Poppie Jagersand <poppie.jagersand@YAHOO.CA> writes:

>> 7. For us not as lucky to live in Sunny California (how does one get
>> heat)... something many air cooled owners are use to!
>
> A gas motor converts only 10-20% of the fuel energy into mechanical
> motion in average driving. The rest can be used for heat at no extra
> cost. Most is wasted and just vented through the radiator. With an
> electric vehicle there is almost no loss. Motors are around 90%
> efficient. Any heat has to be taken "extra" off the batteries, hence
> reduce range. Best solution is to insulate the vehicle well, pre-heat
> it while plugged in and charging, then only add as little heat as
> possible. There are electric units to replace the heater core with in
> the car, or one could use an electric water heater (VW TDI's have
> these to speed up engine heating at cold start), heat the water, and
> pass it through the regular heating system.

Might be feasible to have an on-board propane or kerosene-fired heater,
for purposes of heating the passenger area, these can be very efficient.

Allan
--
1991 Vanagon GL