of propane would probably last a couple months.

 

propane weighs too much.

 

Current Hybrids have a gasoline engine with a water pump for heat production. Fuel economy drops during the winter due to the engine needed to run more often for heat.

 

Just to clarify, my 1997 Chevy S10 WAS a TOTAL electric. Produced in very limited numbers in 1997 (Pb acid Batteries) and 1998 (NiMH batteries).

 

You got yourself a rare one there. Any idea what it's value is today?