Can anyone approximately quantify how much having a heat pump in a BEV will help in seasonal areas where winter temps will be below freezing for 4-5 months of the year? Not just "they're good" or "they help", but any idea of how much power they save per hour of cabin heating, or a percentage, or anything like that? I'm in Toronto, Canada and drive north to a cottage, even in winter. We might have temps in the teens (Fahrenheit) for a few months, but we also have summer temps in the 90s for a few months. I'm looking at a 2021 BEV crossover SUV, and the question of how much weight to give a heat pump is bothering me. There's so much to love in the Mustang Mach-e (RWD, extended battery), except it doesn't have a heat pump, unlike its competitors the ID.4 and Tesla Y. Will not having one make a difference enough that the 300 mile range drops to 225 in the winter, instead of 250? (I really hate the uber-minimalist interior of the Tesla, but the specs on it are pretty awesome. )
The manufacture who makes the heat pump may make a big difference as to the efficiency. So that adds another factor. Bjorn ran a test on the model 3 with and without a heat pump. Tesla Canuck has also ran some tests with the Model Y with a heat pump. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGHqPPHnzB440j1IoelT_Rw
Bjorn didn't seem to think that not having a heat pump was a deal breaker if you had plenty of fast charging stations available. However, you may have to preheat the battery to fast charge at a reasonable rate in the winter. So may sure that preheating works in the ford.
A heat pump should decrease the energy needed by about 1/3 but is a strong function of the outside temperature. But when combined with waste heat recovered from the drivetrain, it can be a significant source. In effect, recycling/amplifying the waste heat to affordable, usable levels. Bob Wilson
