New Heating System Touted for EVs

Researchers at the Stuttgart-based Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation say they have developed a more efficient heating technology for the passenger cabins of electric vehicles.

EVs require an additional heater because they don't produce the engine heat generated by conventional vehicles. The heaters are powered by the main battery pack and can significantly reduce an EV's driving range in cold weather.

The Fraunhofer team's system uses a film coated with a thin layer of conductive carbon nanotubes (CNTs). As with conventional copper wire-based electric resistance heaters typically used in EVs, the CNT system generates heat when electricity flows through its film and causes particles to collide.

The CNT film heats up and cools faster than wire systems, according to the researchers. Other purported benefits include a more even distribution of heat, greater temperature adjustability, and improved durability and reliability.

The CNT heating system also is more compact and provides greater design flexibility, the researchers say. In initial testing, the film is applied to inner door trim by gluing it in place. The Fraunhofer researchers are working on a spray system that promises to be faster and less expensive to apply.