FORD Please add a electric heater for the FFH

[corncobs]

This morning @ 2* after driving for maybe 10 miles my HVB was at an indicated 100% SOC because the ICE was running constantly to provide heat. That's all fine but I think if there would be a small additional electric heater the car would heat up much quicker and the ICE would shut off much sooner. This would result in better fuel economy during cold days.

 

 

I actually turned off my climate control to make use I the slow traffic this morning and cruise along in EV mode. I think this should be handled automatically and would be much easier with an additional heat source.

[Waldo]

So everyone that lives in warm climates should have to pay for an electric heater so you can save a bit of gas? Doesn't make sense overall if you add up the gas savings vs the cost of the heater for every FFH made.

 

If a heater costs $100, how long would it take to make that up in fuel savings?

[acdii]

Well they already have it on the Energi. My feeling on this though is the heater would draw more on the HVB using more fuel that just running the ICE will. It is not an issue on the Energi due to the larger pack, but the pack on ours is only designed for short EV runs.

[corncobs]

So everyone that lives in warm climates should have to pay for an electric heater so you can save a bit of gas? Doesn't make sense overall if you add up the gas savings vs the cost of the heater for every FFH made.

 

If a heater costs $100, how long would it take to make that up in fuel savings?

Not to save 5 cents of gas no ( of course it would be nice) but to be warmer faster ;)

 

Also while you are in stop and go traffic the ICE could shut off. Instead it keeps running only to provide heat.

 

You could bring the same argument about the EBH. Why is it included in MN or Canada (IIRC) but not in Illinois?

 

The option would be nice...

[hybridbear]

So everyone that lives in warm climates should have to pay for an electric heater so you can save a bit of gas? Doesn't make sense overall if you add up the gas savings vs the cost of the heater for every FFH made.

 

If a heater costs $100, how long would it take to make that up in fuel savings?

Not to save 5 cents of gas no ( of course it would be nice) but to be warmer faster ;)

 

Also while you are in stop and go traffic the ICE could shut off. Instead it keeps running only to provide heat.

 

You could bring the same argument about the EBH. Why is it included in MN or Canada (IIRC) but not in Illinois?

 

The option would be nice...

The EBH example is a great one. Our car cost no more than a car sold in Florida, but it has an EBH. Perhaps the EBH costs Ford only $25 to install, but that was a "freebie" we got. The Energi will still use the electric heater when in hybrid mode if the car determines that doing so is more efficient than running the ICE to make heat. With my parents' Energi I have observed both the ICE running while not moving to make heat and the electric heating element drawing electricity both with the ICE on and with the ICE off. It would be nice if the Hybrid also had the electric heater option. However, I agree that the added costs are likely not worth the benefits.

[vangonebuy]

A small elec room heater could warm the car and the battery pak up in the morning.

Just remember to unplug it as you drive off.

[acdii]

A small elec room heater could warm the car and the battery pak up in the morning.

Just remember to unplug it as you drive off.

Well if I had a 35 mile long extension cord, I could be toasty warm!

[corncobs]

Well if I had a 35 mile long extension cord, I could be toasty warm!

And you would never need gas again!

[acdii]

And you would never need gas again!

And I would never get lost!

[expresspotato]

The Prius has about 3 things that the FFH doesn't have to my knowledge that enable it to smoke us in terms of cold weather:
- Engine coolant reservoir that stores hot engine coolant in a thermos type enclosure to keep it warm for up to TWO days.
- A PTC aka Positive Coefficient Heater connected directly to the radiator at 400W. Heats the engine radiator using electricity from the HVB.
- Exhaust gas recirculation where hot exhaust gasses are used to keep the engine hot.

I've really noticed keeping on reticulation in terms of the cabin air control helps improve milage when the engine is colder is uses more gas in its fuel / air mixture and the milage suffers because the engine isn't piping hot.

[KLH]

I actually turned off my climate control to make use I the slow traffic this morning and cruise along in EV mode.

I do this too. After thinking about it, I'm okay with the FFH not having an electric heater.

 

The FFH basically takes the same time as a conventional car to get warm because the heating method is the same. There are no silver bullets. Energy use is energy use. I say keep the HVB focused on the drive train, because that is the primary purpose of it... to move the car. Sapping energy for this and that will simply dilute the power of the HVB. Now if the HVB had an abundance of energy, sure, sap away. But we don't.

 

Regardless, heated seats provide this function at a fraction of the energy use, right?

[hybridbear]

The Prius has about 3 things that the FFH doesn't have to my knowledge that enable it to smoke us in terms of cold weather:

- Engine coolant reservoir that stores hot engine coolant in a thermos type enclosure to keep it warm for up to TWO days.

- A PTC aka Positive Coefficient Heater connected directly to the radiator at 400W. Heats the engine radiator using electricity from the HVB.

- Exhaust gas recirculation where hot exhaust gasses are used to keep the engine hot.

 

I've really noticed keeping on reticulation in terms of the cabin air control helps improve milage when the engine is colder is uses more gas in its fuel / air mixture and the milage suffers because the engine isn't piping hot.

 

 

You're right that the Prius gets much warmer in the winter and stays warmer. That's part of why we chose it as our second car and why we use it more than the FFH in winter.