Are Heat Pumps Helpful in EVs in the Arctic?

Thermal management of electric vehicles (EVs) impacts battery range, especially in cold temperatures. EV manufacturers, such as Tesla, have started transitioning from using resistive heating to heat pumps for thermal management; these are generally considered to be more energy efficient than resistive heating systems, and are reported to increase winter range in EVs. However, there is a temperature below which the heat pump will not operate more efficiently than resistive heating. Crowdsourced data from eight Teslas operated in extreme cold temperatures in Alaska show mixed results. This indicates that the performance benefit of heat pumps may be muted and obscured by other factors that affect vehicle efficiency in extremely cold climates.