Both electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids are widely used in heat pump air conditioning technology to improve energy efficiency and range.
For pure electric vehicles, equipping with heat pump air conditioners can save battery power and ensure that every kilowatt-hour of electricity can be used to the fullest. Heat pump air conditioning has the advantages of low power consumption and high heating effect, which is especially important for pure electric vehicles in the northern region, because it can provide better range for the vehicle in winter.
However, why do plug-in hybrids also need to be equipped with heat pump air conditioning?Generally, plug-in hybrids are equipped with an internal combustion engine, which heats up by blowing hot air into the interior of the vehicle through a radiator.
So theoretically, plug-in hybrid models don't seem to need heat pump air conditioning.
However, today's plug-in hybrids usually have a long all-electric drive range, often reaching more than 100 kilometers. When the vehicle travels a short range per day, such as about 20 to 30 kilometers, the internal combustion engine will not start, and a heat pump or PTC is required for heat conduction.
To sum up, the main reason why plug-in hybrids need to be equipped with heat pump air conditioning is to improve the range in pure electric drive mode. Even if the plug-in hybrid model is not equipped with a heat pump air conditioning, it will not affect daily use, because the internal combustion engine can still provide a comfortable interior temperature in intelligent hybrid or fuel priority mode.
However, some high-end plug-in hybrids are usually equipped with heat pump air conditioning, because in the case of higher vehicle **, the cost of heat pump air conditioning can be afforded, and heat pump air conditioning can increase the heating speed in pure electric drive mode, minimize the time for the internal combustion engine to intervene in the work, and improve the overall product performance. In general, heat pump air conditioning is not a mandatory configuration for pure electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, but for plug-in hybrids equipped with heat pump air conditioning, they can have better range performance in pure electric drive mode.
The application of this technology has played a positive role in optimizing energy utilization and improving the range of vehicles.