gx3h or 4? question of the electric heater

[sheselectric]

Hi
I have just ordered the gx3h .. seems that most posts on this forum have the 4 ... i didn't want the extras of the 4 for the price, although have spotted a part of the forum (that seemed to trail off) that was about the absence of the electric heater in the 3 and the possible problems of this - that the engine keeps starting on a cold morning ... i wondered if anyone could expand on this and share their thoughts and experience of how its been with the 3 over the winder months and whether the absence of the heater in the 3 really is a significant absence, or something that can be managed quite easily? thanks in advance.

 

[greendwarf]

Hi
I have just ordered the gx3h .. seems that most posts on this forum have the 4 ... i didn't want the extras of the 4 for the price, although have spotted a part of the forum (that seemed to trail off) that was about the absence of the electric heater in the 3 and the possible problems of this - that the engine keeps starting on a cold morning ... i wondered if anyone could expand on this and share their thoughts and experience of how its been with the 3 over the winder months and whether the absence of the heater in the 3 really is a significant absence, or something that can be managed quite easily? thanks in advance.

Yes it's cold in a Gx3h if you don't want to run the ICE for heating in Winter but it depends on your journey - short commuter run and any normal car won't have warmed up either but on a long trip e.g. skiing in February then you're well beyond EV range anyway, so there is surplus heat for free.

Also depends on why you've got the car. If it is to minimise petrol consumption/environmental concerns then just put your coat and gloves on :mrgreen: If not, then the price difference is a lot of petrol you can burn to keep you warm before you are out of pocket.

Most of the whinging you will read is Gx4h users complaining about the ICE starting even when they have warmed the car up in advance from the electric heater - a first world problem we Gx3h users can ignore :lol:

 

[sheselectric]

Thanks, that's very helpful info to have. Mainly I will be doing short journeys, perhaps 10 - 12 miles per day - hopefully all on electric. ... hope you are enjoying your car. best wishes.

 

[maby]

As greendwarf says, it will be no worse than a standard petrol driven car that has no option of an electric heater, but it will not be as much better than a petrol car as some of the advertising suggests. The quoted figures of approaching 148mpg and 32 miles EV range are very much the best possible case and only realistically apply in warm weather.

 

[Clarkey4x4]

Hi,

I got my gx3h in February and it was cold for the first 6 weeks of having the car. The engine does start if you need heating but I didn't use much fuel when this happenend. My journey is 13 miles each way to work and I do this now everyday on electric power, charging each night. You'll love the car, its been good to me so far!!

 

[kentphev]

Had a couple of quite cold mornings since I got my gx4, but I've found the heated seat is a really quick way to get warm without running the electric heater. Not quite sure what the energy consumption of seat heaters is, but as they heat you rather than the entire cabin probably a lot less.

More importantly you get instant heat and its nice on your lower back

 

[Kaboom]

Hi
I have just ordered the gx3h .. seems that most posts on this forum have the 4 ... i didn't want the extras of the 4 for the price, although have spotted a part of the forum (that seemed to trail off) that was about the absence of the electric heater in the 3 and the possible problems of this - that the engine keeps starting on a cold morning ... i wondered if anyone could expand on this and share their thoughts and experience of how its been with the 3 over the winder months and whether the absence of the heater in the 3 really is a significant absence, or something that can be managed quite easily? thanks in advance.

Hi,

I do enough miles in a day to start the engine first thing in the morning, push battery save and warm up (because the engine would be coming on later in the day anyway).
When I get to work, I park it where the sun hits it and keeps it warm, ready for when I next get in it.

Mpg does suffer in the winter but still is pretty amazing.

I also bought an electric seat pad to keep me warm, a scarf and a thick coat (these items are still cheaper than the extra cost of the GX4!).

I'm really, very pleased with my purchase, but money being no object I would have bought the GX4!

Thanks

 

[sheselectric]

Thanks everyone for the replies, helpful and reassuring.
Looking forward to getting started.

 

[greendwarf]

Thanks, that's very helpful info to have. Mainly I will be doing short journeys, perhaps 10 - 12 miles per day - hopefully all on electric. ... hope you are enjoying your car. best wishes.

With this sort of daily mileage (similar to mine), even in winter you can do it all on EV and in most cases you will arrive at your destination before you notice the cold - most of the time (depending on your local weather). I think it is brilliant for this type of usage and, yes (apart from not being able to have a red one :twisted: ), I am very happy with the car.

 

[anko]

But will you? With electric heater you can get into a preheated defrosted car and get across in EV mode without experiencing the cold. Believe me, you may not notice the cold (although I doubt it) but you will notice the warmth.

 

[greendwarf]

But will you? With electric heater you can get into a preheated defrosted car and get across in EV mode without experiencing the cold. Believe me, you may not notice the cold (although I doubt it) but you will notice the warmth.

Not if you've got a Gx3h - nothing to miss :lol:

 

[sheselectric]

Im a bit confused ... without a heater can you generate any internal heat? Can you use the aircon to do this atall?

 

[anko]

You can only generate heat by making the engine burn fuel. On long trips (beyond EV range) this is maybe not so big a problem but on shorter trips (within EV range) you must choose between burning fuel or being cold. Or trade your car for one that has an electric heater.

 

[sheselectric]

Ok thanks i think ive got it now: if i want heat i run the ice. Although, without a heater and only aircon how does heat get from the ice to the interior?

 

[anko]

Same as in any ordinary car. Please note: We don't say the car doesn't have a heater. We say the car doesn't have an electric heater (to heat the cabin when the ICE is off).