How does a hybrid car create heat for passenger compartment when it is running on electric power (battery)?

Question

If the you are driving at 0Deg C or 32 F then you need heat if not you will freez to death. Usually cars use the heat from radiator pipes to heat thedriver compartment. so what does a hyrid car does when it is driven by battery.

Answer 1

Ever touch an electric motor that is running?  Or how about your computer, it gets hot.  Electricity is energy and energy is basically stored heat.

Answer 2

Honestly, I am not entirely sure how hybrids get there heat.  If they do have a heater when running solely off electric power, then they must have an electric heater similar to a hair dryer or a space heater.  Otherwise they use the heat from the internal combustion engine since electric motors generate almost no heat.

Answer 3

This isn't done, but it could be. Get 2  metal cans, which fit one inside the other with 1/8 in between them. Fill the space with oil and turn one can inside the other with an electric motor. The high viscosity produces friction, which is a very efficient means of creating heat. I saw it on Keelynet.com a long time ago.

Answer 4

The hybrid car has a fuel injected engine and the conventional system can be used for the heater.

In exclusively electric powered cars the electric heater is the option

Answer 5

Coolant

Answer 6

Water cools down the engine. For years, heavy trucks have been using water injection systems that cost up to $15,000 to cool their engines . Truck owners are very sensitive to maintenance expenses and they know from years of  experience that water reduces their breakdowns and overall operating costs

Answer 7

In the case of the Prius, it has a "thermal battery" which stores heat for up to 3 days after the engine shuts down.  The heater is a heat pump (the A/C system in reverse), according to the link (confirmed by other sources).

Answer 8

that's one of the reasons pure electric cars are not practical in cold climates, another is battery range is reduced up to 50% in winter conditions, without using part of the energy for heat.

hybrid cars use waste heat from the combustion engine for heat the same as any other car. a heater that ran on gasoline used to be a popular option in luxury cars. gasoline heaters were also available in the after market & worked very well, they put out heat as soon as you turned them on whether the engine was running or not, of course they also put out pollution but probably less than a running engine.

Answer 9

Water cools down the engine. For years, heavy trucks have been using water injection systems that cost up to $15,000 to cool their engines . Truck owners are very sensitive to maintenance expenses and they know from years of experience that water reduces their breakdowns and overall operating costs