The heat pump you’ve never heard of: How one device can maximise EV range and make charging easier

Type ‘heat pumps’ into an internet search engine and you’ll get thousands of hits dedicated to weighing up the pros and cons of home energy heating systems.

But many people don’t know that there’s another heat pump out there – and it’s for electric cars. 

The lesser known heat pumps of EVs are devices that keep you warm while extending your car’s range.

Heat pumps in electric cars have actually been around since the 2013 Nissan Leaf, and the 2014 Kia Soul. But most recently it’s been Teslas that have brought them to greater attention. 

So, what exactly do EV heat pumps do and how do they work? How much money can they save you?

Here’s our guide to heat pumps for electric cars, which cars come with them already, and whether it’s worth getting one as an optional extra. 

What’s an EV heat pump? And how does the circa £1,000 device, that many new EVs come with as standard, help extend range? Here are the answers to all your heat pump questions

What are electric car heat pumps and how do they work?

An electric car heat pump is a device that uses waste heat from the car’s battery to heat the EV’s interior – and in doing so improving the EV’s efficiency as there’s less drain on the battery charge.

The common analogy for how a heat pump works is that it’s like a fridge or freezer reversed.

A heat pump, as the name on the tin suggests, pumps heat around. While a fridge moves warm air from inside to outside, a heat pump moves heat from outside to inside.

In seconds a heat pump will take any excess heat from the car’s battery and electrics, and through compression heats the air which is then used in turn to heat the EV’s cabin. 

A heat pump works like a reverse fridge or freezer, and uses waste heat from an EV’s battery and electricals to then heat the cabin to save energy

How efficient are EV heat pumps? And do they really help extend range?

A heat pump will massively help improve a car’s efficiency in cold weather, warming the cabin quicker and with less energy than a traditional fan heater or air-con system. 

The more efficient the car, the more miles of range it will be able to cover as less battery power is used up.

A winter real-world range test conducted by What Car? found that the electric cars fitted with a heat pump fell short of their official range by an average of 25.4 per cent, while those without fell short by a 33.6 per cent deficit.

Cars with heat pumps also proved more efficient, averaging 3.2 miles/kWh, compared with 2.9 miles/kWh for ones without.

Other benefits of a heat pump?    

Heat pumps are also used to keep the battery at an optimal temperature. 

Batteries have complex chemistry which work less well in cold weather so a heat pump can step in and keep the battery at the right temperature to allow better performance and in particular improved charging.

Heat pumps can also work in reverse if the temperature is too hot for optimal battery performance. 

When you set your electric car to ‘pre-condition’ then the heat pump is pre-conditioning the battery like this, before you drive or before a charging session.

A heat pump also keeps the battery at the optimal temperature for maximum efficiency and to enable better, faster charging

Remotely programming an EV heat pump   

These days almost all new EVs come with smartphone apps which let you remotely set your heat pump and pre-condition the car cabin to your perfect temperature, or let the car defrost while it’s still charging which also helps to preserve range.

It also means you can stay toasty inside before hopping into an equally toasty car. 

Do heat pumps work in all temperatures?

Yes they do, so you don’t need to live in a country with sub-zero temperatures to benefit – wet, cold and miserable Blighty is perfect for EV heat pumps. 

Do all EVs come with heat pumps? How much does it cost to get one?

A large number of newer EVs come with heat pumps, but not all.

Luxury brands like BMW and Tesla offer heat pumps as standard in all their electric cars, as do some more affordable brands such as Renault.

However many brands don’t offer them as standard, such as Audi, Skoda and Volkswagen, and you’ll need to buy one as an optional extra. 

Heat pumps usually cost around £1,000 to add as an optional extra but many higher trim specs will include one even if the base spec doesn’t, so it’s worth checking that out if you’re debating between trims.

Is a heat pump worth it?

Heat pumps are a very useful range-extending device in cold weather – but you don’t have to live in sub-zero climates for it to be effective

While a £1,000-plus is a significant additional expense, it is one of the most worthwhile extras – and far more useful in the long run than a swish speaker system.

If you’re someone who needs to eek out every mile of range from your EV and you frequently do long trips then it is definitely worth it, especially if you’ll then be using the rapid charging network.

If you do shorter distances and charge at home then it might be a less worthwhile extra to opt for, as it will take you a lot longer to recuperate the cost, but it is still very useful if the EV comes with one as standard.