Large Tesla Battery

John & Angela wrote:
I can sit in our car not just for 20 minutes but for days (exagerating a bit as no one would do that) ) with the AC on with no wear and tear on the car. We routinely leave the AC on when we are away from the car so it is cool when we get back in plus 37 weather when we have a certain person travelling with us that has some health issues. The heat pump doesn't use much power. If I get stuck in a traffic Jam in hot or cold weather I want to be in an electric vehicle. And I can preheat it or cool it in my garage with no exhaust...and while its still plugged in...and I can turn on the climate control from an app on my phone. Handy in the mall parking lot. I have waited for Angela when she was at appointments for an hour or two at a time. I just get some work done in the car while I am waiting. AC on keeping it a nice 22 degrees inside until she gets back. No worries.

Boy ... this doesn't seem to align with all the RV discussions about how much battery storage capacity and/or solar power capability and/or generator capacity is required to run RV air conditioners for any usable length of time. After all, a heat pump is just an air conditioner with a reversible process to change between heating and cooling. As we all know, compressors cycling ON/OFF are power hogs. We have had heat pumps in our home for years - and they are electrical power hogs if you want to take full advantage of what they can provide comfort-wise.

Also, heat pumps only operate with any degree of heating efficiency at outside temperatures of around 35-40 degrees F on up. Of course many places in the U.S. need automobile heaters that stay nice and warm at temperatures lower than that, and electric heating for a personal vehicle in winter is really a power hog way beyond a heat pump's compressor.

Any personal vehicles we've ever owned have had pretty powerful overkill air conditioners and heaters that could handle just about any outside temps anywhere I have lived (Michigan and California).

I'd sure like to see the information of how and where that electric cars are getting and putting all of the lithium battery capacity necessary to heat and cool the interior as desired ... plus also permit no-worry operation of the electric motor(s) for many miles during periods of extreme cold and heat. :@

P.S. Also, electric cars are most likely light in weight as possible - similar to the modern SUV's we've ridden in. In our situation, the DW's bad back negates ever being able to use or ride in a light weight daily driver - due to their relatively rough ride that is impossible to get around except through use of weight or expensive technology like the hydropneumatic self-levelling suspension that Citroen used. FWIW, our heavy and long range gas powered daily driver still manages to achieve around 27 MPG on the open road.