HV/EV Strategy for pulling out of a room temp garage into freezing cold temps?

Use of the traction-motor results in heat. Watch the value on the gauge in the video.

 

As I recall, using the front defroster will cause the ICE to start; the rear defroster won't. This is for dealing with serious ice on the windshield, requiring a lot of heat to melt the ice, for you folks who have real winters. The HVAC system has humidity detectors, so if what you really need is just defogging, but it is too cool to use just the cooling system, that is something that is handled automatically by using the inside condenser coil to reheat dehumidified (and cooled) cabin air. In my experience, you don't need to press any buttons to get this defogging; it just works.

 

"real" winter is the term used to identify climate with temperatures well below freezing, so cold, there is no ice on your vehicle. That is what we call a normal cold season, here in Minnesota. We get that friendly precipitation that stays in snow form... great for outdoor recreation. That's when the engine must start, since conditions are much colder than what a heat-pump can efficiently handle.

"warm" winter is when ice concerns emerge. But that's when the heat-pump works really well. If you are willing to take it out of ECO to give the battery a workout, the heat is impressive for melting ice. That obviously drains the electricity fast, but is a complete non-issue if you are just running to town for errands anyway or have a short commute. You can also take advantage of MAX electric warming from being plugged in.

In other words, there are 2 winters to discuss. One from 32F to 15F where the heat-pump works great and one that 14F and colder.

 

Thanks, Charles, that's the first explanation of this system I've heard that I've actually understood! I've done my own A/C work in previous cars, so I find this system pretty amazing. I have a hard time imagining my local Toyota mechanics working on this system, especially since I have one of the few Primes in the state of NC...

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