[Anish88]

So I have an FE. I know that it has a heat pump but I'm trying to understand the function of this heat button in relation to the heat pump, interior heating, and my range. I live in Wisconsin so the temperatures have been in the teens recently. I don't need to have a perfectly heated car all the time and I would like to extend my range as far as I can.

So I guess my question is: why is it that when I press the heat button on my range decreases versus when I have the heat button turned to off my range increases. Isn't that heat button supposed to help my range? Sorry if this has been asked before but I just wanted to clarification how I should utilize this.

I know in the picture the heat button is turned off and in fact I took the picture while the car is turned off.

What scenarios would you guys recommend in regards to extending range versus improving comfort.

 

[evboost]

How far is your commute? What are the speeds? Speed makes more difference than the heater.
You can try turning the heat pump off with that button, the car will try to keep as warm as possible by recirculating without using the heat pump. You can also set the heater to driver only, this might help some.

Battery temperature is what really reduces range in cold weather more than using the heater. Also in winter mode the EV6 will use the heat pump to heat the battery, this is needed to keep the power level high enough to accept regen. The most effective thing you can do is keep the car in a heated garage on both ends of your commute. Starting with a warm car and battery will do more than keeping the interior heater off to increase range.

I have turned the heater off on my Leaf on cold days when I was short on range. But I found that I had to turn it back on to defrost periodically to keep the windows from fogging up. This extended the range very slightly but was not something I enjoyed. The difference in range was less than 10%, so it really was not worth being cold and dealing with foggy windows.

Since my commute is only 50 miles each way, I have plenty of range with the EV6, so I keep the heat, the heated seats and wheel on all the time.

 

[YellowFE]

My 2 cents, though my direct experience is with a Niro PHEV (and home heat pump, previous reading on the subject).

The heat pump is much more energy efficient than the cheaper EV option of resistive heating, but it still draws power so will reduce your range. The most efficient option (least impact on range) is to use the heated seats and heated steering wheel instead of cabin heat. I found this approach works well in my Niro during the winter on local trips in EV mode, and I read that EV owners do the same.

You might be interested in this article: Hyundai and Kia's EV Heat Pumps a Benchmark for Other Brands - Hyundai Motor Group TECH

 

[SirSleepsAlot]

The heat button simply tells the car to provide heat, whether it happens to have a heat pump (which allows it to provide heat more efficiently) or not. An ICE car doesn't need such a button because heat is a byproduct of combustion - it's "free." In an EV, producting heat is "expensive" in terms of energy usage, so you can turn it off to increase range. In contrast, running the A/C in an ICE car puts more of a load on the engine and you burn more gasoline. So ICE cars allow you to turn the A/C off for economy (and environment.) In the EV6, if you select "auto" climate control the car turns on and off the heat and/or A/C as needed. If both heat and A/C buttons are off, they you get fresh air (depending where you live

 

[Anish88]

So essentially if I'm trying to save range and don't care about the inside climate and heat, I should have that button off (with maybe heated seats and steering wheel on?)

And if I want to control the climate and make it warm, the most efficient way is to have that button turned on?

 

[SirSleepsAlot]

So essentially if I'm trying to save range and don't care about the inside climate and heat, I should have that button off (with maybe heated seats and steering wheel on?)

Yes, although unless I'm concerned about having enuf charge to reach my destination, I prefer to be comfortable!

And if I want to control the climate and make it warm, the most efficient way is to have that button turned on?

It's the only way as far as I know.

 

[uzbek]

All a bit confusing

Is it only Kia that have this specific 'heat' button? On other EVs (such as our i3) if you turn up the temperature gauge then the heater comes on. I am assuming that if I turn up the temp dial on my EV6 without pressing 'heat' nothing much changes? Or does it automatically engage the heater anyway? What if I turn the dial below the heat in the cabin but the 'heat' button is still activated?

I cannot understand how the 'heat' button works with what is supposed to be automatic climate control. It seems a bit unnecessary to me

Note I don't have my car yet but the online manual is not terribly detailed on this.

 

[JayEM]

All a bit confusing

Is it only Kia that have this specific 'heat' button? On other EVs (such as our i3) if you turn up the temperature gauge then the heater comes on. I am assuming that if I turn up the temp dial on my EV6 without pressing 'heat' nothing much changes? Or does it automatically engage the heater anyway? What if I turn the dial below the heat in the cabin but the 'heat' button is still activated?

