[squishycans]

So I bought one of these cars in North Dakota from a dealer, being told this would work in Winter. But the manual says the U.S. version doesn't have a battery heater? Is this true or do places like North Dakota that see lower temperatures than -22 F get a battery heater?

I know I'll have to see the dealer, but I'm expecting them to tell me too bad, I should have known or something...I mean this is kind of a crappy expensive car if it won't start in the winter time...why would Honda even sell cars like that? Can I buy a heater for the battery? There's no information on this car. Their website doesn't even state that it won't work in certain temperatures. But even Honda tells me to go to the dealer and says the US version has no heater...

*confused* Ugh...if anyone knows, appreciate some guidance so my car isn't useless in winter.

 

[firsthonda]

What makes you think you need a battery heater
Do you realize it is an electric car and electric cars do not start like cars with ICE engines, electric tools such as electric saws and drills do not have nor need heaters and they work fine. I didn't bother to do any research but most electric cars have a battery conditioner to help keep the battery cool. The car will run perfectly in cold temperatures the only effect cold weather will have is the range will be reduced in cold weather. take a deep breath and calm down Honda will never make or sell a car that'll no work in cold weather.I have owned a few electric cars and they all worked well regardless of how hot or cold it was.

 

[firsthonda]

It took me two minutes of research to confirm my original statement. Batteries can not tolerate high temperatures and that is why the car contains a battery cooler. If the car needed a battery heater (which it does not need) Honda would also have a battery heater. Only cars that use an ICE engine/motor need a heater. I recommend that you go to these sites you can learn a lot about the Clarity

http://techinfo.honda.com/rjanisis/pubs/OM/AH/ATRW1818OM/enu/ATRW1818OM.PDF

http://techinfo.honda.com/rjanisis/pubs/QS/AH/ATRW1818OG/enu/ATRW1818OG.PDF

I don't mean to be putting you down for asking a question because the only way to learn is to asking questions that may seem obvious to some people. Don't be discouraged This is new technology and you have a lot to learn. I have driven 4 electric cars and owned and I constantly impressed by how well thought out out the Clarity

 

[greglarious]

Actually, this is a very good question.

While electric vehicles do not need a battery or engine heater for cold cranking starting amps or lowering oil viscosity, the temperature of the battery does have a big effect on range. Spending too much energy to warm the battery also reduces range but there is a formula to optimizing this. We don't get too many -10 degree days here but we get some. I too would like to know about how far the electric range degrades under cold, how much benefit does a battery heater provide, and what options exist for getting one.

 

[firsthonda]

Most people pre-heat the interior of the car while it is still plugged in, but I doubt that warming the battery will have any effect on range. Next time it gets real cold pre-heat the cabin of the car before you unplug. There are close to a dozen electric cars manufactures and I do not think any have a battery heater.. I don't think the manufacturers think it is beneficial.

 

[greglarious]

There is a large difference in range vs temperature. As much as a 50% reduction for what I would call normal winter weather for my state: https://transportevolved.com/2013/1...old-weather-on-ev-range-this-chart-shows-you/

Looking at these numbers it is almost certainly not worth the expense to install a battery heater and the energy expenditure vs range equation may not actually help at all.

 

[Rangerpilot]

Although I’m a new 3 month Clarity owner I live in northern Minnesota and have had numerous discussion with service department managers in regards to my concerns with extreme cold temp operations in a PHEV clarity.
1 you can not activate the climate control and preheat the car when it is plugged in to 120 outlet only when plugged in to 240.
2 Honda has a built in fail safe to prevent damage to the battery that DOES prevent the car from starting when the core battery temp is -20 F or colder
3 Only clarity vehicles in Canada come from the factory with a battery heater to allow the vehicle to start in -20 F temps

The questions I now have in regards to the -30 to -50 temps we have in Northern Minnesota are
A) will the ICE provide enough heat to keep the battery warmer then -20 F when driving long distances in -20 or colder temps and prevent the car from activating the fail safe and that will not allow the ICE to restart after parking at say a gas station for fuel?
B) Is there a Honda battery heater that can be purchased from the dealer and installed after delivery from the factory?

Otherwise I’m in a real pickle come this winter and may not be able to operate the car 2 months out of the year unless I don’t turn the ICE off until I return to Home to a warmer garage..

 

[Cruiter]

I'm sure this isn't the information that will make you happy, but all cars can not be made to operate efficiently in all places year round, such as the extreme winter climates in Northern Minnesota. For the worst part of your winters you just may need a different type of vehicle to get you through that rough couple of months. The winter period you're describing would just be another day at the park for my previous Subaru Outback Limited.

Although I’m a new 3 month Clarity owner I live in northern Minnesota and have had numerous discussion with service department managers in regards to my concerns with extreme cold temp operations in a PHEV clarity.
1 you can not activate the climate control and preheat the car when it is plugged in to 120 outlet only when plugged in to 240.
2 Honda has a built in fail safe to prevent damage to the battery that DOES prevent the car from starting when the core battery temp is -20 F or colder
3 Only clarity vehicles in Canada come from the factory with a battery heater to allow the vehicle to start in -20 F temps

The questions I now have in regards to the -30 to -50 temps we have in Northern Minnesota are
A) will the ICE provide enough heat to keep the battery warmer then -20 F when driving long distances in -20 or colder temps and prevent the car from activating the fail safe and that will not allow the ICE to restart after parking at say a gas station for fuel?
B) Is there a Honda battery heater that can be purchased from the dealer and installed after delivery from the factory?

