A Review of Recent Research on Automotive HVAC Systems for EVs

Automotive heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems are of particular interest from the viewpoint of improving fuel economy, especially in electric vehicles (EVs) such as hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), and battery electric vehicles (BEVs). This paper describes recent research on automotive air-conditioning and heating technologies after classifying them into heat pump applications, control and operation, heat exchangers, refrigerants, thermal comfort, localized HVAC systems, and additional energy-saving systems. Even though many researchers have applied the existing concepts and technologies for EVs, significant revamping efforts are necessary owing to the dynamic, transient, and local characteristics of vehicles.