In contrast to the FAQ does the 2012 PIP have an electric heater?

some say yes, but i have never felt anything in the way of heat unless the ice has been running awhile. and i have done a lot of all ev driving in cold weather. 20 degrees outside, 20 degrees inside. that's a nice write up btw, i never saw it before, thanks!

 

That quote doesn't mention while it's plugged in...

I say no based on my 3 months of driving in below freezing temperatures. Honestly I can't say for sure

 

This was brought up before and I was told the PIP didn't have the aux. heater. According to this parts breakdown, it's #9 in the illustration. 2012 TOYOTA PRIUS Parts - DiscountToyotaParts

 

This is the question I asked to Toyota

"I tried to use the AC button the remote when the car is charging using the cable provided with the car. The AC starts in the car but switches off in about 2 seconds. The required temperature set (20 C ) is not reached. The doors are closed and the car batteries are fully charged. What am I doing wrong?"



and this is the response I got



"Thank you for your question on the Prius Plug-in.
The vehicle can only be heated if the Hybrid system coolant is hot and so the vehicle would need to have been used recently. If the vehicle interior is hot then the A/C can be used to cool it. If the vehicle has been left overnight with a low exterior temperature and the interior temperature is also below 20 C, it will not be able to warm the vehicle and so will not operate.
We hope this helps."

 

So, it has a ceramic heating element that works when the car is being used, but not when charging, correct?

 

What is " PiP uses engine heat exhaust heat." Does that mean it's not engine hot water? Or is it exhaust manifold heat?

And also " The PTC has an electric heating element like Prius" What's a PTC?

 

Exhaust heat helps heat the engine coolant. Given time, engine coolant heats the cabin, but my fan stays off (automatically) until it is over 100 F. (Not sure the exact temperature)

"PTC ceramic: this material is named for its positive thermal coefficient of resistance (i.e., resistance increases upon heating). Most ceramics have a negative coefficient, whereas most metals have positive values. While metals do become slightly more resistant at higher temperatures, this class of ceramics (often barium titanate and lead titanate composites) has a highly nonlinear thermal response, so that it becomes extremely resistant above a composition-dependent threshold temperature. This behavior causes the material to act as its own thermostat, since current passes when it is cool, and does not when it is hot. Thin films of this material are used in automotive rear-window defrost heaters, and honeycomb-shaped elements are used in more expensive hair dryers and space heaters. - Heating element - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Very nice explanation Jimbo...thanks.

 

i think there is a misleading 'element' (pun intended) in erica's statement. 'the ptc has an electric heating element like prius which makes it more efficient than a standard heating system'. thi sounds like something that operates in ev when ice is cold, but i do not believe that is the case. i think it refers to something that operates in conjunction with ice to make heating more efficient.

 

Well, it does appear that at least some Japanese PiPs get steering wheel heat…



Some have asked about this. Looks like under "A" (radar) there's an icon for Steering Wheel heat. Wonder if it can be retrofitted to US cars?