Rod wrote:
Doctor Drivel wrote:

"Rod" wrote in message
...
The Natural Philosopher wrote:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7f2f081e-2...077b07658.html

But how do you heat an electric car? Not much fun using a totally
unheated behicle in the winter. Even keeping the screens clear
becomes a bit of a problem.

Some earlier electric cars had petrol burners to warm the interior.
Is that included in the fuel efficiency claimed?

There is zero insulation in a car. Insulation can be bonded onto the
car panels. Herat can be reclaimed from the electric motor too.

In sunnier climes PV cells can be the whole roof of the car.


But with the super efficent electric motors they use, the 'waste' heat
will be fairly low - and will not devleop until the car has been driven
for a while. So some means is still required for clearing screens and
keeping occupants tolerably comfortable.


I estimate something like 95% efficiency on the motors, and probably
similar on the pack.

A normal drive would be an average of perhaps 10Kw average leaving
perhaps a KW for heating potentially available.Since there are no
combustion products, the pack heat could be simply circulated through
the car by a small fan. Obviuosly for winter starts, there wouldn't be a
great deal initially, but a 1Kw fan heater to demist and defrost and get
the car warm would not be a huge drain for the few minutes until the
battery warmed up. If on overnight charge the battery would likely be
slightly warm, and it would be possible to have the car pre-warmed off
the mains as well.



Actually, PV cells can be the whole roof of the car in any climes. But
they don't help very much with heating on a dark winter day in the UK.

Indeed. Drivel by name, drivel by content, mostly.

Don't let the fact of Drivel's idiocy have a negative impact on the
electric car though. With him its random as to whether the literature he
gleans his 'facts' from is competent and correct or total bull****.

Essentially he can, and should be ignored completely with impunity.