You have heard of heat in the steering wheel and in the seats. Now the heat gets into the harnesses, and that might save the electric car's range, says German ZF.
Is heat in the harnesses the solution to many electric cars' biggest problem – namely the range?
Maybe. At least if you ask German ZF, which has developed just that. Car seat belts with heat in them. That is precisely because it is well known that the cold winter days take a toll on electric car batteries.
Here, heat in the cabin is one of the biggest culprits. But good advice has been more expensive, because how else would you, as driver and passenger, keep the heat just about right.
ZF now believes it has a solution. The heated seat belt will, the Germans say, be able to significantly reduce the electric car's electricity consumption. And that way through provide extra range on cold winter days.
READ ALSO: The EU drops strict requirements for electric cars in cold weather
This is what the car company writes in a press release .
Specifically, ZF claims that the heated seat belt will be able to reduce electric cars' electricity consumption by 'up to 15 percent', compared to if the air conditioner were used to get the heat.
– In a cold electric car, the air conditioning system can use up to 5-6 kilowatt-hours to create a temperature that is comfortable for the passengers, explains Björn Kräft, head of the harness development project at ZF.
However, ZF is not so far with the development of the harness that you can claim to have any car brands on a customer list yet. But there is no doubt that electric cars suffer in cold weather.
However, the Norwegians still believe that electric cars perform better in the cold than diesel and petrol cars. Read more about it here .
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