Italian supplier Thermobus is launching an infra red low energy automotive heating system. They say it is “the solution for the biggest challenge of electric vehicles and particularly suitable for city buses”. Because climatization is one of the key points affecting electrical vehicle performances. Thermobus states the infra red heating system has a high efficiency, extreme modularity, easy installing and low maintenance.
Autonomy range is still the headache for all manufacturers but climatization uses a lot of energy: on a hot summers day the air conditioning system consumes at least 10% of the kWh charge in the accumulators, while in wintertime this rate could easily rise to 30% or more. Heating is three times more energy demanding than cooling, is the experience of Thermobus. The system is based on Infra Red (IR) heating principle. While a traditional heating system is warming air, IR is warming directly with more comfort for passengers and drivers. No fans are needed, as well as any other moving component, therefore the system does not require maintenance.
The absence of air movement also makes the environment cleaner and dust free. Beside the passenger comfort, the most relevant benefit of IR is the energy consumption: instead of 600/700 W/km of a traditional heating system, IR requires around 200/300 W/km. The IR-panels are light and can be mounted in the ceiling, in the floor or even in the side walls. The IR solution is designed to replace the conventional water/glycole heating system, with significant weight savings, or can be integrated with the traditional heating system for extreme rigid winter conditions. For the driver there is am IR-carpet or on the upper or side panel.
The system is available also as an integration of Ellamp luggage racks and ceiling coverings. You can see and touch the infrared panels at Busworld in Brussels where they will be exhibited in cooperation with Ellamp and where Thermobus will also present the new air conditioning solutions for electric busses and minibuses. The infrared heating system made its debut with Rampini, Italian manufacturer of BEV and FCEV buses. Thermobus is in hall 8, stand 8088.