Heat pump, and remote AC, but no preheating???

yes.

 

I think that the price of warming the car's interior with the heat pump must be less than having to warm up with its ice.

 

I'd have to agree. Especially if I can start the heat pump in my garage which is much warmer than outside. And it has the advantage of already providing heat when you do drive it out of the garage. I'd have to put that down as a win - win.

 

... and if the provided apps allowed us to do that from inside our house, remotely.

 

My sense of price was not in dollars but in EV range…

 

good point. 22 miles isn't much, so it won't be on that long. i wouldn't expect a warm cozy cabin, but enough that you can feel the difference and clear the wind screen.
if they can do it for about the same hit as the a/c, that would be amazing.

 

preheat the cabin is nice option to have but preheat the battery is must have feature.
What do we know about battery TM? Does GUI provide battery temp information?

If possible I'd programmed the battery charging for last hours before departure from home as charging will help to heat-up the battery pack in winter time.

 

What you can do is tell it when you plan to leave and it should charge it so that it's ready at that time.

 

welcome! it does have a battery pack heater.

 

too bad @Boyelectric bought a mitsi outlander.

 

Thanks, I think you've meant resistance heating, not heat pump heating.
I was wondering if heat pump AC can heat and cool the battery as well as cabin.
AFAIK battery must be kept in 10-30 C temp range all the time. Having know that heat pump operation can be reversed it would be logical to expect that eclectically driven Prius Prime AC system will be capable to heat and cool the battery.

 

that is incorrect. if 10-30c = 50-86f, the battery operates way outside those parameters, albeit, less efficiently.
the heating and cooling by cabin flow thru, like current prius, does not have a major effect on battery temp, as reported by members with scan gauge.

 

Air for the Prius battery, hybrid and PHEV, is drawn from the cabin. So preheating the cabin will also preheat the battery compartment.
I don't think we have the details to say whether the battery has its own preconditioning heat system at this point.

Except a blocked battery vent can lead to an overheated battery.
When in use, the battery will quickly warm up. When parked, and the cabin heater is on for preconditioning, some of that heat will travel to the battery compartment. There is likely also a mat heater just in case it gets really cold.
For all we know, at this time, battery preconditioning could just be charging or discharging it a little to produce internal heat.

 

Is possible !

 

Quote from 2017 Prius Prime (Plug-in Hybrid) Full Product Information & Technical Docs (PDF) | PriusChat

Battery Heating operation:
- Normal plug-in: • When plugged in, the system automatically activates to maintain a battery temperature of 32°F or above, and stops automatically when the plug is removed or after 3 days have elapsed.
- Timed charge (‘start time’ setting): • Heating automatically starts at the set time. After starting, operation is the same as a normal plug-in.
- Timed charge (‘departure’ setting): • Heating automatically starts so that the battery temperature reaches 32°F or above by the set time. After starting, operation is the same as a normal plug-in.
....................................................................................
As we can see it is an electrical heating, but no cooling options except forcing AC-ed cabin air. There are 2 vertical air intake ports on both sides of back seat. BTW, where is an exhaust port of this forced air coming out from battery pack? Does it go inside or outside the cabin?

 

If the highest temperature it will go too is 32F, I would not consider this preconditioning the battery. For that, the system would have to get the pack at least near the batteries preferred temperature for efficiency operation.

While there are lithium batteries that can operate at below freezing, they have higher cost. The more common chemistries won't take a charge if the electrolyte goes below 32F.

This system isn't for preconditioning, but to allow the pack to be charged when the temps around the car reach freezing.

 

so the pip must have it as well, but i've never heard of it.

 

all prius vent out the rear to the outside. you don't want to recirculate 'battery air'.

 

Firstly, it says 32F or above. Secondly it says "when plugged-in" not 'when charging".
My understanding for normal plug-in is: If you plug it in for immediate charging in a cold evening, disconnect the plug next morning when temp is well below freezing, you will find a preconditioned battery (to above freezing temp) ready to be used efficiently (to the circumstances).
Keeping the battery at its preferred operating temp for hours after charging is finished in the above circumstances, means wasting valuable energy for very little gain, battery is warming-up during operation.
So, to me, the procedure described is preconditioning.

 

Yes, 32F or above, if the battery temp drops below 32F, the heater will turn on. Since this is a personal car and not scientific equipment, having the controls necessary to keep it exactly at 32F would be a waste. So if the heater takes the battery above 32F, then no big deal. This heater isn't needed during charging, because charging will heat the battery up higher.

Li-ion electrolyte basically freezes at these temperatures. Not only can the battery can't be charged then, but it also can't discharge. If preconditioning means having the battery just warm enough that it can provide electricity to the motor, then it is preconditioning. I see preconditioning the battery the same as preconditioning an ICE with block heater; having it warmed up to where it is near stable operating temperature., if not at that temperature, in order to minimize the warm up penalty to efficiency.