Open top heating thoughts

[J Alynn]

Assuming we do get an open top option I have two thoughts-the first could be no matter what configuration :
1-I still think a throw back pull rod to “open” the footwell heat would be an awesome item to feel hands on rather than electronic and be a bit of an Easter egg

2- do the non-stripped down buyers have interest in neck warmers? I’ve had one convertible but never had the neck warmers. I always committed that if it was at least 50 degrees I would open top and I did. Always took it out during first snow of the year with my buddy and our two young kids. Sometimes I think a high warmer would be nice for north east and other regions with cold winters but probably a bit of an overkill.
On that note headrest speakers would be great during open air cruising

 

[Bodie]

For me, seat heaters and steering wheel heat are the best bang for the buck. Far more effective and efficient to transfer warmth than heating an element and running a fan to push warm air through cold air to get to the occupants.
When I had an S2000, it was always top down if it was above 40 and not raining. No harm running heat in that though but seat and wheel heat would have been nice.

 

[sambown]

I have never seen it done, but electric-radiant floors would be cool! With the heat rising, it would efficiently heat the entire cab. For some homes radiant flooring is more energy efficient than heat pumps, I am not sure if that would be the case but if you could add range by adding radiant floors, that would be cool. I understand heated floors may heat the battery though, which is terrible for it.

A more logical answer is heated seats (front and back), and heated steering wheel!

 

[J Alynn]

I have never seen it done, but electric-radiant floors would be cool! With the heat rising, it would efficiently heat the entire cab. For some homes radiant flooring is more energy efficient than heat pumps, I am not sure if that would be the case but if you could add range by adding radiant floors, that would be cool. I understand heated floors may heat the battery though, which is terrible for it.

A more logical answer is heated seats (front and back), and heated steering wheel!

I wonder if the heat build up from the batteries could be utilized to heat the floor. I agree radiant would be a great way to heat the cabin and keep feet warm. Would also help to dry wet floor at the foot wells

 

[sambown]

I wonder if the heat build up from the batteries could be utilized to heat the floor. I agree radiant would be a great way to heat the cabin and keep feet warm. Would also help to dry wet floor at the foot wells

In my original post I was thinking electric coils to provide radiant heat. Utilizing the batteries, as you say, would be a great idea. I think vents from the battery to the cab would not be best simply because water, mud, and miscellaneous items could easily get dropped down the vents and into the battery containment area. In a water-based radiant heating system, the water flows over a heat source, then to the location where heat is required. They could go super elaborate, and have a system of pumping water over the battery in a coil-pattern, then pumping that through the floors of the cabin, at the push of a button. Although this seems like a lot of moving parts, and an extra thing to service that I really do not want serviced. But if they could master it and keep it quiet, that could be quite cool. It could cool the battery, heat the cabin, and drain less energy than a heat pump, all in theory. It seems cool on paper, but it seems like it could end up being a headache

 

[J Alynn]

In my original post I was thinking electric coils to provide radiant heat. Utilizing the batteries, as you say, would be a great idea. I think vents from the battery to the cab would not be best simply because water, mud, and miscellaneous items could easily get dropped down the vents and into the battery containment area. In a water-based radiant heating system, the water flows over a heat source, then to the location where heat is required. They could go super elaborate, and have a system of pumping water over the battery in a coil-pattern, then pumping that through the floors of the cabin, at the push of a button. Although this seems like a lot of moving parts, and an extra thing to service that I really do not want serviced. But if they could master it and keep it quiet, that could be quite cool. It could cool the battery, heat the cabin, and drain less energy than a heat pump, all in theory. It seems cool on paper, but it seems like it could end up being a headache

Being in Homebuilding I think radiant is a very desirable system. I think as a ground up EV this could be looked at as a combo system as you stated with the coils or even tied to a sandwiched floor system if, as you noted, it could be sealed. If you could do more of a forced air system in a sandwiched floor system that might work well and would eliminate the tubing and water risks especially sitting right over top the battery housing.