EV range and 4WD Lock, heated seats

[Morg]

Hi all,

I have another two questions relating to EV range.

Now that it is winter in Australia, my wife likes to drive with the heated seats turned on, but complains that the EV range has dropped considerably. Does this sound right? I thought the seats were heated using the normal 12V car battery? Does the 12V battery get topped up by the EV battery or through regular driving? Would heated seats have a major impact on EV range?

Also, does driving with the 4WD lock turned on have any effect on EV range? As I understand it, it adjusts the power distribution to both electrical motors equally when turned on, but would that have any effect on EV range? Not sure if I'm imagining it, but with the 4WD Lock turned on, I feel like I can get away quicker from stand still, like when having to cross a busy road quickly.

Thanks

 

[jaapv]

Well, at any rate that is not what EV lock is designed for. The idea is to have something comparable to diff lock on a normal 4x4. Which it does excellently, you will find out when doing hills in deep snow.
Any extra use of electricity, be it heating, bum warmers, windscreen wipers, AC or lights, etc. will affect the EV range. The sole function of the 12V battery is to power the vehicle up at the start.

 

[user 258]

Hi,

I believe that the heated seats are powered from the 12v battery which is itself is constantly charged by the drive battery. I think they take about 120W per seat so not a huge amount of power draw but will have some impact on drive battery. It is more likely that you only have the seats heated on cold days and on cold days the drive battery loses range due to the lower temperature.

Kind regards,
Mark

 

[jaapv]

The top models have electric heating too which runs from the main battery.