Vapor injection heat pump

[jacirino71]

Hello everyone I’m new here! I have a question on the Vapor injection heat pump. So I just bought a 2023 Lightening and i absolutely love it, however I just heard the 2024 have this vapor injection heat pump which the 2023s do not. Is there a significant difference with it? Does it improve the miles? I’m pretty upset that the dealer didn’t tell me this otherwise I would have bought the 2024. Now I did read that there’s really not much of a difference, but if anyone is familiar with this I would love to hear from anybody about it. Can it be installed on the 2023? Like is it a part that I can buy and have it installed?

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[MyJoule]

Since you live in a cold climate the heat pump would have given you longer range in the winter.

The big difference will be when your system needs heat- The 2022-2023s have a PTC heater that is just a big power draw-some people say up to 20-25% hit on range in the winter. I"m not sure it's that bad, but it will be noticeable in the wintertime. Otherwise, when calling for AC the system drain will be similar

While I would prefer the heat pump in my 2022, in reality, it's not made a significant difference where I live.

 

[TaxmanHog]

We have extremely limited data on the '24 model year winter performance due to delays in production, distribution & sales.
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I moved the thread to [General] for better exposure and potential feedback, though we have a lot of anecdotals concerning Tesla, not much on Ford's implementation.

 

[RickLightning]

Hello everyone I’m new here! I have a question on the Vapor injection heat pump. So I just bought a 2023 Lightening and i absolutely love it, however I just heard the 2024 have this vapor injection heat pump which the 2023s do not. Is there a significant difference with it? Does it improve the miles? I’m pretty upset that the dealer didn’t tell me this otherwise I would have bought the 2024. Now I did read that there’s really not much of a difference, but if anyone is familiar with this I would love to hear from anybody about it. Can it be installed on the 2023? Like is it a part that I can buy and have it installed?

No, it cannot be retrofitted.

Where have you read any factual information on the actual impact, since it has not be sold on a vehicle and then tested in cold weather to my knowledge?

Lightning...

 

[mrau]

So I just bought a 2023 Lightening and i absolutely love it, however I just heard the 2024 have this vapor injection heat pump which the 2023s do no

The 2023 models have many features that Ford removed on the 2024.

You likely got a very good value on your purchase.

The story on the heat pump for the 2024's has yet to be told. Won't know till after this winter how much of an impact it has.

 

[mrau]

The 2024 lose 3 years of Blue Cruise (only 90 days), they lose the big AC charger (only have 1/2 size at 48 amp), and the included 100 amp Charge Station Pro to name a few.

I believe a few more things, just can't recall at the moment.

 

[RickLightning]

I agree that I don't expect the heat pump to make a big difference.

As to what has a bigger impact on efficiency - dense cold air or the current heater:

Cold air increases drag by 2% per 10 degree drop. So, let's compare 20 degrees vs. 70 degrees. I'm not an engineer, but I believe the increase in drag can result in maybe a 50% hit on efficiency, so you cut it by half. 50 degrees / 10 = 5 x 2% / 2 = a 5% hit on efficiency from the cold air.

The heater, maintaining 70 degrees, is going to pull comparable energy I believe.

 

[00SVT]

Anyone know if the new heat pump will require regular maintenance like cleaning a filter?

 

[RickLightning]

Anyone know if the new heat pump will require regular maintenance like cleaning a filter?

Home heat pumps have filters for air circulation. This heat pump is liquid-based.

 

[climateguy]

We have had a Chevrolet Bolt as our primary transport for three years. Almost all of our use is short range so the range doesn’t matter. However, I couldn’t help but notice the substantial decline in our estimated range as shown on the guess-o-meter that happens during spring, fall, and winter.

This article confirms how lousy the Bolt can be in the cold, but it also contains some good info on heat pumps:

Recurrent, November 2023:
Heat Pumps: Cold Weather Myth or Worth it?

Our Bolt experience loomed large when we decided to get an EV for towing our travel trailer.

We tend to do a lot of long trips in spring and fall. Our choice for an EV tow vehicle came down to a 2023 or 2024 Lightning. We bought the 2024 because of the heat pump.

Although l couldn’t find much data as to how much of an improvement a heat pump would prove to be, I decided that any improvement on towing range during shoulder season long trip travel would be worth it.

Inside Evs published this in 2022:
EV Range Test Of Various Models Shows Up To 20% Drop In Cold Temps

GridServe published in 2023, making a general claim of 10% improvement:
What is a heat pump and how can it help increase electric car range?

Some contributors to a Reddit heat pump discussion group claim the Ford heat pump is a superior design:
2024 F-150 Lightning will have a Ford-patented vapor injection heat pump

These guys tested their VWs, same model, one had a VW heat pump and the other did not. The video takes a while to get to the concluding data, which is displayed in the following graphic. The two vehicles started with the same state of charge, and they drove the identical route:

 

[Jake24]

I’m pretty upset that the dealer didn’t tell me this otherwise I would have bought the 2024.

Heat pump was a deal breaker for me.

 

[TaxmanHog]

Heat pump was a deal breaker for me.

Looking forward to reports from you this coming winter.

 

[Jake24]

Looking forward to reports from you this coming winter.

"A BEV without a heat pump is already a dinosaur"
Where I live a high efficiency HP is the only way to go.

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