turning off heater increase ev range ?

Some of the waste-heat from the engine is going to waste that way.

 

they did on the mule, but was too expensive for production. volt does not have one.

 

Climate control is put in vehicles for a reason. My general question is why would some one not use them to stretch out a few decimal points of MPG/MPGe?

 

Ceramic electric heater. Not a heat pump (rather, it seems the Volt relies on a Rube Goldberg series of pumps and valves). It will be interesting to see how that complex system holds up over the years.

From GM-VOLT.com:

The coolant inlet to the battery housing includes a debris filter, and a variable high voltage heating element that operates directly off the 360V Lithium Ion battery, and able to accurately heat the coolant when the battery cells are too cold.
When the engine is OFF (as during electric only EV operation) the valve is commanded to be in engine bypass mode. This permits the electric pump to circulate coolant through the 360V heater then through the heater core in a short, efficient loop. For maximum electrical efficiency, feedback from temperature sensors in the passenger compartment and heater coolant loop are used to determine the necessary amount of electric current applied to the high voltage (360V) heating element which is an integral part of the Coolant Heater Control Module (CHCM).​

 

at least with the leaf and volt, you have enough battery to play around with electric heat if you so desire. not so with pip.

 

At least with the Leaf, there is no complex series of pumps and valves that will inevitably fail. Instead, Nissan equips 'em with batteries that fail instead.

 

I'm not being cheeky but I can't understand why someone would waste resources that costs real money when they can just put on a jacket. It's a slight discomfort. I do understand, though, that everyone is motivated differently.

 

on trips within ev range, turning the engine on only wastes gas, creates unnecessary pollution, kills your overall mpg average, increases engine wear and does very little by way of heating the car.

 

Respectfully speaking to each their own, but I'm not wearing my Carhartt in the house either.

 

no prolemo, we don't get many visitors a second time. and this ain't texas.

 

WOW!

 

well, it's not the frozen tundra. balmy 15 degrees right now.

 

Not in my car.... The Prius and PIP overall get better MPG than any other hybrid/plug-in hybrid out there, so giving up comfort for bragging rights and "minute" differences in consumption and/or environmental impact just doesn't rank a priority for us. We're good Bisco , just see it different on this one.

 

can't agree more, and my psychoanalyst concurs.

 

The influence of the fan on the EV range is nothing but a reminder that the heater will cause the engine to run more often. That's it. The battery-charge level doesn't change. Confirming that is just a simple matter of watching SOC (battery charge-level) on an aftermarket gauge, like Torque or ScanGauge.

PiP does offer an advantage over the regular Prius as to when the engine starts back up. The tolerance based on coolant temperature is variable rather than fixed. That means a lower setting on the heater will keep the engine off longer. You can clearly confirm that using an aftermarket gauge.

And yes, the A/C does indeed come on while the heater is running. That's how dehumidifying is achieved when you press the DEFROST button for the front windshield. It's a normal operation on vehicles most people aren't aware of until they wonder why MPG drops as the temperature drops.

For those who experience true Winter (that's when daily high temperatures remain below freezing), you can get the most out of the heater by monitoring coolant temperature. There's no reason at all not to run the heater if the coolant is has been warmed. Taking advantage of that waste engine heat is as simple as looking at a number on a gauge. You'll know exactly when the engine is about to restart too. In the meantime, you can cruise along in EV without freezing.

 

Wow!
Freezing to get another 1 mile range from the normal 6-12 mile range!
Keeping your house cold to save $30 a month!

Is this a "Personality Trait"? (there are probably other names for it...)

 

tell me you didn't keep track of those miles

I doubt I've used heat for more than 100 total miles out of 20,000 between my PiP and Volt.
Using pre-heat while plugged in works on those coldest days given the short amount of time my wife is in the car.
Heated seats contribute the rest.

 

car tracks them for me.