Espar diesel heater for Spark EV?

[oilerlord]

Hi,

First post. I've been doing some EV shopping, and the Spark EV looks like one of the best choices in terms of efficiency & range. I live in a cold winter climate (-30 at times), and in order to (comfortably) drive an EV over the winter, I know that I'd be killing battery range using the car's electric heater.

A popular mod (at least for TDI's like I drive now) is an Espar diesel heater. They are typically designed for semis but a few of my friends have installed them in their VW's. They require very little fuel to operate (around 0.2 liters per hour) and heat the cabin using the existing the car's existing air ducts. One of my friends can actually send a text to the heater via a GSM relay that can start the heater remotely. This heater really is awesome.

http://www.eberspaecher-na.com/fileadmin/data/countrysites/EB_Kanada/pdf/EB_Airtronic_D2_D4_D5_WEB_READY_01_26_15.pdf

I think this would be a great mod for anyone living in cold northern climates that needs to preserve battery range in winter. If anyone has done a mod like this with their EV, please share your experience. Thanks!

 

[Nashco]

Since the Spark EV can pre-condition (turn the HVAC on with either the key fob or the OnStar phone app) the cabin and battery, a fuel fired heater wouldn't provide much additional utility. If you preheat the car, the battery and cabin are heated while the car is plugged into the grid. Unlike other EVs, the Spark EV pre-conditions to the temperature you set on the HVAC when you last used the HVAC, so you can set it to really blast the car hot while plugged in if you want to. If you start your trip with a warm battery and warm car, you utilize the seat heaters, and you bundle up in warm winter clothes, the hit on range isn't that bad for regular commuting. Of course, if you need to drive longer distances in very cold temperatures and you're willing to use some oil to help get the job done, then maybe a Volt makes more sense than a Spark EV for you!

Personally, I'm not a huge fan of these fuel fired heaters (even on vehicles that already have diesel on board) because I can't stand the smell of diesel exhaust. The thought of adding a tailpipe to a BEV would be a little disheartening. It's also a real pain to add a fuel tank, filler, level sensor, fuel pump, etc. to a vehicle that wasn't designed for it. The fuel fired heaters are a very economical solution for vehicles that need to stay warm for long periods and are already hauling around fuel (like heavy trucks with sleeper cabs that drivers need to sleep in, or RV and camper vans), but I think this solution is overkill for our cars that are already pretty well equipped for the cold and are used for relatively short trips.

Some trivia...the only EV I'm aware of that came with a diesel fired heater was the Chevrolet S10 electric in the 90's. Since then, GM has developed what I consider to be the best EV in the market for dealing with extreme hot and cold temperatures, the Chevrolet Spark EV! Seems they learned their lesson. Between the liquid heated and cooled battery, automatic grill shutters, pre-conditioning features, and relatively small interior space, the car does very well with extreme climates compared to other EVs.

Welcome to the fold, I hope that you can find the solution you're looking for!

Bryce

 

[oilerlord]

Since the Spark EV can pre-condition (turn the HVAC on with either the key fob or the OnStar phone app) the cabin and battery, a fuel fired heater wouldn't provide much additional utility. If you preheat the car, the battery and cabin are heated while the car is plugged into the grid. Unlike other EVs, the Spark EV pre-conditions to the temperature you set on the HVAC when you last used the HVAC, so you can set it to really blast the car hot while plugged in if you want to. If you start your trip with a warm battery and warm car, you utilize the seat heaters, and you bundle up in warm winter clothes, the hit on range isn't that bad for regular commuting. Of course, if you need to drive longer distances in very cold temperatures and you're willing to use some oil to help get the job done, then maybe a Volt makes more sense than a Spark EV for you!

...GM has developed what I consider to be the best EV in the market for dealing with extreme hot and cold temperatures, the Chevrolet Spark EV! Seems they learned their lesson. Between the liquid heated and cooled battery, automatic grill shutters, pre-conditioning features, and relatively small interior space, the car does very well with extreme climates compared to other EVs.

Welcome to the fold, I hope that you can find the solution you're looking for!

Bryce

Thanks for your reply. I think that a used Spark EV - especially at today's highly-depreciated prices is the best overall choice for me too. I haven't driven one yet but it looks like a fun little car, and a great value.

I'm aware of pre-heating the cabin, but we have a heated garage - so as nice as that feature is; I probably wouldn't use it. We also have very little charging infrastructure in Edmonton, so plugging in to pre-heat the cabin at the destination isn't really an option either. Also, asking my wife to "bundle up" because we're not going to use the heater is a little bit of a non-starter

You mentioned "extreme" climates. Where I live is the definition of that - warm summers and bitterly cold winters where -20C to -30C is the norm. On those very cold days when I'd need preserve range, I think a diesel heater would be a good solution. They only burn about 0.2 liters per hour, so I don't think we'd even notice the smell - given that I'm currently driving a DPF-less VW TDI.

 

[NORTON]

Ah yes, the smell of diesel on a cold morning!

Just be sure to park outside.

And mind where you secure that smelly can of fuel and where the smelly exhaust is routed to the outside.

btw, I owned 2 TDI's. Used WVO mix during summer months!

 

[Nashco]

I would think Edmonton would have plugs for block heaters all over the place. No?

Bryce

 

[oilerlord]

There are 120v plugs "all over the place" but these are mostly provided by businesses for their employees for block heater purposes. As a consultant to these businesses, I wouldn't consider parking my EV in an employee's spot - much less "stealing" power from one of my customers. From what I see in California, free charging plug-ins are as common as free wifi. That isn't exactly the case in Edmonton as our EV free-charging-for-everyone mindset is at least 5 years behind the times.

Even though I probably could make some arrangements with clients to plug in my car - that doesn't help much on an hour-long drive when the temperature is -30C outside. The warmth from that "pre-conditioned" cabin won't last long on those days. For that reason, I think a quality-installed diesel heater is a good solution.

 

[oregonsparky]

Me, personally, at those temps, I wouldn't be looking at an electric vehicle...

jeff

 

[emv]

There was a member here who posted under the name "xylhim". He hasn't posted for about a month but he drove his Spark from Victorville, CA to Edmonton. You might want to try to find him, something about the voice of experience. Personally, I think that's a very extreme climate for an EV.

 

[Nashco]

Me, personally, at those temps, I wouldn't be looking at an electric vehicle...

jeff

I wouldn't be concerned, I've driven my Spark EV when it was -10C without changing much about how I use the vehicle. However, if I wanted a Spark EV compared to something like a Volt or similar EREV/PHEV and saw -20C on a regular basis, I would also be willing to wear warm clothes. After all, I'm going to need warm clothes when I get out of the car anyway! I would also be willing to ask if I could use a block heater 110V connection outside. After all, I would use them if I had an older diesel car as well.

With that said, if somebody comes up with a nice installation of a fuel fired heater and that's the deal maker for an EV they wouldn't have driven otherwise, I'm glad to see it work out!

Bryce

 

[sicki]

We use Espar in our Sprinter Van upfitting here at RB Components. They work great...