turning off heater increase ev range ?

You'd better drive fast to where you're going with the Leaf, because electric heaters consume a lot of power. In this country, you won't get very far in winter with electric heat cranked up all the way.

 

well, if you're only doing the average 25 mile commute, that leaves plenty of juice for heat. if you're driving your leaf to alaska in winter, that might be problematic. with the pip, electric heat would only work for 2-3 mile trips and a full charge.

 

How?

 

Some call it being frugal. I don't mind being called cheap. I roll my eyes when the car behind me goes WOT to pass me. I then exclaim "Wow, what a waste to save 1 car length." when we meet up at the next red light.

 

I call it an obsession myself. Anyone that obsessed with squeezing that much mileage out of an ounce of gasoline should be walking or riding a bicycle.

 

yeh but 7 miles each way on 40 mph 2 lane roads with no shoulder is taking your life in your hands.not to mention 4 miles of highway. in 20 degree weather and icy roads.

the mfd has two trip indicators that record total ev miles and hv miles. i use one for tank, and when for lifetime.

 

My 53 mile one commute is too long to bike. I did walk when I first started the job and rented a place a mile away. But marriage and family dictated a safe comfortable place which is unfortunately far from work.

I can say I am consistently obsessed about squeezing every last penny, including using an old iPhone 4s as my first smartphone last year on T-Mobile, lousiest reception of the 4 carriers here but cheapest cost, antenna tv over cable, bag lunch, invest in index funds instead of financial advisor for low ER, ugly green St Patrick's day boxer shorts for $1 on clearance, and finally recently changed my own oil because no $50 dealer coupons. I'm not paying $90 for regular price oil change.

 

If pure penny-pinching is your goal, the cost of buying and maintaining an electric vehicle will always exceed any potential savings you would achieve over a subcompact car, a motorcycle or a bicycle.

 

that's the only reason that didn't matter to me in buying a pip. firing the engine for heat on a 7 mile trip just doesn't make sense. there's no heat until 3-4 miles, and by the time you get warm, you're in your cozy office with a hot cup of java.

 

That's why a remote starter was the dealmaker for me.

 

and i don't respect you any less for your choice.

 

Ah!
The java is the reward at the end of your commute!

 

you know it, a reward for many things. and a jelly stick.

 

Reminds me of an old snake-oil remedy from the 19th century. It claimed to cure headaches; it induced a powerful throbbing headache for a few minutes, and when it was over, the user felt relief.

Similar to the old joke about the guy who hit himself on the head repeatedly with a hammer because he claimed it "felt so good" when he stopped.

 

It can be the opposite too. Some of us buy really nice winter-wear and feel quite comfortable out in the cold... skiing, skating, snow-shoeing, and walking outside for extended periods. That makes driving in the car with a heated seat no big deal.

 

To answer my own question, the engine coolant fans do not come on when the cabin heater is activated. This is unlike my Acura, which runs 1 of the 2 fans when the cabin heater is turned on.

However, both engine coolant fans come on whenever the AC turns on, and that includes windshield defrost.

I haven't measured electricity consumption of various components yet, but it's on my list of nerdy things to do.

 

i'll be waiting for the results. based on my unscientific testing, i'll guess reasonably low. there must be a temp, below which a/c does not come on with defrost.

 

People say that the AC won't turn on when it's below freezing outside, but I haven't verified that yet. In other cars, it seemed it didn't matter if it was freezing or not; activating defrost engaged the AC.

I push the AC button to over-ride it when I turn the defrost + feet vents on. The warm air alone is generally enough to clear the windshield. I'll be applying some sort of anti-fog to the inside surface of the windows because they seem to be more susceptible to fogging than any other car I've driven. It may be my imagination though.

I might get desperate and do the scuba spit-shine method of anti-fogging the glass.

 

My guess would be that the cabin heater draws enough heat from the engine, so that the radiator fan isn't triggered by the fan thermostat.