[Jeff N]

I recently wrote this article about the details of the new battery pack design being used in the 2019 Hyundai Kona Electric, Kia Niro EV, and 2020 Kia Soul EV.

https://electricrevs.com/2018/12/20...undais-new-battery-thermal-management-design/

 

[Barry]

Great article. Thanks for the detailed description.

For those who want the quick summary:

They have liquid cooling connected to the AC.

In the US, there will only be passive battery heating through the liquid system, no resistive heater for the battery. This system scavenges heat from the motor and charger to warm the battery.

Canadian models will get a resistive heater for the battery, and Canada also gets a heat pump for cabin heat.

 

[sosmerc]

Great article. Thanks for the detailed description.

For those who want the quick summary:

They have liquid cooling connected to the AC.

In the US, there will only be passive battery heating through the liquid system, no resistive heater for the battery. This system scavenges heat from the motor and charger to warm the battery.

Canadian models will get a resistive heater for the battery, and Canada also gets a heat pump for cabin heat.

Thanks for the info. I would think it would be cheaper to build only one version for all markets and I wonder if this will change once they realize that many states have cold weather too. I would also think they would do well to add AWD as an option.

 

[jcanoe]

Great article. Thanks for the detailed description.

For those who want the quick summary:

They have liquid cooling connected to the AC.

In the US, there will only be passive battery heating through the liquid system, no resistive heater for the battery. This system scavenges heat from the motor and charger to warm the battery.

Canadian models will get a resistive heater for the battery, and Canada also gets a heat pump for cabin heat.

Outside of Canada the cabin heating will be handled by a 5.5kW resistance heater. Clearly the Kona EV in that configuration is not intended for sale in the US outside of California.

 

[emg77]

Nice article. I wonder how much improvement they see from a heat pump compared to the electric heat. They probably loose a little efficiency for the cooling (assuming they use the heat pump for cooling as well).

With batteries taking the whole floor, I wonder how safe it is in a side collision. One thing that gave me comfort about the Volt is how isolated the batteries are from collision damage. Regardless of battery disconnection methods in a crash, if sharp metal gets pushed into the battery structures in a crash, there's potential for a lot of energy to be released.

 

[FI Spyder]

Outside of Canada the cabin heating will be handled by a 5.5kW resistance heater. Clearly the Kona EV in that configuration is not intended for sale in the US outside of California.

Every one knows the warm weather stops at the 49th parallel, that's why we used to see American tourists come to Victoria in July with their skis on ski racks and their ski jackets in the back when I worked at a gas station there in the 60's.


The answer would be to come up to Canada to buy a Canadian model. Would the $7,500 tax credit still apply? Plus you get $1.25 on the dollar.

 

[Dakster]

I guess us folks in Alaska are SOL then too... Seeing as I live North of most of the populated area of Canada. Although without AWD I am not interested.

 

[ahaelson2]

It seems Finnish models get the heat pump and resistive battery heater also. Not sure about central or southern Europe.

 

[!arry4pyro]

Nice analysis Jeff! It seems similar to the Bolt TMS in that best is directed/drawn to a cooling plate under the batteties. The Bolt has metal plates wedged between the battery pouches to gather heat from all areas of the pouch rather than just their bottom surface area. Is a similar arrangement used here?

It doesn't seem this design is as robust as Tesla's, do you think it is adequate to handle normal thermal transfers during operation to fend off battery degradation? Could fast charging rates be increased by adding a cooling plate on top of the batteries.

 

[KenC]

"At least for the 2019 model year, all Kona Electric’s sold in the US will come without a dedicated battery heater while all Canadian versions will include one. Similarly, all US deliveries will come with 5.5 kW PTC direct resistive cabin air heating alone while all Canadian deliveries will include a heat pump (reversible A/C system) to more efficiently assist cabin heating."

Seems like you should either go to Canada to buy a Kona, which unfortunately we can't do, or wait until 2020MY. Even if the 19s are meant for California, I bet a good portion of those buyers in the Bay Area go to Tahoe and LA to Mammoth for some winter fun.

 

[Ladogaboy]

For the last week in Northern California, I was scraping ice off the windshield in the morning. I decided to check the Bolt EV's battery temperature after the car sat unplugged overnight, and it was 37 F. Apparently, that was cold enough that the battery heater started warming the battery immediately when I turned the car on (even though it wasn't plugged in.

I'm not sure how the U.S. Kona Electric would handle that situation.

 

[supchrgamx]

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/autos/new.../ar-AAF1C2v?ocid=spartandhp#image=AAF1C2v_1|3

not going to help ev thing

 

[Steverino]

The car exploded, blowing the door off of his garage. Cosentino says the car was not charging at the time and was not plugged into an outlet in his garage. The car seems to have spontaneously combusted, as the Montreal fire service told CBC there was no other possible source of fire in the garage at the time.

The mob? Angry wife?

 

[Norton]

..In the US, there will only be passive battery heating through the liquid system, no resistive heater for the battery. This system scavenges heat from the motor and charger to warm the battery.

Canadian models will get a resistive heater for the battery, and Canada also gets a heat pump for cabin heat.

Well it get's just as cold in the midwest as in Canada,, almost.

So the wait continues for a properly configured Kia or Hyundai.
Or for a Bolt with some advanced AP-like features. You can't get Adaptive Cruise on a Bolt, which is a deal breaker for me.
I wan't more tech than that anyways....

And then the "exploding in a garage" story must be answered.
Please post any info, when it's released.

The wait continues.....

In reality, my Spark EV serves my needs just fine. I have 2 gassers for road trips...

 

[dannycamps]

Nice article. I wonder how much improvement they see from a heat pump compared to the electric heat. They probably loose a little efficiency for the cooling (assuming they use the heat pump for cooling as well).

The only issue I see here is that traditional heat pumps (those used for heating homes) lose efficiency exponentially after the temps drop below 30F. In single-digit temps, they are completely ineffective because the drawn in air is too cold to heat and as such require a supplemental/backup electric resistance unit to produce heat.

 

[FI Spyder]

Yes, waiting for definitive answer. The article did say "allegedly" with no other ignition sources. To fire marshal safety inspector "Honest occifer, those rags sitting next to the empty lawnmower gas cans weren't oily".