Inventors:
William Schwartz - Pleasant Ridge MI, US
Upendra Patel - Canton MI, US
Chendong Huang - Ann Arbor MI, US
International Classification:
F02B063/00
Abstract:
A selectable coolant heating system for a fuel cell electric vehicle is disclosed. The selectable coolant heating system includes a maximum heat button which is connected to a coolant heater that heats a vehicle coolant when the maximum heat button is depressed. The coolant heater is maintained in either a de-activated, non-heating “off” mode or a baseline heating mode unless and until it is activated by depression of the maximum heat button, at which time the heater is activated to a heating level mode or to one of multiple, successively-higher heating level modes, respectively. By subsequent depression of the maximum heat button, the non-heating “off” mode of the coolant heater can be resumed in order to conserve energy and improve vehicle fuel economy.