Otherwise I’m in a real pickle come this winter and may not be able to operate the car 2 months out of the year unless I don’t turn the ICE off until I return to Home to a warmer garage..

 

[Rangerpilot]

Cruiser,

You’re right that’s why I’ve kept my Honda Accord..... I’ll never go back to a Subaru after bad experiences with 2 of their sedans ...But I have figured out through several calls to dealerships in Maine, MN and Ottawa that the battery warmer in the Canadian Clarity models only works when plugged in to an outlet. So it seems as long as the US version is running ie the ICE mode is on, or it is plugged and charging, I should be okay generally speaking as there will be some residual battery heating occurring as heat comes with charging. It seems I will be out of luck when the car is parked in the severe -20 F cold long enough without being plugged in AND charging. Dealers confirmed there is no high voltage battery warmer accessory to purchase as an add on after delivery from the factory. Mighty shoulda coulda bought it from Canada. But it’s still a wonderful car, Eh.....

 

[Claire Greene]

What makes you think you need a battery heater
Do you realize it is an electric car and electric cars do not start like cars with ICE engines, electric tools such as electric saws and drills do not have nor need heaters and they work fine. I didn't bother to do any research but most electric cars have a battery conditioner to help keep the battery cool. The car will run perfectly in cold temperatures the only effect cold weather will have is the range will be reduced in cold weather. take a deep breath and calm down Honda will never make or sell a car that'll no work in cold weather.I have owned a few electric cars and they all worked well regardless of how hot or cold it was.

It took me two minutes of research to confirm my original statement. Batteries can not tolerate high temperatures and that is why the car contains a battery cooler. If the car needed a battery heater (which it does not need) Honda would also have a battery heater. Only cars that use an ICE engine/motor need a heater. I recommend that you go to these sites you can learn a lot about the Clarity

http://techinfo.honda.com/rjanisis/pubs/OM/AH/ATRW1818OM/enu/ATRW1818OM.PDF

http://techinfo.honda.com/rjanisis/pubs/QS/AH/ATRW1818OG/enu/ATRW1818OG.PDF

I don't mean to be putting you down for asking a question because the only way to learn is to asking questions that may seem obvious to some people. Don't be discouraged This is new technology and you have a lot to learn. I have driven 4 electric cars and owned and I constantly impressed by how well thought out out the Clarity

And yet Canadian Claritys have electric heaters.

 

[60Hertz]

So I searched for and found this older thread, since I have been wondering on this topic after reading page 95 of my Honda owner's manual. It is a bit ironic talking about cold weather operation in June, when even in Wisconsin we finally are hitting a stretch of 80 degree days. Nevertheless, I've always been one to plan ahead, and Wisconsin summers are short.

For anyone living in a warmer climate who skipped over that section, or if you have otherwise not yet read your owner's manual cover-to-cover, here is the section of page 95 to which I refer, and which is also referenced in some of the other posts on this thread:

"U.S. models: If the temperature of the High Voltage battery drops below approximately -22F (-30C), the power system will not start, the High Voltage battery will not operate and, as a result, the vehicle will not start. Store the vehicle in a garage or take another measure to insure that temperature of the High Voltage battery does not fall below this temperature."

Where I live in Wisconsin, -22F and below is not a frequent occurrence, but it does happen from time to time, so it's something I have to consider. Taking it out of the garage when the outside temp is below -22F would seem to be a high risk proposition, given the undesirable position of being stranded in an inoperable vehicle during extreme cold weather. The simple answer for me may be that, on those days, the Clarity stays parked in the garage, and I drive my ICE car, which is equipt with an engine block heater for just such occasions. Just wondering if anyone out there has experience with operating at temps around or below -22F and any special measures you take. Thanks

 

[The Gadgeteer]

Now that winter is long past us. Has anyone with a US model Clarity had a no start issue because of extreme cold at less than -20F?

 

[lefty]

We live in northern Iowa

and bought our Clarity in Aug '18. Used it pretty much every day this past winter, which was pretty brutal. We don't get to -22 here often, but I was a bit concerned about this issue when I bought the car. Turned out in our unheated garage even when -20 outside it was only about -5 inside...and by 8-9 a.m. when my wife would go to work it was rarely below -10 outside. Drove it every day, no problems. Of course, I was prepared for her to drive my pickup if it WAS anywhere close to -20 outside during the day. In reality this past winter, we had more snow than super-cold temps. I probably wouldn't have a Clarity in this location if it was our only vehicle, unless I was retired.

 

[4sallypat]

And here we are in So Cal where we don't get temps below freezing....

I am more worried about the hot baking sun temps (150 degrees +) in the interior and battery life.

At least we get a bit more EV battery warranty to offset the searing heat....