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Comment by jakemoshenko | Hacker News Reader

... the coolant in the car to warm up before the heater starts blowing hot

You conveniently truncated the quote to change the issue. If they wanted heat, they have to wait longer than 15s.

I changed the quote to include the entire clause, but the concept still makes no sense to me in a Bay Area context (heck, I'm wearing shorts today).

How many EVs produce passenger heat in meaningful amounts immediately (even ignoring the added battery drain), and how much of a burden is 50+-degree in-car temperatures for a few minutes while you're already in outdoor clothing?

Sure, in some areas. But it's a pretty annoying drawback when temperatures hover around 0F and the car can't even start defrosting the windshield for 10-15 minutes.

Few - Many electric cars use inefficient electric heat that draws as much battery power as the traction motors. Some have more efficient heat pumps, but not all. Regardless, heat is no more instant in an EV than a conventional vehicle.

Not to be technically correct, but electric heat is 100% efficient.

A heat pump can be more than 100% efficient in the sense you seem to be talking about. It transfers heat from one area to another, and can bring in more heat to a space than the energy used could produce in heat through a resistive heating element.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_pump

I think you were looking for this, http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/thermo/heatpump.h...

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