Rivian Heat Pump Patent Filed

[jwardell]

A heat pump is the ONE thing I think the Rivian is missing. Thrilled to hear they will have one sooner or later.

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[the long way downunder]

I wonder if it can be retrofitted onto existing vehicles. Wishful thinking, I'm sure.

If Rivian's engineering boffins reached a point in 2020 and said "we're not ready with the heat pump, let's leave the existing HVAC/compressor/PTC heater and battery management" they could have at that point, designed the existing system to be forward compatible with the heat pump system.

These engineers would be well aware (for years) that their 2018 technology is obsolete and they have to go to a heat pump. But the imperative would be to get the vehicle to a finished state.

This would make it possible to "standardize" the fleet and only the first 10,000 vehicles (or however many) would be offered the retrofit as one option (say $2500) and a package to retrofit the forthcoming Max Pack, say $15,000 (or whatever horrible prices are realistic till this EV bubble deflates, maybe in '23 or '24.)

I'm not sure how many people would value the heat pump so much as to pay for the performance, but maybe. I'd certainly be keen to pay for a 200+ kWh pack that charges quickly beyond 80% and I don't mind if it makes the R1T even heavier, that's just about inevitable till battery technology advances beyond the current "laptop" technology.

 

[Greenwater]

For the ignorant, what would this new heat pump be used for?

Heating via electric heater is all electric cars have basically, so in the winter they really waste their energy on that (gas cars get hot for free almost). Heat pumps produce heat much more efficiently, but also you can do a second order thing like tesla does which is combine that with battery heating/cooling to both exchange heat and condition the battery more efficiently.

Someone mentioned it was one thing rivian was missing. They also should really have a bigger on board charger than 48 amps, with such a big battery (telsa used to have 80 amps, the f150ev also has a higher level charger as an option.

 

[pc500]

The heat pump won't materially increase range. They might get 5-10 miles on the EPA rating, so they are incentive, but the vehicle is so inefficient it's not important. The leaf took 2 years to get it, and it was a low-range, low-speed vehicle that was more efficient, and spent its time at a far lower average MPH.

So heat pumps are literally several times less important than the comparative market, but I'd still like to have it.

 

[Dark-Fx]

The heat pump won't materially increase range. They might get 5-10 miles on the EPA rating, so they are incentive, but the vehicle is so inefficient it's not important. The leaf took 2 years to get it, and it was a low-range, low-speed vehicle that was more efficient, and spent its time at a far lower average MPH.

So heat pumps are literally several times less important than the comparative market, but I'd still like to have it.

My range number today was worse than normal, first day I've had the heat come on. Could be something else going on but don't forget, it also needs to heat the battery up somehow. I had my truck unplugged overnight.

 

[pc500]

My range number today was worse than normal, first day I've had the heat come on. Could be something else going on but don't forget, it also needs to heat the battery up somehow. I had my truck unplugged overnight.

It more likely is attributable to cold weather outside of cabin heating. Lithium just doesn't deliver as much energy when cold. This can be tested by doing the same drive in that weather; with the heater off (and a jacket on).

 

[Dark-Fx]

It more likely is attributable to cold weather outside of cabin heating. Lithium just doesn't deliver as much energy when cold. This can be tested by doing the same drive in that weather; with the heater off (and a jacket on).

Air is more dense too. There are a lot of variables. Long distance in the Hummer seemed to be somewhere around 10% less range below freezing. I don't have those numbers in the Rivian yet, barely had below freezing temps when I first got it.

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