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With limited EV production capacity, this obviously isn't a top priority for Mitsubishi right now. But I hope Nissan (and before too long Mitsu as well) are paying attention to this. An expensive fueled heater modification isn't worth it to me in Albuquerque (where the cabin-warming sun shines right through the cool winter days), but a reasonably priced factory-supplied kerosene or diesel heater option is ESSENTIAL if manufacturers want to sell any quantity of EVs in snow country. We have ample testimony that i-MiEVs and LEAFs go just fine through the snow and ice, so the only thing making them a non-starter for most customers up north is the "range vs. comfort" tradeoff for winter driving. Seat heaters don't cut it for more than occasional use, especially for passengers who might be less committed to energy efficiency.Customers want warm cabins, and fuel-burning heaters can do the job far more efficiently than draining batteries with power-sucking electric space heaters. Burning fuel to pump air may be a lousy way to move a ton of metal around, but it's fantastic at generating heat. Honda recognized this and offered oil-fired heaters in the late '90s EV Plus trialed in California. Aside from unrealistic and innumerately nonsensical "green" concerns, I cannot fathom why this practical reality is being ignored by current EV makers (a little cabin insulation wouldn't hurt either).
With limited EV production capacity, this obviously isn't a top priority for Mitsubishi right now. But I hope Nissan (and before too long Mitsu as well) are paying attention to this. An expensive fueled heater modification isn't worth it to me in Albuquerque (where the cabin-warming sun shines right through the cool winter days), but a reasonably priced factory-supplied kerosene or diesel heater option is ESSENTIAL if manufacturers want to sell any quantity of EVs in snow country. We have ample testimony that i-MiEVs and LEAFs go just fine through the snow and ice, so the only thing making them a non-starter for most customers up north is the "range vs. comfort" tradeoff for winter driving. Seat heaters don't cut it for more than occasional use, especially for passengers who might be less committed to energy efficiency.
Customers want warm cabins, and fuel-burning heaters can do the job far more efficiently than draining batteries with power-sucking electric space heaters. Burning fuel to pump air may be a lousy way to move a ton of metal around, but it's fantastic at generating heat. Honda recognized this and offered oil-fired heaters in the late '90s EV Plus trialed in California. Aside from unrealistic and innumerately nonsensical "green" concerns, I cannot fathom why this practical reality is being ignored by current EV makers (a little cabin insulation wouldn't hurt either).
