JULY - AUGUST 20259ELECTRICAL BUSINESS REVIEW EUROPEWITH EVERY NEW MODEL INTRODUCTION, CAR MAKERS ARE LOOKING FOR WAYS TO IMPROVE THE DRIVING RANGE OF THEIR VEHICLES AND REDUCE RANGE ANXIETY SO THAT MORE CONSUMERS WILL BUY THEIR EV OFFERINGSAt high temperatures, using the air conditioner to cool the cabin is also a drain on the battery and can reduce range by about 17%, according to an AAA study. Extreme temperatures can cause a battery or motor failure, affect charging time, reduce battery life-expectancy or, in rare circumstances, cause the battery to catch fire.All this points to a need to develop new thermal management systems that minimize power consumption while providing thermal control of the cabin and electronic components. One newer technology that is being used more and more in light EVs is a heat pump,which can make both cold and warm air for cabin occupants. This technology is similar to how heat pumps work in homes and commercial buildings. In the case of an efficient automotive heat pump, enough cooling or heating power can be generated to control the temperature of the cabin, plus the batteries and electronics.By using a heat pump instead of a conventional electric heater, the range of the EV can be improved.Advanced Refrigerants Meet the Challenge While Driving Down EV EmissionsIn addition to solving the heating and cooling dilemma, EV makers face another challenge. A global phase down of high-global-warming-potential (GWP) materials called hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) is requiring automakers to transition to lower-GWP solutions. Spurred by changing regulatory requirements and public opinion, the predominant refrigerant used in the past, HFC-134a, must be replaced with low-GWP alternatives.The most globally available and proven solution for this application isHFO-1234yf, an ultra-low GWP refrigerant found today in almost all light vehicles made for sale in the United States and Europe.Honeywell was the first to make HFO-1234yfavailable to automobile manufacturers a decade ago and was also the first to build a world scale HFO-1234yf manufacturing plant in the United States. Honeywell's Solstice® 1234yf has proven that it has the best balance of overall properties allowing thermal optimization in EVs. EV heat pumps that run on Solstice 1234yf can cool motors, batteries and other electronic components, as well as heat and cool the cabin.Development of next generation thermal management solutions like those being deployed in EV models today took years to design and integrate,and also required significant investments by Tier 1 auto suppliers and by auto manufacturers themselves. Fortunately for the car industry, Honeywell's Solstice 1234yf was available when EV development began about 10 years ago and continues to offer the optimal set of thermal properties to efficiently heat and cool EVs. There is opportunity to continue innovating in this field, and Solstice 1234yf is a solution that is ready-now to support further development in the EV industry.
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