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XC40 P8 Heat pump

22K views 31 replies 15 participants last post by  He Keith 
#1 ·
Seems this is growing as an issue so thought I would pull it out into its own thread. I realize I have also made some assumptions about how the heat pump works so as my Volvo has not yet arrived and has a heat pump I thought I would seek clarity and answers before it is here.

Assumptions and questions.
1. I assumed that the AC/Heating system on all XC40 P8 were the same and that the Heat pump is an additional unit that can increase the efficiency of the system by starting it off with recycled air which is either cooler (when cooling is required or warmer when warming) and that this system helps decrease the energy the default AC/Heating system uses in keeping its humans comfy and its batteries and other car systems at their correct operating systems.
2. If the assumption in 2 is not correct does anyone know how this system actually works or can point to articles showing how it actually works.
3. I assumed that the ac Failures were due to miss comunication between the AC/Heating and the heat pump perhaps some how telling the ac unit to stand down.
4. If we have a XC40 P8 with a heat pump how do we prove we have a heat pump. Is there a cool info panel showing it’s working effect or at least a system check box saying heat pump installed.
5. Has anyone seen any actual data on the energy savings of the heat pump? Volvo had a pretty infomercial saying how it saves energy but I have yet to see any data on the power savings. I got it honestly to be as green as I could be with the car and of course to try and eek out as much range as possible And because I like the thought of efficiency.

Please add questions and information to the thread.
 
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#2 ·
I found this article.


Sounds like heat pumps really are a good idea.
Still a little irritated at the lack of a best case scenario on the changes they make but ...
 
#3 ·
I just found this article re heat pumps and Tesla. My dealer in Las Vegas is equally uninformed as to the purpose of a heat pump, size, weight, and location. He was advised by Volvo to include a heat pump in all his future orders as it is necessary for extreme heat climates as well as extreme cold. I just don’t want to be charged extra for it if it’s considered essential.
 
#4 ·
My understanding is that heat pumps offer significant benefits vs things like compressors and conductive heating. Their weakness, if you want to call it that, is that they operate within a given temperature range. They still offer benefits in efficiency, but at a certain point they just can’t keep up and the vehicle will need to switch to the non-heat pump source so you’d see what seems like a massive drop in efficiency.

That said, how often do you use the vehicle outside the optimal range of the heat pump? I feel like people generally like to live in the places where heat pumps make a lot of sense.
 
#5 ·
I am assuming that the 350$ heat pump is extra to the normal heat/cool system. In other words it should never be worse in both effect ( amount of cooling) or effeciency. But hey assuming is a great sin :(
 
#7 ·
Heat pumps work with the internal electrical resistance used to heat the cabin. The heat pump works better for the long drive once the cabin has been warmed up. This is why preconditioning the cabin heat while plugged in will significantly add to the range on a cold day.

Once moving, the heat pump transfers heat using much less electricity.. Bosch states that at 14 degrees, there is a 25% increase in driving range. Visteon claims a 30% increase in range. Remember, EPA estimates are done at room temperature without any heating.
 
#8 ·
If a person did not order a heat pump from the factory at time of order - I wonder if it is an item that can be added by the dealer after the fact? Maybe the cost of install would be too much. Any thoughts if this would be possible?
 
#10 ·
Welland did you get your car yet? If not could re order with a heat pump? I read somewhere though that Canadian buyers are not given the option of a heat pump. Is this true?
 
#12 ·
Can anyone who has a heat pump in their XC40 share something about the following:
  • Can you hear the heat pump cycling (is there any noise noticeable from inside the cabin)?
  • Is there a delay when calling for heat? Is the wait time similar to an ICE vehicle waiting for the engine to warm up before noticing heat?
 
#13 ·
Ac and heat work the same as in a non heat pump car. I do not notice any extra sounds when it is on but I would need to record a non heat pump Volvo and then mine to say for sure.
 
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#14 ·
I do not notice any extra sounds
Thanks. I'm just OCD when it comes to that kind of stuff. Since an EV is very quite, for example while stopped at a red light, any noise or vibration will likely stand out compared to an ICE vehicle. I think the blower fan noise will be reasonable, but noises like my refrigerator drive me nuts (similar type of tech as a heat pump), since they hum which clashes with music.
 
#15 ·
The car constantly hums. It is similar to the hum that would send me insane in my av room and one which I am careful to avoid in the family computer area ( hunting down which of the 6 computers has a new bleeding hum is a thing ) but the hum in the car feels more alive. I tend to think of it as a quieter cyclon hum :) the heart of the car beating in a throbby hummy way.

Today i am driving the ice version of the xc40 as my P8 is In the shop to replace the broken in window. The ice car feels so … meh compared to the P8. The ac(cooling) is weaker. The acceleration is pitiful compared and all in all it just feels. MEH. And yet it is basically the same car so odd. Reminds me of an article stating research has shown that food tastes better with a nice knife and fork vs plastic due to the brains perception changing.

