Our in-depth insights series, ‘How It’s Made’ continues. In just under two minutes with Daniele Invernizzi from EvNow!, we’ll explore how a heat pump works to heat or cool electric vehicles.
The function of a heat pump is to extract heat from one point and distribute it to another point where it is needed. This allows to achieve remarkably high efficiency: it can return thermal energy up to 5 times greater than the electrical energy supplied to operate it.
For example, in winter, to heat the interior of an electric vehicle, the heat pump communicates with the BTMS (Battery Thermal Management System) to extract heat from the most convenient source, such as the battery, the motor, or the active electronics, and release it, multiplied by about 5 times, inside the vehicle.
Similarly, in summer, the heat pump extracts excess heat from the interior to redirect it, for instance, towards the battery for pre-heating in anticipation of high-power charging or dissipate it outside.
The heat pump within an electric vehicle creates a highly sophisticated system and is by far the most efficient way to manage its thermal regulation.
