MAHLE has developed HeatX Range+, an innovative heat recovery system designed to improve cabin heating efficiency in electric vehicles, particularly in cold weather conditions where heating significantly impacts driving range.
Compared with conventional exhaust air systems, MAHLE HeatX Range+ reduces the energy demand of an electric vehicle’s air-conditioning system by around 20 percent, enabling drivers to achieve a longer driving range per battery charge while maintaining high interior air quality.
Commenting on the development, Martin Wellhoeffer, Member of the MAHLE Group Management Board and Head of Thermal and Fluid Systems, said, “Our HeatX Range+ heat recovery concept enhances the everyday usability of electric vehicles in winter and makes a meaningful contribution to increasing the attractiveness of electric mobility.”
Thanks to its modular design, HeatX Range+ can be integrated easily and cost-effectively into existing vehicle architectures. In tests conducted on a typical mid-size electric vehicle at an ambient temperature of –7°C and a cabin temperature of 20°C, the system delivered a range extension of nearly 10 kilometres.
In addition to improved efficiency, the continuous supply of oxygen-rich fresh air enhances cabin air quality and significantly reduces the risk of window fogging, further improving comfort and safety for EV occupants.
The new heat recovery system uses the air conditioning evaporator to extract and utilize heat energy from the vehicle cabin’s exhaust air. As the air directed outside passes through the evaporator, it heats the refrigerant while leaving the cabin. The refrigerant then transfers the stored energy to the fresh air intake before it enters the vehicle interior. This efficiently preheats the fresh air and reduces heating power demand at winter temperatures compared to conventional exhaust air systems.
The new heat recovery system has no adverse effect on the air flow performance or acoustic behavior of the vehicle air conditioning system. In implementing this innovative energy recovery technology, MAHLE drew on its extensive experience developing and manufacturing vehicle climate control systems. “As early as the 1990s, MAHLE introduced the ”Economizer”, the first cabin heat recovery system concept for passenger and commercial vehicles, thereby pioneering today”s trend toward efficient cabin climate control,” said Dr. Uli Christian Blessing, Vice President R&D Thermal and Fluid Systems at MAHLE. The current heat recovery layout is designed for refrigerant R1234yf and can be adapted to all alternative refrigerants with only minor modifications.
