More range with residual heat

E-Cars More Range with Waste Heat

2026-02-12 From Thomas Günnel | Translated by AI 1 min Reading Time

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Mahle wants to use residual heat from the vehicle interior to increase the range of electric cars. The system can be integrated into existing architectures.

Mahle wants to preheat fresh air with residual heat from the interior - and thus save heating energy.(Image: Mahle) — Mahle wants to preheat fresh air with residual heat from the interior - and thus save heating energy.
(Image: Mahle)

Mahle has developed a system for recovering heat from the interior of electric vehicles. With "HeatX Range+", the supplier aims to reduce the energy required for the air conditioning of electric cars: around 20 percent less is possible compared to conventional exhaust air systems. The result: more range on a single battery charge.

How "HeatX Range#" Works

The system uses the air conditioning system's evaporator to recover thermal energy from the exhaust air in the passenger compartment. In the process, the air that is led outside heats the refrigerant in the evaporator as it leaves the passenger compartment. The refrigerant then transfers the stored energy to the fresh air drawn in before it enters the vehicle interior. This preheats the fresh air and reduces the heating requirement.

In tests, an electrically powered mid-range car drove just under ten kilometers per battery charge. The tests took place at an outside temperature of -7 degrees Celsius (~19 °F) and an interior temperature of 20 degrees Celsius (~68 °F). At the same time, according to Mahle, the continuous supply of oxygen-rich air guarantees high interior air quality and minimizes misted windows.

Modular Design Suitable for Existing Vehicle Architectures

According to the supplier, the heat recovery system has no detrimental effect on the air flow performance and acoustics of the vehicle air conditioning system. The current layout of the heat recovery system is designed for the refrigerant R1234yf. "According to Mahle, it can be "adapted to all alternative refrigerants with only minor modifications". According to Mahle, the system has a modular design and can be integrated into existing vehicle architectures.

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Date: 08.12.2025

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