Test drive a P8 see if you like or hate the thrum. Remember this is not a static car it’s a dynamic robot that accepts our inputs :)
 
#16 ·
I see there have been no entries in 8 months. I have a 2021 XC40 recharge with the heat pump. Is there any new information on the heat pump? I have no idea if mine is working or how to turn it on or off. We are at the time of year where we are near zero (F) in the morning with colder weather likely over the winter. The car is kept in a garage, at 55 (F), but after work it has been sitting for 8 hours and not on a charger. Any updated info appreciated or LINKS to pertinent articles. Thanks.
 
#17 ·
I have a 2021 XC40 recharge with the heat pump. Is there any new information on the heat pump? I have no idea if mine is working or how to turn it on or off.
The heat pump IS the heating system on cars equipped with it. So if your cabin heat is working - the heat pump is working. There's nothing to explicitly turn on/off.
 
#19 ·
I would imagine there are still some resistive heating elements in the car, perhaps to warm the battery. Or maybe as supplemental cabin heat when it's extremely cold - say -25°F, where the heat pump would have to work too hard to efficiently extract any heat from the air.

But the heat pump - if so equipped - is supposed to be the primary heat source for cabin interior, defroster, etc.
 
#20 ·
I was told the heat pump warmed or cooled the battery. This could also be part of pre-conditioning using remote starter or whatever you call it as there is nothing to start, motor wise. I can't find anything in the manual. I called Volvo support (USA) one day and they had no idea. I must have got Psaki's brother who said he would circle back, and like Jen - nothing! I must say the in car manual is not handy in the least. Other than that the car has been great (well mileage not so good) but the car is a ball to drive. I really enjoy the quiet; it's like a sailplane. Fun, fun, fun til the battery takes it away.
 
#21 ·
Wheel Tire Car Vehicle Automotive tire



Heat pump
The heat pump acts primarily as a range extender that helps save battery power in the pure electric XC40 Recharge. When it’s cold outside, it transports thermal energy from either the ambient air or the battery and releases this energy to heat up the cabin. This transport of heat is provided by a compressor which consumes less energy compared to the car's standard electrical heater. And by also supporting the air conditioner to work more efficiently, the heat pump helps save electric energy at a temperature range from +5°C up to 25–30°C. The heat pump can also help warm or cool the battery to optimise performance and range during long trips or heavy loads.
 
#22 ·
In most cars, the heat pump is there for the cabin only. It does say (final sentence) that it can be used for the battery, but that sounds like a rarity? (It was written almost like an after thought in this post?). Supposedly, the heat pump works more efficiently to heat (and in some cases, cool) the cabin of the car. It is an item that comes with a cost, which is why in many EVs it is part of a package, or a single extra cost. In climates where it never gets particularly cold, the benefits may not be outweighed by the cost. That said, more EVs are just incorporating it standard, and that might also be most cost effective for the mfg. Hopefully this corrects some of the misinformation in the last few posts prior.
 
#24 ·
Great catch. The window sticker says Heat Pump not Battery Heat Pump.
It would be good to hear from folks that their cars are not equipped with the heat pump if their preconditioning helps with consumption. Actually what is the whole car behavior.
 
#25 ·
I just wonder why Volvo can't answer the question more specifically. Someone in design must have the correct and detailed answer. I was told that it is best to pre-condition the battery in Cold Weather, so that the battery was more efficient upon take off. That makes sense to me. Apparently from what I am hearing this is done when the car is warming the cabin. It just seems to me that the heating of the battery in Cold Weather would take more energy than to heat the cabin. How does the heater split up the energy for the cabin and the battery heating. When you get in the car you know if it is warm, but how do you know the battery has been warmed up enough?
 
#28 ·
I get exactly the same scenario if I precondition. It's obvious the car is warm but the initial power usage tells you the battery is warm. To be fair I have only done this a few times as most of the time I never know when I'm heading off....
 
#29 ·
Edit: Sorry if this info is redundant. I thought I was replying to the latest post but when I hit “enter” I realised there were about 10 more replies to the question LOL!

They’re all fitted with an electric resistance coolant heater...

If you have the heat pump option, that will work to improve efficiency to a point as it can take heat out of the air and “pump” it into the cabin, just like the reverse cycle takes heat out of the cabin and pumps it to the outside when in AC mode. However, when it’s really cold outside, the heat pump can’t do much so you’d be on most or all resistive heating. Very similar to heat pump heat/AC systems in homes - in really cold winter those electric resistance heaters kick in and your energy bills go up (my grandparents had this in western Illinois and yeah, it got cold there, and yeah, their electricity bills were high in winter!)
 
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