Another thing about electric cars

[Fredxx]

I'm sure there will be a diesel heater accessory sold as a range extender which can use red diesel.

[alan_m]

Yep and they melt the frost or ice on the windows rapidly!

In most cases even with previously de-frosting windows unless the interior of the car in warm, or there is stream of hot air to the windows, they will mist/freeze up again rather quickly. I find the heated front screen on my car a bonus in frost/winter conditions.

[Dave Liquorice]

Disagree. They knew they would have to stop for a fast charge on the return leg and had planned for that(*). The problems started when that planned fast charger and almost every other one in the area was also non-functional.

(*) You can't assume that they could plug into 13A socket at their destination. Maybe the trip was just to drop a food parcel/medicines/WHY off to someone before lockdown 2. ie they didn't stop for any appreciable lenght of time.

[Bob Eager]

My journey to work was relatively short. Cabin heater really only kicked in about two thirds of the way there. Had to wear gloves until then.

[Andy Burns]

Presume Ford have a patent stranglehold on heated screens? They seem to chuck it in on even their base models, but other manufacturers either don't have it as an option, or it costs arms and legs ...

[Dave Liquorice]

Do you not get cold hands and feet when the air temp is below 5 C ish? I do. I don't have cold hands in this room at 18 C but if I drove for an hour today without the cabin heater warming the car to

18 C I would. It's just above 5 C outside...

[T i m]

On Sun, 29 Nov 2020 08:44:48 +0000, alan_m [e-mail]>

wrote: <snip>

<snip>

Mate just bought one for his VW weekender van and was asking me how he could / should power it as I think hoping he could use a small auxiliary battery, rather than having to run the main battery down.

As it's diesel it looks like it uses a glow plug to (initially) ignite the fuel meaning it draws about 10A to start with and then drops down to 1A after that (for the blower fan and fuel pump).

Depending on if it actually shuts right down when up to temp or not, then if it was on for 8 hours overnight that could all add up re the drain on any supply battery.

Cheers, T i m

[Dave Liquorice]

+1

Heated screen is one of the top requirements for a car. Way above poncy heated seats. B-) Doesn't half draw some power though, very noticeable change in engine note when when switched on, far more than the heated rear screen lights etc combined.

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

fred explained on 29/11/2020 :

An unimaginable amount of guess work, hoping and planning for a relatively trip, when compared to what I would need to do in my diesel. In my diesel I just need to decide where I want to go and go, no refuelling planning, whether I set off with a full or empty tank. If I do need fuel, I am certain to find it day or night almost anywhere and refuelling takes just minutes - no searching for stations, no finding them closed, broken, or not compatible.

[Andy Burns]

I just pour a few litres of fairly cool water over the car, only takes a few seconds and works on all windows and door mirrors, not just front and rear.

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

Dave Liquorice has brought this to us :

No, if my main body is warm, I don't have an issue.

[Dave Liquorice]

That would frequently just cover the car in ice and/or create an ice rink around the car... Aerosol deicer on the side windows struggles or even freezes at times. Start the car, press the auto defrost button. Wander round clearing the side windows, lights etc. By the time those have been done the screen is either clear or the wipers can just push it off.

[Dave Plowman (News]

Yes - it's odd. Was surprised to buy a fully loaded BMW some time ago without one.

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

Dave Liquorice pretended :

I used to always do the warm water trick, never a problem.

Ford had the patent on the built into the screen heater wires, which prevented other manufacturers using the system. I think Volvo were allowed use of it. They worked great, when I owned Ford Granadas.

[Fredxx]

It is normal to have a leisure battery and a voltage controlled relay that connects the two whilst the engine is running and in charging mode.

That leaves the starter battery isolated and can perform it's normal duties independent of any auxiliary loads.

[tim...]

personally I prefer sitting on a cold seat (though not a freezing cold one)

but I still want my arms and legs to be warm

[tim...]

OTOH

the body has the tendency not to heat up the extremities when it is short of heat to move around

and it's exactly those parts of my body that I want heated up most

[tim...]

must be out of patent by now

it's been at least 30 years

[tim...]

another nail in the coffin for the "just drop by the fuel station on your way to work for a daily fast charge" solution, for those of us who live in suburban streets without off street parking

[Dave Plowman (News]

There's no real reason there couldn't be lots of on street chargers. Such things already exist. Just not enough of them, if and when electric cars become the norm.