I cannot understand how the 'heat' button works with what is supposed to be automatic climate control. It seems a bit unnecessary to me

Note I don't have my car yet but the online manual is not terribly detailed on this.

You have that right, as earlier replies have noted. The heat button is like the A/C button, it turns heating on or off, just as the A/C button turns the A/C on or off. I too have an i3 and found this counterintuitive, but now it makes prefect sense. In the i3, to turn the heat off, you have to turn the fan speed down to zero... and then you have no ventilation/air movement at all. I think the heat on/off button is actually genius!

 

[Anish88]

You have that right, as earlier replies have noted. The heat button is like the A/C button, it turns heating on or off, just as the A/C button turns the A/C on or off. I too have an i3 and found this counterintuitive, but now it makes prefect sense. In the i3, to turn the heat off, you have to turn the fan speed down to zero... and then you have no ventilation/air movement at all. I think the heat on/off button is actually genius!

To essentially save battery when it's off right?

 

[JayEM]

To essentially save battery when it's off right?

Yup!

 

[uzbek]

So if the heat button is not pressed and the cabin is too cool then changing the temp controller is actually pointless?

I am still struggling to see the logic of separating these functions.

 

[WBF25]

So if the heat button is not pressed and the cabin is too cool then changing the temp controller is actually pointless?

I am still struggling to see the logic of separating these functions.

Does it essentially allow you to circulate outside air? So if it’s comfortable out but you don’t want the windows open you have heat and AC off but you can have the fan running to pull in air?

 

[dc30307]

So if the heat button is not pressed and the cabin is too cool then changing the temp controller is actually pointless?

I am still struggling to see the logic of separating these functions.

I don't know if this is true on the EV6, but I have seen a write-up of the heat pump system in the e-Niro that indicated that in the right conditions it was capable of transferring heat from the batteries to the cabin air w/o operating the heat pump. So PERHAPS changing the temp controller with the heat button off would allow you whatever "free" heat is available, while not activating the heat pump or resistance heat.

EDIT: I think this white paper is where I got the info on heating with waste heat w/o the HP or PTC heater. It was actually a Kia Soul that was used for the example, not an e-Niro. This was written by Hanon Systems, who helped devlop the heat pump system used in Hyundai/Kia EVs. But it's unclear to me if this design was ever used in production.

 

[JayEM]

So if the heat button is not pressed and the cabin is too cool then changing the temp controller is actually pointless?

I am still struggling to see the logic of separating these functions.

It might be cool outside but still warm enough (especially with the sun shining) that you don't need to add heat, but you still want ventilation. I guess that's their logic.

In my i3 I would just leave the temp set at 64° and let the car would decide whether to run heat or not. I could turn down to 60° and accomplish the same thing as turning the heat off on mild days.

I have noticed that on hot days, even with the A/C turned off in my i3, I still get cool air blowing into the cabin because the batteries are being cooled, so maybe this is Kia's way of accomplishing the same thing when it's cool out and there's "waste heat" in the motor/battery pack?

 

[SirSleepsAlot]

My Leaf also has a heat button.

 

[alansh42]

If the climate control is set to auto it will manage turning the A/C and heat on and off. Otherwise you'll have to do it if it's too cold.

 

[Desmo]

So if the heat button is not pressed and the cabin is too cool then changing the temp controller is actually pointless?

I am still struggling to see the logic of separating these functions.

I don't understand the need for a heat button either. If I turn the temperature higher then I obviously want heat. If I turn it lower then I don't want it as hot and the car can decide if it still needs to give me heat or not. My Tesla never had a heat button as it could work out if I need heat or not on it's own.

 

[tangey]

I don't understand the need for a heat button either. If I turn the temperature higher then I obviously want heat. If I turn it lower then I don't want it as hot and the car can decide if it still needs to give me heat or not.

Exactly this.

 

[ppheijnen]

I would see the HEAT button as a way to force the car to prevent any battery drainage by using electricity for heating.
IMO it is an overengineered design feature that I would opt to have somehwere in the back of the SW-menu that could pop-up for example when the range drops below 50km as an option to limit power and extend range. I would not have thought to give it an actual button. I think 9/10 people will leave it on for 99% of the time...

 

[ppheijnen]

As it is in fact not a real button, maybe Kia can replace it with another button that makes more sende to use more often