Here's a question that probably won't be of interest until next fall but just curious now.

I know that the AC is driven by an electric motor so the compressor still works when the engine if off in the EV mode keeping the cabin cool. What about the heater? I don't think the engine has an electric water pump so does the heater turn cold when the engine shuts off in the winter when in EV mode or does the system reduce the duration of the EV mode in order to keep the heater working?

 

It's cool enought up there yo should give it a try and tell us. here in Arizona where it's 100f peak in the day kind of hard to try out.

 

My idea of cold is single digits or below - I think that's when it will be a challenge for the NAH to heat the cabin and still run in the EV mode.

I did some checking around - there's lots of info on the Prius out there. The Prius has an electric water pump so coolant will still circulate when in the EV mode. There are also a couple of electric heaters in the heater core so heat will be avaiable before the coolant gets up to temperature. I have no idea if these features are in included in the NAH or the TCH. I would think if the Camry has it then the Nissan would as well seeing how they used the rest of the THS.

I believe that the Prius system requires the use of an automatic climate control for the system to work properly. That could be the reason Nissan included the automatic climate control system as standard equipment in the Hybrid and therefore there's a good chance that there are electric heaters and an electric water pump as well.

 

Not that this thread's been a hot topic on the forum but perhaps this might be of interest to someone who actually clicks on the burning question about "EV mode and heater".

I received the CD Service Manual for the NAH and discovered that there is an electric pump that keeps coolant circulating while in the EV mode. There doesn't appear to be any electric heaters in the heater core like in the Prius.

 

The Salesman told me the electric water pump was to help keep the flux capacitors from having a "melt-down", go figure....

 

Tim A

When I first read this post I thought you (or the salesman) were making a joke that somehow the Altima's hybrid system was related to the Star Trek Enterprise or the Delorean from "Back to the Future". Then I realized you (or the salesman) were talking about the cooling system for the hybrid system. The hybrid electronics/transaxle has it's own cooling system that only has an electric coolant pump. The engine has a second cooling system that has a mechanical coolant pump that works when the motor is running but also has an electric pump that runs in the EV mode.

 

I didn't know it cooled the trans housing also! Good stuff....

 

It actually cools the inverter and the two motors/generators (MG1, MG2) in the transaxle.

http://www.autoshop101.com/forms/Hybrid02.pdf

page15

This website describes the Prius but since we know the NAH uses the Toyota system I would assume it's the same set up.

 

when it gets cold, could someone answer this question... I am considering buying this car...
I live in Buffalo, NY

 

There is an electric pump that circulates coolant for the heater when in EV mode.